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Lawyers

Paul S. Scrivano

Lawyers

Paul S. Scrivano

Partner
Mergers & Acquisitions
Northern California
New York

Head of West Coast M&A. Widely regarded as an authority on public company M&A. Deep experience in proxy contests, shareholder activism and takeover defense.

Paul is the head of our West Coast M&A practice. Paul is a nationally recognized M&A lawyer, and clients across industries turn to him for guidance on their most complex U.S. and cross-border M&A transactions. Paul has extensive experience in a broad range of deals, including mergers, tender and exchange offers, stock and asset acquisitions, divestitures, spinoffs and splitoffs, and joint ventures. Paul’s practice encompasses a full spectrum of corporate, strategic, defensive, board-level and crisis assignments.

Widely regarded as an authority on public company M&A matters, Paul has advised on hundreds of such transactions. He has advised on numerous proxy contests, and he regularly advises corporate boards and committees in transactional and high-profile corporate governance matters, in shareholder activism matters and as to takeover defense strategies.

Paul also regularly advises private equity firms and investment banks in M&A transactions.

Experience

  • Gilead Sciences in its $4.3 billion acquisition of CymaBay Therapeutics and its $405 million acquisition of MiroBio
  • HP in its $3.3 billion acquisition of Poly
  • Siemens in its acquisition of Trayer Engineering
  • Natus Medical in its $1.2 billion acquisition by ArchiMed
  • Silicon Valley Bridge Bank in its sale to First Citizens BancShares, resulting in First Citizens BancShares assuming Silicon Valley Bridge Bank’s assets of $110 billion and deposits of $56 billion
  • Qorvo in its acquisition of Anokiwave, its sale of its China assembly and test facilities to Luxshare and its sale of Qorvo Biotechnologies to Zomedica
  • JPMorgan Chase in its acquisition of a substantial majority of assets and assumption of certain liabilities of First Republic Bank

Paul’s representations before joining Davis Polk include the following:

  • Altimeter Growth Corp. in its $40 billion stock-for-stock combination with Grab Holdings
  • McAfee in its $14+ billion acquisition by Advent and Permira; and the $4 billion sale of its Enterprise business to Symphony
  • HP in its acquisition of Teradici, and its $425 million acquisition of HyperX
  • Gilead Sciences in its $1.74 billion option to acquire Pionyr Immunotherapeutics, and its $1.55 billion option to acquire Tizona Therapeutics
  • BB&T in its $1.8 billion acquisition of National Penn Bancshares
  • Baring Private Equity Asia in its $2 billion acquisition of Virtusa
  • Veeam Software in its $5 billion acquisition by Insight Partners
  • Milacron in its $2 billion merger with Hillenbrand
  • Bear Stearns Merchant Banking in its negotiated spinout and transition to independence from JPMorgan Chase during the 2008 Financial Crisis
  • Wieland-Werke AG in its $1.2 billion acquisition of Global Brass and Copper
  • Bain Capital in its $18 billion acquisition of Toshiba Memory
  • Mentor Graphics in its $4.5 billion acquisition by Siemens
  • Alaska Air Group in its $4 billion acquisition of Virgin America
  • Dealertrack Technologies in its $4 billion sale to Cox Automotive and $1 billion acquisition of Dealer Dot Com
  • Microsemi in its successful $2.5 billion “deal jump” for PMC-Sierra, terminating the PMC-Sierra/Skyworks Solutions merger agreement
  • Independent Directors of TRI Pointe Homes in its $2.7 billion reverse Morris Trust transaction with Weyerhaeuser
  • The Royal Bank of Scotland Group in its successful $33.6 billion hostile acquisition of National Westminster Bank
View more experience

Insights

Recognition

Law360 – “Technology MVP of the Year,” 2021

IFLR1000 – M&A, Private Equity, United States, Market Leader

American Lawyer – “West Trailblazer,” 2022

Best Lawyers – Corporate Law, Menlo Park

The Recorder – “California Trailblazer,” 2020

Lawdragon – 500 Leading Dealmakers in America, 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025

National Law Journal – “M&A and Antitrust Trailblazer,” 2017

Daily Journal – “Top 100 Lawyers in California,” 2013, 2017 and 2023

California Lawyer – “California Lawyer of the Year,” 2014

Law360 – “Life Sciences MVP of the Year,” 2012

Education

J.D., New York University School of Law
  • magna cum laude
  • Order of the Coif
B.S., Cornell University

Prior experience

  • Partner, Ropes & Gray, 2017-2022
  • Partner, O’Melveny & Myers, 2005-2017
  • Partner, McDermott Will & Emery, 2002-2005
  • Associate, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, 1996-2002

Qualifications and admissions

  • State of California
  • State of New York
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