Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Overview
Simpson Thacher is a major international US law firm with a long history and a global platform focused on high-value corporate work across private equity, M&A, capital markets, investment funds/registered funds, real estate, energy & infrastructure and complex litigation. The firm operates an integrated global practice from 14 offices and is routinely engaged on billion-dollar buyouts, landmark IPOs and complex cross-border financings. It combines deep private equity and funds expertise with a pre-eminent capital markets and litigation bench and has recently announced strategic expansion in Asia with plans to open an office in Singapore.
- Headquarters: New York, 425 Lexington Avenue
- Lawyers: ~2,000
- Offices: 14
Values & Culture
Practice Areas
- Corporate & M&A
- Private Equity & Venture Capital
- Investment Funds
- Capital Markets
- Banking & Finance
- Real Estate
- Infrastructure & Projects
- Energy & Natural Resources
- Dispute Resolution & Litigation
- Insurance & Reinsurance
- Tax
- Competition & Antitrust
- Intellectual Property
- Employment
- Regulatory & Compliance
- Insolvency & Restructuring
- Technology & Digital
- Healthcare & Life Sciences
Geographic Focus: A US-headquartered global firm with particularly strong coverage in the United States, Europe (notably London and Brussels) and Asia (Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo) and growing presence in Latin America (São Paulo). The firm combines cross-border deal teams for private equity, funds and large M&A/capital markets transactions and is expanding further in Asia with a planned Singapore office to deepen private equity and infrastructure coverage in the region.
Training Contract
Notable Matters
Simpson Thacher represented affiliates of EQT Infrastructure VI in the definitive agreement for a consortium led by GIP and EQT (with co-underwriters including major pension and sovereign investors) to acquire The AES Corporation for $15.00 per share. The transaction reflects the firm's capability on very large infrastructure and cross-border private markets buyouts and complex syndication arrangements.
Infrastructure & Projects
Simpson Thacher advised Medline on its initial public offering which raised total gross proceeds of more than $7 billion, noted as the largest healthcare IPO in history, the largest IPO of 2025 and the largest private equity–backed IPO ever. The engagement demonstrates the firm's market-leading capital markets and M&A capabilities on major healthcare and sponsor-backed transactions.
Capital Markets
The firm advised Coller Capital on formation and fundraising for CIP IX, the largest fund in Coller’s private equity secondaries platform, bringing total capital raised to $17 billion across the platform. Work highlights the firm's strength in investment funds, private equity secondaries and complex fund formations.
Investment Funds
Simpson Thacher represented JPMorgan Chase Bank in its agreement to become the new issuer of the Apple Card and in its pending acquisition of the Apple Card portfolio, a transaction estimated to bring over $20 billion of card balances to the Chase platform. The mandate required coordination across banking, regulatory and transactional workstreams.
Banking & Finance
Simpson Thacher advised affiliates of Blackstone in connection with a public-private partnership venture with Vornado Realty Trust, Hudson Pacific Properties and New York City Economic Development Corporation to develop a purpose-built studio campus at Pier 94, including construction financing led by RBC. The matter underscores the firm's real estate and project finance capabilities.
Real Estate
Simpson Thacher represented ByteDance Ltd. and affiliates in connection with the establishment of TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC to comply with the Executive Order signed on September 25, 2025. The cross-border team included US and Beijing M&A, capital markets and regulatory specialists, demonstrating the firm's ability to handle complex regulatory-driven restructurings and joint ventures.
Corporate & M&A
Simpson Thacher represented Viridor Limited on a complex carve-out and sale of its collections business and majority of recycling locations to Biffa plc, working across M&A, banking, antitrust and tax teams — demonstrating multi-disciplinary capability on UK infrastructure and disposal transactions.
Corporate & M&A
Simpson Thacher represented J.P. Morgan Securities LLC as underwriter counsel in the initial public offering by Dynamics Special Purpose Corp., which raised $230 million in gross proceeds. The deal included capital markets, FINRA and securities regulatory work for SPAC-related offerings.
Capital Markets
What Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Looks For
Key Competencies
- Commercial awareness
- Teamwork and collaboration across practices
- Strong academic ability and intellectual rigour
- Resilience and ability to work on high-value, high-pressure matters
- Interest or experience in private equity, funds or capital markets (for transactional roles)
- Commitment to pro bono and community engagement
Evidence Signals
- Relevant transactional or fund experience (internships, vacation schemes, paralegal roles)
- Commercial internships or work experience at asset managers/private equity firms or in-house corporate finance teams
- Pro bono, legal outreach or sustained volunteering
- International experience or language skills for cross-border work
- Demonstrable interest in investment funds, private equity or capital markets (for fund/capital markets teams)
Benefits & Wellbeing
Awards & Recognition
- Best Law Firm for Registered Funds — Fund Intelligence Operations and Services Awards (Winner 2025)
- Best Law Firm for Registered Funds — Fund Intelligence Operations and Services Awards (Winner 2023); Hall of Fame induction (2021)
- Corporate Practice of the Year: Technology and Telecom — The American Lawyer Industry Awards (2024)
- TMT M&A USA Awards — Legal Advisory Trailblazer and Digital Infrastructure Legal Advisor (Value) (2024)
- Pro Bono Firm of the Year — Benchmark Litigation Awards (2023)
- Multiple 'Above & Beyond' awards from Sanctuary for Families for pro bono matters (2021, 2023)
- Pro Bono Publico Awards — Legal Aid Society (2021 team/individual honours referenced)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Urban Education Initiative
- STB United for Justice
- Pro bono partnerships with Sanctuary for Families
- Pro bono partnership with the Legal Aid Society of New York
Pro Bono
The firm maintains an active pro bono practice with repeated recognition and awards (Legal Aid Society pro bono achievement awards; Sanctuary for Families 'Above & Beyond' awards). The firm runs the Urban Education Initiative hosting high-school students for workshops and outreach and has dedicated pro bono counsel and a Chief Pro Bono Counsel overseeing long-term client matters (examples include multi-year representation securing immigration relief and family law representation). Specific awards cited include multiple firm and individual pro bono honours.
Innovation
Quick Application Angles
- Highlight any direct experience or demonstrable interest in private equity, investment funds or registered funds — Simpson Thacher is repeatedly recognised for its market-leading Registered Funds and private equity work.
- Reference recent headline matters (e.g., Medline IPO, Coller Capital's CIP IX fundraise, the AES infrastructure acquisition) to show commercial awareness of the firm’s work and the scale of transactions it handles.
- Demonstrate commitment to pro bono or community initiatives — mention participation in outreach programmes or sustained pro bono work (the firm has prominent pro bono awards and runs the Urban Education Initiative).
- If applying to Asia-focused roles, flag any Asia experience or language skills and reference the firm’s recent strategic expansion plans in Singapore and its established Beijing/Hong Kong/Tokyo presence.
- For roles touching on digital infrastructure or TMT, emphasise any sector-specific knowledge (data centres, digital infrastructure) as the firm has recognised capabilities and awards in digital infrastructure M&A.
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