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Davis Polk

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Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Headquarters450 Lexington Avenue
New York City
No. of offices10
OfficesGlobal
No. of attorneys980 (2020)[1]
Major practice areas
  • Capital markets
  • Corporate/M&A
  • Financial services regulation
  • Investment management
  • Private equity
  • Litigation
  • Insolvency/restructuring
  • Antitrust
  • Credit/financing
  • Tax
Key peopleNeil Barr, Managing Partner
RevenueIncrease $2.03 billion (2023)[1]
Date founded1849; 176 years ago (1849)
Company typeLimited liability partnership
Websitewww.davispolk.com
At the offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP in New York, New York.

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, commonly known as Davis Polk, is an American multinational law firm headquartered in New York City with offices in Washington, D.C., Menlo Park, London, Madrid, Brussels, Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo, and São Paulo. The firm maintains an all-equity partnership, with profits per partner of over $7 million.

History

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Davis Polk traces its origin to a one-man practice in Manhattan opened by a 21-year-old lawyer, Francis N. Bangs. The firm changed its name several times to account for new partners, using names such as Bangs & Stetson; Bangs, Stetson, Tracey & MacVeagh,, Stetson, Jennings & Russell, and Davis, Polk, Wardwell, Gardiner & Reed.[2] Towards the end of the 19th century, J. P. Morgan hired Francis Stetson, then name partner of the firm, as his chief counsel. During Stetson's tenure, the firm helped Morgan to restructure the Pennsylvania Railroad as well as create General Electric. The modern incarnations of Morgan's business, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley, have remained key clients of the firm. Among other high-profile lawyers, President Grover Cleveland served as a member of the firm during the interval between his two non-consecutive presidential terms.[3]

From 1945 to 1965, Davis Polk was known amongst legal circles as a White-Anglo-Saxon-Protestant (WASP) law firm that would not hire Jewish attorneys.[4] Such discriminatory hiring practices of the time led to the development of "Jewish" law firms in New York City.[5]

In 1971, Lydia Kess was the first woman to be promoted to partner, becoming the second female partner at a major Wall Street law firm.[6]

During the financial crisis of 2007–2008, the firm represented many government clients, including the United States Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the firm had important roles in the AIG, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, and Citigroup matters, as well as in the drafting of the Dodd–Frank Act.[7][8]

In 2009, to bolster its financial regulatory practice, the firm hired three former Securities and Exchange Commission officials: Commissioner Annette Nazareth, Director of Enforcement Linda Chatman Thomsen, and Deputy Director of Trading and Markets Robert Colby—as well as former White House Staff Secretary Raul Yanes and former Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation General Counsel John Douglas.[9]

In November 2023, amid a wave of protests calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War at elite U.S. law schools, Davis Polk & Wardwell was among a group of major law firms who sent a letter to top law school deans warning them that an escalation in incidents targeting Jewish students would have corporate hiring consequences: "We look to you to ensure your students who hope to join our firms after graduation are prepared to be an active part of workplace communities that have zero tolerance policies for any form of discrimination or harassment, much less the kind that has been taking place on some law school campuses."[10] The letter was criticized by a coalition of Muslim bar associations, which accused the firms of contributing to Islamophobia, a chilling effect of free speech and Pro-Palestine speech, and a climate of fear.[11]

In September 2024, Davis Polk & Wardwell, along with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, and Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu, announced their leadership roles in Tokyo Metro's upcoming initial public offering (IPO) valued at JPY 319.6 billion (approximately USD 2.24 billion). Tokyo Metro is set to list on the prime market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange on October 23, 2023, having received IPO application approval on September 20.[12]

Recognitions

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In March 2007, Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) awarded Davis Polk its Heroes Honors 25th Anniversary Award for the corporate pro bono work the firm has done on the organization's behalf.[13] In October 2008, a Davis Polk team working with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund won a $4.6 million judgment[14] on behalf of immigrant workers who were being paid below the statutory minimum wage by their employer, a popular Manhattan restaurant.[15]

In 2010, Davis Polk was ranked third in Revenue per Lawyer by the American Lawyer's top 100 National Firms.[16] In 2012 and 2013, Davis Polk was named America's Law Firm of the Year by the International Financial Law Review.[17]

The firm placed 15th on The American Lawyer's 2021 AmLaw 200 ranking,[1] and, on the 2021 Global 200 survey, Davis Polk ranked as the 20th highest grossing law firm in the world.[1]

Notable attorneys and alumni

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Current attorneys

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Among its current partners and counsel are:

Former attorneys

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Judiciary

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Elected office

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Law enforcement and financial regulation

