Partner, New York Phone +1-212-558-4048 Fax +1-212-558-3588 Add to Address Book

Frank Aquila advises a broad range of clients on corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, takeover defense, strategic alliances and related matters. Mr. Aquila has advised numerous boards of directors and special committees with respect to governance, change of control and other matters.

Mr. Aquila serves as a regular adviser to global leaders such as Amgen, Anheuser-Busch InBev, British Airways and Diageo. He has represented Amgen, the world’s largest biotech company, in its acquisitions of Abgenix, Alantos Pharmaceuticals, Avidia and Ilypsa, and their collaborations with Kirin and Takeda. Mr. Aquila has represented British Airways in numerous transactions over the last 20 years, including its pending joint venture with American Airlines and Iberia, and its recently announced merger with Iberia. Mr. Aquila represented InBev in its unsolicited acquisition of Anheuser-Busch and has subsequently represented Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewer, in the sale of Busch Entertainment to an investor group led by Blackstone and other various divestitures. Over the last decade he has represented Diageo, the top premium beverage alcohol company, in many significant transactions, including its sale of Burger King Corporation to an investor group led by Texas Pacific Group and the merger of Pillsbury with General Mills; its acquisitions of Seagram Wines and Spirits, The Chalone Wine Group, Rosenblum Cellars and Stirrings; the restructuring of its U.S. joint venture arrangements with Moët Hennessy; and its joint venture with respect to Ketel One Vodka.

Other Selected Transactions

• Collective Brands (formerly Payless ShoeSource) in its acquisitions of Stride Rite and Collective International
• J. Sainsbury in the sale of its U.S. supermarket businesses to Albertsons
• Aames Investment Corp. in its merger with Accredited Home Lenders
• Medtronic in its acquisitions of MiniMed and Medical Research Group
• EchoStar in its attempted acquisition of Hughes Electronics from General Motors
• Western Resources in its hostile bids for ADT and KCP&L
• Pharmacia & Upjohn in its merger with Monsanto, and Upjohn in its earlier merger with Pharmacia
• SITA in connection with Equant’s acquisition of GlobalOne and The SITA Foundation in the sale of its equity interest in Equant to France Telecom
• The Earthgrains Company in its acquisition by Sara Lee
• Newbridge Networks in its acquisition by Alcatel
• Grand Metropolitan in its merger with Guinness to form Diageo 

Professional Activities and Community Involvement

• Chairs the Practising Law Institute’s annual conference on “going private” transactions, as well as regularly chairing a number of PLI’s “Hot Topic” Briefings every year
• Regular columnist in Business Week and frequent commentator on M&A, corporate governance and related trends on Bloomberg Radio, Bloomberg TV, CNBC and Fox Business
• Chair, Board of Trustees of The NALP Foundation for Law Career Research and Education
• Board of Directors of International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR)
• Board of Directors of Dress for Success Worldwide
• Board of Trustees of Brooklyn Law School
• Board of Advisors of the Salvation Army of Greater New York
• Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

Rankings and Recognitions

• The American Lawyer, “Dealmaker of the Year” (April 2009)
• The American Lawyer, “Dealmaker of the Week” (November 21, 2008)
• Recipient of the Atlas Award as the “Global M&A Lawyer of the Year” in 2010
• Selected by the American Bar Association in 2009 as a “Legal Rebel” – one of the profession’s 50 leading innovators
• Recognized as a leading M&A lawyer in The Lawyer, Transatlantic Elite (2008, 2009)
• Recipient of the Burton Award for Legal Achievement (2005, 2010)
• Featured twice in The American Lawyer, “Daddy’s Weekend on the Phone” (January 2002) and “Supersonic Lawyers” (May 2004)
• Featured in The Wall Street Journal, “Business Trips Leave Little Time for Luxuries” (May 31, 1996)
• Cited in Seeing the World Through Clients’ Eyes (Nisus Consulting) as an advisor who had “really gone the extra mile and surpassed your expectations”

Mergers and Acquisitions

• Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2000-2001, 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2004-2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
• Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2003-2004, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
• Guide to the World’s Leading Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyers, Euromoney Legal Media Group/International Financial Law Review (2001, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010)
• The Definitive Guide to Europe’s Leading Advisers: Are Your Advisers Giving You the Edge? (mergermarket)
• PLC Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions Handbook (2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011)
• PLC Global Counsel Mergers & Acquisitions Handbook, Practical Law Company (2003-2004, 2004-2005, 2005)
• PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook, Practical Law Company (2002-2003, 2003-2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
• New York Super Lawyers (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009. 2010)
• Best Lawyers in America (2007, 2008, 2009, 2010)
• The International Who’s Who of Merger and Acquisition Lawyers (2010)
• Lawdragon 500: Leading Lawyers in America (2009-2010) 

Corporate Governance

• PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook (2009, 2010)
• PLC Cross-border Directors’ Duties and Liabilities Handbook (2009-2010, 2010-2011)
• PLC Cross-border Corporate Governance Handbook (2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011)
• The International Who’s Who of Corporate Governance Lawyers (2010)

Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity

• Best Lawyers in America (2010)