Davis Polk has announced that 11 lawyers have been promoted to counsel effective June 1, 2021: Michael Comstock, Dan Gibbons, Donald Lang, Jeremy Larkins, Lillian Lian, Tracy Matlock, Benjamin Milder, Bryan Quinn, John Runne, Robert Smith and Rachel Weissmann.

Mr. Comstock is counsel in Davis Polk’s Corporate Department, practicing in the Environmental Group in New York. He advises clients on a range of environmental matters in connection with corporate transactions, with a focus on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, securities offerings and bank financings. Mr. Comstock also provides advice with respect to environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters, in particular ESG-linked financings and ESG policies and procedures. He has worked with clients in a range of industries, including oil and gas exploration and production companies, chemicals manufacturers, utilities and global industrial companies.

Mr. Gibbons is counsel in Davis Polk’s Corporate Department, practicing in the Capital Markets Group in New York. He advises both corporate and financial institution clients on all forms of capital markets transactions, with a particular focus on initial public offerings, high-yield debt issuance and other leveraged finance transactions. He also counsels clients on general corporate, governance and SEC and securities law matters, and has represented public and private companies and financial institutions in connection with a wide range of equity and debt financings, as well as liability management and debt restructuring transactions. Mr. Gibbons’ transactional practice spans a broad spectrum of industries, including financial technology, consumer and retail, biotech, industrials, energy and cryptoassets.

Mr. Lang is counsel in Davis Polk’s Corporate Department, practicing in Northern California. He advises issuers and investment banks on a broad range of capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings, equity offerings, and high-yield, investment-grade and convertible debt financings. He also advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, as well as other strategic corporate transactions and corporate governance matters for a range of early-stage to public companies. Mr. Lang has experience across a variety of industries, including life sciences, healthcare, technology and energy.

Mr. Larkins is counsel in Davis Polk’s Corporate Department, practicing in the Capital Markets Group in New York. He advises financial institutions on all aspects of the issuance and marketing of SEC-registered and exempt offerings of securities linked to equities, indices, commodities, currencies, interest rates and combinations of these assets. He represents issuers and investment banks in connection with domestic and international capital markets transactions, including issuances of senior debt, preferred stock and market-linked certificates of deposit. Mr. Larkins has extensive experience in the development of new financial products, including proprietary indices and exchange-traded notes for retail and institutional investors. He routinely advises clients on regulatory and transactional matters related to structured products.

Ms. Lian is counsel in Davis Polk’s Corporate Department, resident in Hong Kong. She has substantial experience in complex capital market transactions. She represents both corporate and financial institution clients on initial public offerings, dual listings, secondary listings, follow-on equity offerings and spinoffs. She has advised on a wide variety of capital market transactions across many sectors, including technology, healthcare, consumer, insurance and securities. She also advises listed companies on ongoing compliance and corporate governance matters. Ms. Lian is dual qualified in Hong Kong and the PRC.

Ms. Matlock is counsel in Davis Polk’s Tax Department in New York. She regularly advises debtors, creditors, banks, funds and other lenders on federal income tax matters related to a wide range of corporate restructurings, financing transactions and bankruptcies. She also has experience in a wide variety of tax controversy matters, including Internal Revenue Service audits and appeals, federal and state court proceedings, and voluntary disclosures. 

Mr. Milder is counsel in Davis Polk’s Corporate Department, practicing in the Investment Management Group in New York. He advises private fund sponsors in connection with the formation and operation of private investment funds, including private equity funds, hedge funds, co-investment funds and funds of funds. He also provides regulatory and compliance advice to private fund sponsors. Mr. Milder regularly represents institutional investors in connection with their investments in private equity funds, venture capital funds and hedge funds. In addition, he represents buyers, sellers and sponsors in a range of secondary transactions.

Mr. Quinn is counsel in Davis Polk’s Corporate Department, practicing in Northern California. He represents clients on a broad range of corporate and securities law matters, including capital markets transactions, corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions. In capital markets, he advises companies and investment banks on private financings, going public transactions, including initial public offerings and SPAC business combinations, and financing transactions by public companies, including equity, debt and convertible debt offerings. Mr. Quinn also advises companies on corporate governance matters, including capital structure, public company reporting and SEC compliance. His merger and acquisition experience includes both buy-side and sell-side representations of public and private companies. His practice is focused on companies in the software, technology, healthcare, financial services and energy sectors.

Mr. Runne is counsel in Davis Polk’s Corporate Department, practicing in the Capital Markets Group in New York. He advises clients on public and private capital markets equity and debt transactions, including initial public offerings, high-yield and investment-grade debt offerings, and liability management transactions. He also advises corporate clients on general corporate matters, including corporate governance and securities law compliance.

Mr. Smith is counsel in Davis Polk’s Corporate Department, practicing in the Finance Group in New York. His practice focuses on the representation of private equity sponsors and corporate borrowers in a wide range of domestic and cross-border transactions, with a particular concentration in acquisition and other leveraged finance transactions.

Ms. Weissmann is counsel in Davis Polk’s Trusts & Estates Department in New York. She advises high-net-worth individual clients on estate planning matters, related gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer taxation, and charitable giving, including the creation and administration of private foundations. She also advises individual and corporate fiduciaries in connection with the administration of trusts and estates.

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