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Other government service

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Business

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Media and entertainment

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Academia

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Davis Polk". Law.com.
  2. ^ "JOHN W. DAVIS HEAD OF HIS LAW FIRM; Stetson, Jennings & Russell Is Now Davis, Polk, Wardwell, Gardiner & Reed". The New York Times. 1925-01-17. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-05.
  3. ^ Allan Nevins, Grover Cleveland: A Study in Courage, p.450.
  4. ^ Wald, Eli, The Rise and Fall of the WASP and Jewish Law Firms. Stanford Law Review, Forthcoming, U Denver Legal Studies Research Paper No. 08-15, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1138432
  5. ^ Wills, Matthew (2022-01-14). "White Shoes, WASPs and Law Firms". JSTOR Daily. Retrieved 2025-04-18.
  6. ^ Lat, David (January 5, 2012). "Oy Vey! Milbank Mistakenly Touts 'Only Orthodox Jewish Woman Partner' in Biglaw". Above the Law.
  7. ^ Lat, David (September 18, 2008). "Davis Polk: Making Bank". Above the Law.
  8. ^ "For Davis Polk, Dodd–Frank Pays" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-10-24. Retrieved 2019-03-14.
  9. ^ Scannell, Kara (April 13, 2009). "Davis Polk Recruits Ex-SEC Aide". The Wall Street Journal.
  10. ^ Sorkin, Andrew Ross; Mattu, Ravi; Warner, Bernhard; Kessler, Sarah; Merced, Michael J. de la; Hirsch, Lauren; Livni, Ephrat (2 November 2023). "Law Firms Warn Universities About Antisemitism on Campus". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  11. ^ Egan, Matt (2023-11-14). "Law firms accused of fueling Islamophobia, chilling free speech | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  12. ^ "Quartet guides Tokyo Metro on USD2.24bn IPO proposal". Law.asia. 25 September 2024.
  13. ^ "Gay Men's Health Crisis to Commemorate 25 Years of Leadership in the Fight Against AIDS at GMHC Heroes Honors 25th Anniversary Dinner" (Press release). PRNewswire. March 7, 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  14. ^ http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/files/saigon_grill_decision.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  15. ^ Baxter, Brian (October 23, 2008). "Davis Polk Hands Big Tip to Saigon Grill Deliverymen". Law.Com(ALM/American Lawyer Magazine). Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  16. ^ "The Am Law 100 2010 – Revenue Per Lawyer (RPL) Falls Again". Law.com. 2012-09-09. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  17. ^ "Davis Polk Wins Again at IFLR Americas Awards". International Financial Law Review. March 22, 2013.
  18. ^ Lattman, Peter (July 29, 2011). "Davis Polk Lawyer Nominated for Federal Bench". The New York Times.(subscription required)
  19. ^ LUBASCH, ARNOLD H. (July 26, 1985). "WALL ST. LAWYER WINS BACKING FOR U.S. JUDGEh". The New York Times.
  20. ^ Han Wong, Chun (May 6, 2011). "Candidate Q&A: Chen Show Mao". The Wall Street Journal.(subscription required)
  21. ^ "Mondaire Jones | U.S. Commission on Civil Rights". www.usccr.gov. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  22. ^ Campanile, Carl; Janoski, Steve (2024-05-12). "Who is Zellnor Myrie, the Democratic state senator who wants to run the Big Apple?". Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  23. ^ Greenhouse, Steven (1992-04-14). "BUSINESS PEOPLE; New Duties Familiar To Treasury Nominee". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  24. ^ Smialek, Jeanna (2019-11-29). "Meet the Man Loosening Bank Regulation, One Detail at a Time". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  25. ^ "Trump Nominates Paul Atkins as SEC Chair". National Law Journal. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  26. ^ "How Did I Get Here? Roger Ferguson Jr". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 2020-07-16. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  27. ^ "Robert B. Fiske, Jr". Historical Society of the New York Courts. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  28. ^ GRIMES, WILLIAM (March 8, 2011). "S. Hazard Gillespie, Former U.S. Attorney, Dies at 100". The New York Times.
  29. ^ "Press Release Archives #166-99- MAYOR GIULIANI ANNOUNCES THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PRESIDENT CHARLES MILLARD HAS ACCEPTED A POSITION IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR". www.nyc.gov. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  30. ^ Rodgers, Jack (April 1, 2025). "Ex-DHS Intel Head To Lead Mayer Brown Investigations Team - Law360 Pulse". www.law360.com. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  31. ^ Easton, Nina J. (March 27, 2002). "The Wings of an Idea". The Washington Post.
  32. ^ "Davis Polk & Wardwell, 1980-2000 and undated | Archival Collections". archives.lib.umd.edu. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  33. ^ "Merrill Lynch names Peter Tufo as a managing director - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  34. ^ DUNLAP, DAVID W. (February 25, 1996). "Lawyers Who Mold The Shape of a City". The New York Times.
  35. ^ "Alex Cushing, Founder of Squaw Valley, Dies". Snowboard Magazine. August 21, 2006.
  36. ^ HEVESI, DENNIS (July 1, 1990). "Eli Whitney Debevoise Dies at 90; Co-Founder of a Top Law Firm". The New York Times.
  37. ^ "CGI Leadership". Clintonglobalinitiative.org. Archived from the original on 2012-04-22. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  38. ^ "Former Citi Vice Chair Returns to Davis Polk". The American Lawyer. Retrieved 2025-04-16.
  39. ^ Francis L. Stetson, Lawyer, Dies at 74,' New York Times, December 6, 1920
  40. ^ "David M. Schizer". Columbia Law School. Retrieved 21 January 2018.

Further reading

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