S&C partner Melissa Sawyer has earned a coveted spot as an American Lawyer Dealmaker of the Year for her work guiding Tiffany & Co.’s board through an unsolicited bid that led to the largest announced deal ever in the luxury retail sector.
Melissa, who had recently guided Sotheby’s through its $3.7 billion sale, helped Tiffany’s directors decide whether to sell this “trophy asset” to LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. In the end, she secured one of the most seller-favorable sets of contract terms available, and helped convince LVMH to raise its bid, creating a $16.2 billion deal.
The American Lawyer’s Dealmaker award recognizes exceptional lawyering for “the most impressive and significant matters that deal lawyers worked on in 2019.” Melissa told The American Lawyer: “A big part of my role [for Tiffany] was to stay calm, help people take a deep breath and figure out what they needed.” To read the full American Lawyer article, click here.