Accelerates Paul Hastings’ Evolution into a Destination M&A and Corporate Takeover Defense Platform 

New York — Paul Hastings announced today that Eduardo Gallardo, a preeminent M&A and corporate takeover defense lawyer, has joined the firm as Global Co-Chair of Mergers and Acquisitions, where he will focus on advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, takeover defense, shareholder activism, corporate governance and other corporate matters.

Gallardo most recently served as Co-Chair of Global M&A and Chair of the Shareholder Activism Defense group at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP. Widely recognized as one of the top dealmakers in the country, Gallardo has advised on public and private mergers and acquisitions, takeover and activism defense, and corporate governance matters for some of the world’s largest and highest-profile corporations, asset managers and banks.  He represents public and private companies in connection with proxy contests, leveraged buyouts, spinoffs, divestitures, restructurings, recapitalizations, joint ventures, and other complex corporate transactions. 

“Eduardo is among the most highly respected, elite dealmakers trusted by the world’s leading global corporations, asset managers and financial institutions to advise them on their most critical and complex transactions,” said Seth Zachary, chair of Paul Hastings. “We view Eduardo’s joining as an important milestone for our global M&A practice and are delighted to welcome him to the firm.”

“Paul Hastings is experiencing tremendous growth and brand momentum, and has attracted some of the strongest and most dynamic talent in the legal market today,” said Gallardo. “I am thrilled to join Paul Hastings at this exciting time and lead the firm’s global M&A and corporate takeover defense practices. Alongside the firm’s many talented colleagues, I am eager to help transform Paul Hastings into a destination M&A and takeover defense advisory platform.”

With the recent additions of prestigious teams across M&A, Finance, Restructuring, Infrastructure and Projects, Capital Markets, Real Estate and Litigation, Paul Hastings is on track to have nearly 400 New York-based lawyers by the end of 2022, making it one of the largest New York offices of AmLaw 100 firms. 

Following a record year in 2021, Paul Hastings continues to grow in 2022 across its practice areas. The firm recently added an elite 18-partner financial restructuring group, a premier 14-attorney team specializing in Projects, Project Finance, and Energy Transition and Infrastructure, and top-tier, four-partner team specializing in government investigations, supervisory matters, litigation and regulatory compliance for banks, financial institutions and fintechs. 

About Eduardo Gallardo

Gallardo has extensive experience representing public and private buyers and sellers in connection with mergers, acquisitions and takeovers, both negotiated and contested.  He has also represented public and private companies in connection with proxy contests, leveraged buyouts, spinoffs, divestitures, restructurings, recapitalizations, joint ventures and other complex corporate transactions. Gallardo has substantial experience in the technology, financial services, telecommunications, energy, real estate, healthcare and life sciences industries.

Gallardo joined Gibson Dunn & Crutcher in 2005. He was named a partner in 2008 and appointed co-chair of M&A in 2021.

Gallardo has advised on a wide variety of high-profile and complex transactions, including:

• Represented AT&T in its $1.4 billion sale of Warner Bros. Games’ Playdemic, Ltd., the mobile games studio responsible for Golf Clash, to Electronic Arts.
• Represented Fifth Wall Acquisition Corp. I in its $2.2 billion acquisition of SmartRent. Inc.
• Represented Amherst Residential in its proposed $2.3 billion acquisition of Front Yard Residential Corporation, a publicly-traded REIT.
• Represented Barnes & Noble Education in its successful defense against an unsolicited takeover bid launched by Bay Capital Finance
• Represented Hewlett Packard Enterprise in connection with its spin-off and merger of its Enterprise Services Business with CSC by means of a Reverse Morris Trust transaction.
• Represented of Towers Watson in connection with its $18 billion merger of equals with Willis Group.
• Represented Transatlantic Holdings, a reinsurance company, in its $3.4 billion merger with Alleghany Corporation, and successful defense against a hostile exchange offer commenced by Validus Holdings.

In addition to being tier-ranked by Chambers in both Corporate/M&A and Corporate/M&A: Takeover Defense, Gallardo has been recognized by numerous publications as a leading M&A lawyer. He has been named a “Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer, and was named to The National Law Journal’s list of Mergers & Acquisitions and Antitrust Trailblazers. 

Gallardo received his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 1999, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.  He received a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University in 1996. 

About Paul Hastings

Dedicated to providing intellectual capital and superior execution to the world’s leading Wall Street and global investment banks, asset managers and corporations, Paul Hastings is a premier global finance law firm with elite teams in finance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and litigation. It is one of only a handful of law firms ranked across multiple core finance areas including: structured credit, leveraged finance, private credit, capital markets, and real estate finance.

Paul Hastings is ranked as one of the top firms in the world in The American Lawyer’s “Premier League” for momentum, profit and prestige amongst firms in the 2022 American Lawyer 100.