Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has hired strategic deals adviser Alison Preiss from Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz to strengthen its M&A practice in New York.
Preiss joins as a partner, bringing high-level transactional experience advising boards and senior executives at public and private companies on M&A, takeover preparedness and defence, shareholder activism and other governance matters.
Alden Millard, chair of Simpson Thacher’s executive committee, said: “Clients are navigating unprecedented complexity – transformative market forces, heightened activist pressure and evolving regulatory considerations, all of which require sharp, creative and pragmatic counsel.”
He added: “Alison is a star. She’s dynamic, exceptionally commercial and known for delivering solutions that advance business objectives.”
Preiss arrives after almost two decades at Wachtell, including 10 years as a partner in the firm’s corporate department. Her exit from Wachtell is the latest in a series of previously rare departures from the New York heavyweight, including the loss of top M&A partner Zach Podolsky to Latham & Watkins last June.
She said: “Simpson Thacher is synonymous with excellence in M&A. I’m thrilled to join such a talented and collaborative team that sets the bar for how firms partner with clients to deliver thoughtful solutions and seamless execution.”
Deal highlights Preiss had worked on include advising Pfizer on its $5.2bn acquisition of Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Alexion on its $8.4bn acquisition of Synageva BioPharma and Leap Wireless on its $1.2bn sale to AT&T.
Eric Swedenburg, global head of Simpson Thacher’s M&A practice, said: “Alison is an outstanding addition to our bench that covers the entire M&A landscape. Her addition reflects our continued investment in our transactional team focused on strategic M&A, corporate governance and activism defence.
“In addition to Alison, we’ve made several other impactful moves in this space, both through lateral hires and internal elevations, across our global platform.”
The firm elevated eight M&A lawyers to partner in its latest promotions round and has made strengthening its M&A bench a global priority. In October it hired private equity-focused M&A specialist Nick Appleton from Kirkland & Ellis in London.
Other firms have also been ramping up M&A hires amid a resurgence in global dealmaking. M&A activity in the first nine months of 2025 was the highest in four years, according to the London Stock Exchange Group. Earlier this month, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher hired Freshfields’ Spanish M&A head Armando Albarrán to open in Madrid. While in December, Sullivan & Cromwell bolstered its deals coverage with a twin partner hire in London from Kirkland, including M&A lawyer Aprajita Dhundia and transactional tax lawyer Ian Ferreira.
Email your news and story ideas to: [email protected]
