September 11, 2016
The American Lawyer has honored McGuireWoods for the third year in a row in its prestigious Global Legal Awards, this time for advising Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. in the financing of Anheuser-Busch InBev NV’s acquisition of SABMiller Plc. The AB InBev/SAB financing — the largest commercial loan on record — won “Global Finance Deal of the Year: Acquisition Finance.”
The $75 billion syndicated loan was essential to AB InBev’s purchase of SAB Miller, the biggest beer merger in history. McGuireWoods London lawyers Marc Isaacs, Coraline Knights and Katie Steven advised Wells Fargo.
“We are grateful for the trust Wells Fargo placed in us and proud to assist in this historic transaction,” Isaacs said. “This recognition is a testament to the firm’s substantial work in syndicated debt finance and food and beverage industry worldwide.”
The 2016 Global Legal Awards honor law firms that played substantial roles in the most distinguished international work across a range of disciplines between Jan. 1, 2015 and April 15, 2016. Winners will be honored at a Sept. 26 awards dinner in New York, where four grand prizes also will be presented.
In last year’s Global Legal Awards, The American Lawyer recognized McGuireWoods for its role in the massive trade secrets settlement in favor of firm client E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. against South Korea-based Kolon Industries, which won “Global Dispute of the Year: U.S. Litigation.” The firm also was honored in 2014 for representing Smithfield Foods in its sale to Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd., which won “Global Merger & Acquisition Deal of the Year: China Outbound.”
With more than 80 debt finance and asset-based lending lawyers, McGuireWoods is ranked No. 3 in Thomson Reuters Loan Pricing Corp.’s 2015 Europe, Middle East and Africa Lender Law League Table. The firm also ranked No. 1 in deal count and No. 6 in dollar volume in Thomson Reuters’ U.S. Lender Law League Table for its representation of lead arrangers and bookrunners in syndicated debt financings.
McGuireWoods’ 90-lawyer food and beverage team provides transactional, litigation and regulatory services for some of the biggest food and beverage manufacturers, distributors and retailers. The firm received a nationwide Food and Beverage ranking in the 2016 edition of “Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.”