Debevoise & Plimpton LLP announces that Gordon Moodie, a senior mergers and acquisitions lawyer, is joining its New York office as a partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group and Public Company Advisory Group. A broad-gauged dealmaker and a sought-after advisor to corporate boards, Mr. Moodie will advise the firm’s clients, including public companies, boards, special committees and private equity sponsors, on the full spectrum of M&A transactions, including those in the technology and AI sectors and with complex corporate governance aspects.
Previously, Mr. Moodie spent ten years as an M&A partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, where his client representations included Pfizer in its $48 billion Reverse Morris Trust transaction with Mylan, Michael Dell in the take private of Dell and Dell’s $67 billion acquisition of EMC, Kennedy-Wilson in its acquisition of Kennedy-Wilson Europe, and Apollo and other private equity sponsors in various transactions. Mr. Moodie also advised clients on corporate governance, shareholder activism and capital markets transactions, and recently led product development at an artificial intelligence company backed by OpenAI that has developed a secure AI platform for lawyers.
Peter A. Furci, Presiding Partner, said, “As the deal market continues to pick up, our clients, especially public companies, have turned to Debevoise for counsel and advice on complex corporate governance matters that can greatly impact a company’s trajectory. Gordon’s deep and nuanced understanding of these matters, compounded with his 18 years as a deal lawyer, position him to be an exceptional resource to our clients and a powerful addition to our team.”
Matthew Kaplan, Chair of the Corporate Department, said, “Adding a lawyer of Gordon’s caliber to our team reflects our deep commitment to our M&A clients, especially public company clients with complex corporate governance needs. We are confident they will benefit from his counsel as both a proven dealmaker and a thoughtful advisor on the issues facing corporate boards.”
Kevin Rinker, Co-Chair of the M&A Group, said, “Gordon brings substantial experience and capabilities to our global M&A team, including strong relationships in the technology and AI space, which are key areas of strength for our practice and the firm. Equally important, having worked across from Gordon, we know him to be a collaborative and brilliant lawyer and a person of integrity – he will fit right in.”
Mr. Moodie said “I have long admired Debevoise for its distinctive culture of teamwork and collaboration, the excellence of its lawyers, its strength across M&A and related practice areas and its growth in the vibrant M&A market on the West Coast. Debevoise provides an extraordinary platform for combining my experience in M&A and technology, and I look forward to serving the firm’s clients.”
Mr. Moodie received his J.D. from Harvard Law School, magna cum laude, and his Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University in Canada.