S&C and Freshfields lead on £146m takeover of M&A boutique Robey Warshaw

Sullivan & Cromwell and Freshfields are advising on one of the year’s most high-profile investment banking deals, with US advisory firm Evercore set to acquire elite London M&A boutique Robey Warshaw in a £146 million deal.

The acquisition will see Evercore take over a firm known for advising on some of Europe’s biggest deals, in a move aimed at strengthening its presence in the UK and Europe, where it is understood to be looking to compete more directly with the likes of Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley.

The deal works out at the equivalent of around £30 million for each of Robey Warshaw’s tight-knit five-partner team, which includes former UK chancellor George Osborne who joined in 2021. The actual split between partners hasn't been made public.

The firm was founded in 2013 by former Morgan Stanley bankers Simon Robey and Philip Apostolides, along with ex-UBS banker Simon Warshaw.

Advising

S&C is advising Evercore on the deal, fielding a cross-border team spanning M&A, tax, employment, regulatory and antitrust. The core deal team includes London corporate partner Ben Perry and New York corporate partner Jared Fishman.

High-profile new recruit Barney Reynolds, who joined from A&O Shearman earlier in the summer in a rare lateral hire, was also involved, advising on regulatory matters.

Freshfields is advising Robey Warshaw. The deal team includes London M&A partner Julian Long, tax specialist May Smith and employment partner Holly Insley. New York M&A partner Andrea Merediz Basham is also involved.