Paul Scrivano joins Davis Polk & Wardwell

Paul Scrivano joins Davis Polk & Wardwell

He is the latest partner to join the firm after it ditched the pure lockstep structure two years ago

Davis Polk & Wardwell has added the global mergers and acquisitions practice leader Paul Scrivano of Ropes & Gray to its deal team in Northern California.

Scrivano has moved over to the Wall Street firm following a five-year stint at Ropes & Gray in New York. He will join the firm as a resident in Menlo Park while also maintaining a practice in New York.

The managing partner at Davis Polk, Neil Barr, said, "Scrivano's arrival would solidify the firm's position as a "destination firm for big-ticket corporate transactions in Northern California. It is a key region for important growth sectors of the global economy, and thus a key market for mergers and acquisitions."

The firm said that Scrivano had advised on hundreds of US and cross-border mergers and acquisitions transactions and was widely recognized as an authority on the same. He has also worked on proxy contests, high-profile corporate governance matters, shareholder activism and takeover defense strategies.

Prior to landing at Ropes & Gray in 2017, Scrivano led O'Melveny & Myers' global mergers and acquisitions and private equity matters for 12 years. For two years, he was a partner at McDermott Will & Emery, having joined from Cravath Swaine & Moore in 2002.

The co-head of Davis Polk's Northern California office, Alan Denenberg characterized Scrivano as a "well-respected" figure in the US mergers and acquisitions market.

Denenberg stated, "Scrivano has significant experience leading major deals in a number of key sectors, including technology and life sciences. He will further strengthen our position as a go-to West Coast firm for important corporate transactions."

Scrivano's hire is the latest in a string of high-profile moves made by Davis Polk since it abandoned its pure lockstep structure two years ago. It was done for a more flexible structure that would allow it to remain competitive in the lateral hire market.