Davis Polk has announced that Sheila Adams, Matthew Bacal, Ning Chiu, Ethan Goldman, David Hahn, Eric McLaughlin, Adam Shpeen, Travis Triano and Steve Wang have been elected partners of the Firm, effective July 1, 2021.

Ms. Adams is a member of Davis Polk’s Antitrust & Competition practice in New York. She represents clients in a variety of civil litigation and government investigations, and her practice focuses on antitrust investigations and litigation and the antitrust aspects of mergers and acquisitions. Her clients have included firms in the media and entertainment, technology, financial services, pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries, as well as individual corporate directors. Ms. Adams is a 2019 recipient of the National Bar Association’s 40 Under 40 Nation’s Best Advocates Award and one of the association’s five individual 40 Under 40 awards for Excellence in Leadership.

Mr. Bacal is a member of Davis Polk’s IP & Tech Transactions and Data Privacy & Cybersecurity practices in New York. He advises clients on IP, technology, media and privacy issues arising from their operations and commercial transactions such as M&A, licensing, development and outsourcing/services arrangements, joint ventures and collaborations, financings, restructurings, and capital markets offerings. He has a particular focus on structuring, negotiating and drafting strategic licensing, development, supply, outsourcing, services and other commercial arrangements relating to media and sports rights, content distribution, data use and commercialization, branding, sponsorship, fashion, software and other technology. Mr. Bacal also counsels clients on copyright and data privacy law, including in connection with the design, development and commercialization of products and services.

Ms. Chiu is a member of Davis Polk’s Corporate Governance and Capital Markets practices in New York. She advises companies and their boards of directors on corporate governance, securities laws, emerging trends and responding to evolving best practices. For over 20 years, she has advised clients on a range of matters involving their boards, including board and committee composition and structure, board policies and practices, board evaluations and succession planning, proxy disclosure, shareholder engagement and relationships, shareholder proposals, shareholder activism in all forms, proxy campaigns, proxy advisory services, and sustainability and ESG matters.

Mr. Goldman is a member of Davis Polk’s Tax practice in New York. He advises clients on federal income tax matters related to a variety of transactions, including U.S. and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, financings, partnership investments, restructurings and spinoffs. Mr. Goldman also regularly advises private equity sponsors and other private fund managers on tax matters relating to the formation and operation of private investment funds, as well as secondary transactions. He has also represented clients in connection with tax controversy matters before the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Tax Court.

Mr. Hahn is a member of Davis Polk’s Finance practice in New York. He principally advises financial institutions and direct lenders in connection with various financing transactions, including leveraged acquisition financings, senior stretch and unitranche facilities, asset-based facilities, recurring revenue transactions and debt restructurings. He also has substantial experience representing borrowers on a broad range of finance-related matters.

Mr. McLaughlin is a member of Davis Polk’s Financial Institutions practice in New York. He provides strategic bank and financial regulatory advice to banks, financial institutions, fintech companies and investors. His practice includes bank M&A and capital markets transactions, enforcement actions, bank chartering, capital and liquidity requirements, resolution planning, and cryptocurrency and other digital assets. He regularly advises clients on bank powers and activities, regulatory approvals and restrictions on inter-affiliate transactions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he has been deeply involved in advising clients on all aspects of the government support programs. 

Mr. Shpeen is a member of Davis Polk’s Restructuring practice in New York. He has significant experience representing debtors, creditors, banks, hedge funds and other strategic financial actors in connection with complex chapter 11 and out-of-court restructurings, including prepackaged and traditional bankruptcies, liability management transactions, debt exchanges, credit transactions, debtor-in-possession financings, exit financings and section 363 sales.

Mr. Triano is a member of Davis Polk’s Executive Compensation practice in New York. He advises clients on a wide variety of executive compensation matters, with a particular emphasis on compensation aspects of mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and spinoffs. He has extensive experience advising on the design and implementation of incentive compensation arrangements; the negotiation of executive employment, change in control and severance agreements; and compensation-related corporate governance, public company disclosure and Section 16 matters. His practice ranges across a variety of industries, including biotech, technology, financial services, energy, consumer products and retail, and industrials.

Mr. Wang is a partner of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP resident in Hong Kong and practicing as a Hong Kong Solicitor. His practice focuses on securities offerings and mergers and acquisitions. He has represented issuers and underwriters in a wide range of international capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings and follow-on equity offerings, investment-grade and high-yield debt offerings, and liability management transactions. His practice ranges across a variety of industries, including biotech, healthcare, technology, consumer and retail, and real estate. In 2020, Mr. Wang was honored as a “Rising Star of the Year” at the IFLR Asia-Pacific Awards.

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