Best Lawyers Near You in New York, New York for Corporate Governance and Compliance Law
Lee S. Richards III has devoted his 45-year career to the representation of businesses, corporate boards, and individuals in white collar criminal defense, securities enforcement defense, regulatory proceedings, internal investigations, and complex commercial litigations. Lee has amassed extensive trial experience, regularly representing investment banks, hedge funds, public companies, investment advisers, corporate officers and directors, and other professionals in investigations and proceed...
Mr. Schnell focuses on U.S. and international mergers and acquisitions. He also advises on private equity, anti-takeover preparedness and shareholder activism, financings and corporate governance. Mr. Schnell has been named as one of the leading lawyers practicing in the U.S. and has been recognized globally and in the U.S. as a leading lawyer in areas such as M&A, private equity, finance, corporate, corporate governance, health care and Latin America. Surveys that recognize Mr. Schnell i...
Stephen DiMaria is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Governance and Compliance Law, Corporate Law, Entertainment and Sports Law and Real Estate Law. Stephen, who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Stephen is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Justin Blass is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Governance and Compliance Law, Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Justin, who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Justin is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Ashley C. (Lherisson) Williams focuses her practice on complex securities litigation and enforcement matters, as well as government and internal investigations. She has experience representing global corporations, financial institutions and individuals in investigations and enforcement proceedings before the Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and other regulatory organizations. Ms. Williams joined WilmerHale after working for sev...
David Lifshitz is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Governance and Compliance Law. David, who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Sharon Freiman is a capital markets partner in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Sharon advises issuers and underwriters in a broad range of matters, including initial public offerings and other equity offerings, high-yield and investment-grade debt offerings, and private placements of securities. Sharon also regularly counsels issuers on SEC disclosure and compliance, corporate governance and general corporate matters. Sharon's experience ranges across a variety of industries,...
Michael Amalfe is a corporate partner in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Michael regularly represents private equity sponsors, private companies and public companies in a wide variety of complex business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, minority and joint venture investments, leveraged buyouts, equity financings, carve-outs and divestitures. Michael also counsels clients with respect to general corporate and governance matters.
Leonard Wood is a partner in and chair-elect of Goodwin’s Shareholder Activism and Takeover Defense practice, effective October 1, 2025. Leonard devotes his practice entirely to shareholder activism campaigns, proxy fights, shareholder activism preparedness, strategic investor relations, and contested M&A. He has advised hundreds of public companies across all industries and sizes in shareholder activism defense, proxy contests, strategic investor relations and hostile takeover defe...
Michael A. Vacchiano is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Governance and Compliance Law. Michael A., who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Sarah E. Ross is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Governance and Compliance Law, Corporate Law and Securities / Capital Markets Law. Sarah E., who practices law in New York, New York, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sarah E. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Mark H. Mixon, Jr. is an associate in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, and is a member of the firm’s Litigation and Securities Litigation Practice Groups. Mark is a general corporate and commercial litigator who represents individual and corporate clients in complex, high stakes business and corporate governance disputes, including commercial breach of contract claims, corporate-control litigation, disputes related to directors’ and controlling stockholders&rsqu...
Alex Dean advises public and private companies on a wide range of corporate law matters. He focuses on debt financing transactions including bank financings, syndicated institutional loans, venture debt, and public and private capital market transactions in connection with acquisition financings, recapitalizations and other corporate finance transactions.
Katharine Patterson is a corporate lawyer who represents public and private companies in general corporate, transactional and securities matters. Her practice focuses on capital markets transactions, corporate governance and disclosure, mergers and acquisitions and compliance with federal securities laws. Before joining WilmerHale, Ms. Patterson was an associate at another law firm where she focused on mergers and acquisitions and capital market transactions.
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.