M&A · 9 min
Dealmaking 2026: A return to disciplined growth
By Lauren A. Sterling · June 12, 2026
Counsel since 1973
Steady counsel
for consequential
decisions.
Sterling & Hayes represents founders, families, and Fortune 500 boards in the matters that define their next decade — cross-border M&A, complex litigation, generational wealth, and the regulatory tides that move them all.
Year established1973
Attorneys firmwide248
Transactional volume since 2015$42B+
Chambers Band 1 rankings31
Chambers USA · Band 1·The American Lawyer · A-List 2025·Vault Top 10 · Quality of Work·Law360 Practice Group of the Year·Mansfield Plus Certified
Practices
Nine practices.
One standard of judgment.
Whether you are integrating an acquisition, defending a bet-the-company trial, or restructuring a global fund, you will work with a small, partner-led team — supported by the full bench of Sterling & Hayes.
M&A
Mergers & Acquisitions
Strategic counsel on cross-border transactions, carve-outs, and joint ventures.
Chair:Lauren A. Sterling
PE / VC
Private Equity & Venture Capital
Fund formation, sponsor representation, growth equity, and secondaries.
Chair:Marcus J. Hayes
Litigation
Complex Commercial Litigation
First-chair trial experience in every federal circuit and the Delaware Chancery.
Chair:Devon W. Park
IP
Intellectual Property
Patent prosecution, trademark portfolios, and trade secret litigation.
Chair:Dr. Anita R. Bose
Employment
Employment & Labor
Executive compensation, workforce restructuring, and union strategy.
Chair:Jonathan C. Reyes
Real Estate
Real Estate & Land Use
Hospitality development, urban infill, and entitlement strategy.
Chair:Sophie L. Tanaka
Tax & Estates
Tax, Trusts & Estates
Generational wealth planning, family offices, and private foundations.
Chair:Daniel E. Whitmore
Regulatory
Regulatory & Government
Antitrust, FCPA, CFIUS, sanctions, and white-collar defense.
Chair:Hon. Patricia O. Vasquez (Ret.)
Privacy
Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
Incident response, AI governance, GDPR, CCPA, and biometric privacy.
Chair:Kenji M. Alvarez
Counsel
Lawyers worth knowing.
LA
Lauren A. Sterling
Managing Partner · Co-Chair, M&A
MJ
Marcus J. Hayes
Managing Partner · Co-Chair, Private Equity
DW
Devon W. Park
Partner · Chair, Litigation
DA
Dr. Anita R. Bose
Partner · Chair, Intellectual Property
Insights
Published this quarter.
Data Privacy · 12 min
An AI governance playbook for public-company boards
By Kenji M. Alvarez · June 4, 2026
Employment · 7 min
After the FTC non-compete rule: practical guidance for employers
By Jonathan C. Reyes · May 28, 2026
"When the company decided to go public, we needed counsel who could move at the speed of our board without losing precision. Sterling & Hayes delivered both — and they have been our outside counsel ever since."
Adrienne Wallace · General Counsel, NorthArc Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NRAR)
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