Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Expands U.S. Team With The Appointment Of Steven Matays

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Expands U.S. Team With The Appointment Of Steven Matays

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has strengthened its U.S. team by recruiting Steven Matays, the head of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom's New York tax practice. This move is part of Freshfields’ ongoing strategy to expand its market presence in the U.S.

Matays, who has been a Partner at Skadden since 2009, brings over two decades of expertise in handling complex U.S. and international tax matters. His practice includes a focus on mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, divestitures, complex debt and equity offerings, corporate and partnership restructurings, and joint ventures.

“As a high-profile tax partner with a strong technical reputation and experience with complex transactions and strategic tax matters, Steven is the perfect fit to help us expand our offering in the US," said Jill Gatehouse, Freshfields' global head of tax. "His experience and first-rate advisory skills will be a huge benefit to us and our clients.”

At Skadden, Matays played a pivotal role in numerous major deals, such as advising Twenty-First Century Fox on its $71 billion acquisition by the Walt Disney Company in 2017, and Worldpay on its $43 billion merger with FIS in 2019. More recently, he guided Wells Fargo in the $2.1 billion carve-out sale of Wells Fargo Asset Management to GTCR and Reverence Capital Partners.

Expressing enthusiasm about his new role, Matays commented, "Freshfields is the firm to watch in the US, I’ve been impressed by how the firm has become a go-to outside counsel for the most important assignments of high-profile clients especially in M&A over the last few years. I’m excited to be a part of the team and I look forward to contributing to the next phase of growth.”

Freshfields’ U.S. Lawyer Count has surged by nearly 30% in the past year, reaching 390. The firm has actively recruited talent from major competitors in New York. Notable hires this year include M&A Partner Joshua Ayal from Kirkland & Ellis, Capital Markets Partner Jacqueline Marino from Davis Polk & Wardwell, and M&A Partners Sanjay Murti and Steven Li from Cravath and Kirkland, respectively. Additionally, Private Equity M&A Partners Neal Reenan and Ian Bushner joined from Latham & Watkins earlier this year.