Lisa O'Neill

Milbank LLP Global Corporate partner Lisa O'Neill has been named to Financier Worldwide's 2025 Power Players List as a distinguished adviser for Mergers & Acquisitions.~~In a Q&A with Financier Worldwide, Ms. O’Neill gave her predictions for trends in the infrastructure space and commented on her approach to tackling complex legal challenges and her involvement in Milbank’s pro bono efforts.~~Ms. O’Neill is the co-head of Milbank’s Corporate Group in London. She advises infrastructure funds, private equity funds and strategics on a wide range of corporate and M&A transactions.~~Click here to read the full Q&A interview in Financier Worldwide.

Mar 3

1 min

Milbank LLP London partners Lisa O’Neill, Andrea Hamilton and Lara Watt, members of the firm’s Global Corporate Group, discuss the latest developments in the M&A market in the July/August 2023 edition of Legal Business.~~“The pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the inflationary environment and impact on lending, the proliferation of foreign investment controls and foreign subsidies regulations, an increasing focus on ESG – the list goes on,” says Ms. O’Neill, who is co-head of Milbank’s London Corporate team. “These macroeconomic and policy developments have affected the market significantly and driven increasing client need for top-tier advice within the more complex landscape. In addition, within the legal sector there are increased demands for broader inclusion among practitioners and greater DEI efforts overall; this change is also being reflected in the M&A community.”~~Ms. Hamilton, a specialist in merger control reviews, antitrust investigations and foreign direct investment controls, notes that “transactions are subject to broader and deeper regulatory scrutiny than ever across the world, which can lead to uncertainty. The proliferation of foreign investment controls, greater antitrust scrutiny and the development of new regulatory hurdles such as the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulations have all affected – and are affecting – the regulatory climate significantly and shifted the path to deal closings over the last few years.” She adds that Milbank’s collaborative culture is integral to the firm’s exceptional client service and strong outcomes.~~“While deal activity on the whole has remained subdued in the first half of 2023, some sectors remain reasonably active from a PE investment perspective, particularly healthcare and technology,” says Ms. Watt, who focuses on corporate aspects of private equity transactions. “Transactions are generally taking longer to execute, but from a legal perspective, dealing with the additional complexity, both technical and commercial, presents a real opportunity to add meaningful value to clients – helping get deals through despite the challenges.” She too recognizes Milbank’s culture of support and collaboration, especially as a woman in M&A, as being a key to the team’s success.~~Read “Reviewing the M&A Landscape” in Legal Business, July/August 2023

Sep 5

2 min

Milbank LLP advised Amber Infrastructure Group (“Amber”) on the strategic combination of Amber Infrastructure Group Holdings Limited and Boyd Watterson Asset Management, LLC (“Boyd Watterson”) under a common parent company. The transaction will be subject to customary consent processes as well as UK FCA consent and other customary regulatory approvals. The transaction will create a premier diversified investment manager across the global real estate, infrastructure, and fixed income sectors with over 300 investment personnel, offices in 12 countries and approximately $35.7 billion in assets under management. The new entity is expected to provide clients, partners, and employees with significant benefits from the enhanced scale of the combined, global platform underpinned by a diversified revenue base, expanded product opportunities, and enhanced investment acumen. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in London, Amber is a specialist international investment manager focused on investment origination, asset management and fund management. Amber currently manages or advises nine funds with over £5 billion (c. $6 billion) in funds under management. Amber manages 175 infrastructure investments representing total assets under management of £14 billion (c.$17.5 billion). Amber’s core business focuses on managing infrastructure assets across the public, transport, energy, digital and demographic infrastructure sectors internationally. US-based Boyd Watterson, founded in 1928, has $18.2 billion in total assets under management across its real estate and fixed income investment portfolios. Lisa O’Neill, partner in Milbank’s Global Corporate practice said, “Milbank continues to advise on some of the most exciting and strategic transactions in the global infrastructure sector, and we are delighted to have been involved in this project.” The Milbank team was led by Global Corporate partner Lisa O’Neill and included Global Corporate partners John D. Franchini, James McClymont and Daniel Tyrrell. The team was supported by Global Corporate associates Gemma Cullen, Gary Chu, Lewis Whiteoak and Stephanie Winkler.

Jun 12

1 min

Milbank LLP is pleased to announce the arrival of Paul Bennett IV as a partner in the firm’s Global Corporate/M&A Group in New York. Mr. Bennett focuses his practice on advising private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies on mergers and acquisitions.~~“Paul is an experienced and talented private equity lawyer, and his addition will further strengthen our private equity and M&A practices,” Milbank Chairman Scott A. Edelman said. “We are delighted to welcome him to Milbank.”~~Mr. Bennett has extensive experience advising clients across a range of industries, including technology, manufacturing and healthcare, on public and private strategic M&A transactions, recapitalizations and buybacks, as well as on corporate governance matters and public company reporting obligations.~~“Paul’s arrival marks another step in the continued strategic expansion of Milbank’s private equity practice,” said Dean W. Sattler, practice group leader for the firm’s Corporate/M&A Group. “His arrival will help Milbank continue to serve clients at the highest level, and we are looking forward to working with him.”~~Mr. Bennett most recently was a partner at a global law firm and previously worked at other international firms. He received his undergraduate degree from Middlebury College and his law degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law.~~“Milbank brings together the best in the industry, giving me the opportunity to work with impactful clients on innovative issues,” Mr. Bennett said. “I look forward to working with my new partners both in New York and globally.”~~Milbank has significantly expanded its global corporate, M&A and private equity capabilities over the past few years, including the most recent addition of partners Derek Winokur and Edward Lemanowicz , a team of 30 attorneys in London including partners Jordan Simpson, James McClymont and Andrew Nuthall, as well as London partners Lisa O’Neill and Andrej Wolf; partners Richard Presutti, Andrew Fadale, Antonio Diaz-Albertini and Neil Whoriskey in New York; partners Barbara Mayer-Trautmann and Markus Muhs in Germany; partners Andrew Whan, Neeraj Budhwani, Davide Mencacci and John Bona in Hong Kong; and partner David Cho in Seoul.

Oct 2

1 min

Milbank LLP advised the underwriters in connection with the initial public offering and Athens Stock Exchange listing of Athens International Airport S.A. (“AIA”), Greece’s biggest IPO in over 15 years. The AIA shares priced at €8.20 per share, at the top of the price range, raising gross proceeds of approximately €785 million for the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund and valuing the company at approximately €2.46 billion. AIA was established in 1996 as a public-private partnership and is responsible for operating and developing “Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos,” the largest airport in Greece. The airport handled approximately 35% of Greece’s aviation traffic and served more than 28 million passengers in 2023. AIA was initially granted a 30-year concession, which has now been extended until June 2046, pursuant to which it is responsible for the construction, management and operation, and development of the airport. The Milbank team was led by Corporate Finance and Securities partners David Dixter and Apostolos Gkoutzinis and associates Alexia Pimbli and Dimitris Krokos. The Milbank team also included New York Tax partner Andrew Walker and associates David Hanno and Elaine Lee, London Tax partner Alan Rafferty and associate Cosmos Fung, and Corporate partner Lisa O’Neill and associates Kate Meils and Gemma Cullen. The team was also assisted by law clerk Caroline Green.

Feb 7

1 min