Daniel S. Sternberg is a partner based in the New York office.
Mr. Sternberg's practice concentrates on public and private merger and acquisition transactions (with a particular focus on cross-border transactions and the representation of international clients). He also has an active practice counseling on corporate governance matters, including the fiduciary duties of officers and directors to corporations and their boards and the representation of institutional shareholders in their relationships with public issuers. Mr. Sternberg also regularly represents financial advisors in merger and acquisition transactions.
Mr. Sternberg is listed in
PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook as a highly recommended M&A attorney and is recommended for corporate governance. He is distinguished as one of the best corporate/M&A lawyers by
Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Mr. Sternberg is also recognized in Law Business Research's
The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers and
Who's Who of Corporate Governance Lawyers. Mr. Sternberg is a member and former Chairman (2005-2008) of the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on Mergers and Acquisitions and Corporate Control Contests. In addition, Mr. Sternberg is widely published on merger and acquisition and corporate law matters, including "US Best-Price Rule - Return of the Tender Offer,"
IFLR, January 2007.
Mr. Sternberg is currently advising Hellman & Friedman in its proposed joint-acquisition with Bain Capital of Lehman Brothers' investment management business, including Neuberger Berman. He recently represented The Hartford Financial Services Group in connection with a $2.5 billion capital investment by Allianz; Midland Company in connection with its acquisition by Munich Re AG; and Franklin Mutual Advisers in connection with the combination of Esmark Inc., an FMA portfolio company, with Wheeling-Pittsburgh Corporation and the acquisition of the resulting company by Severstal. Other recently concluded transactions include the representation of Istithmar, a private Dubai-based investment firm, in its acquisition of a substantial minority interest in Cirque du Soleil, its acquisitions of Barneys New York and Loehmann’s Holdings Inc., and in its participation in the leveraged buyout of Kerzner International Limited; the representation of Star Cruises (an affiliate of the Genting Group) in its sale to the Apollo Group of a 50% interest in Norwegian Cruise Lines; representing Casino Guichard-Perrachon SA (Groupe Casino), the French supermarket operator, in connection with the sale of its controlled subsidiary, publicly-listed Smart & Final Inc. to Apollo Management L.P.; and representing the principal shareholders (including entities controlled by Newbridge Capital) in the sale of a controlling shareholding interest in Matrix Laboratories Ltd. to Mylan Laboratories Inc.
In addition to the Esmark/Severstal combination, he has also represented Franklin Mutual Advisers in connection with certain of its investment activities, including recent joint ventures in the automotive components industry with WL Ross & Co. and investments in Potlatch Corporation, Florida East Coast Industries and Weyerhaeuser. Mr. Sternberg has been counsel to Knight Vinke Asset Management, the European activist investment fund, in connection with its investments in The Shell Group, VNU NV and other European issuers.
Mr. Sternberg joined the firm in 1980 and became a partner in 1988. He was resident in the Paris office from 1991 through 1996. Mr. Sternberg received a J.D. degree from Columbia University in 1979, where he was a Stone scholar, a Kent scholar and editor of the Law Review. He received an undergraduate degree from Yale University. He also served as law clerk to the Honorable Edward Weinfeld of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Mr. Sternberg is a member of the Bar in New York and is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, and as an avocat to the Paris Bar. His native language is English, and he is proficient in French.