Davis Polk partner and Northern California office co-head Alan Denenberg and partner and West Coast M&A practice head Paul Scrivano were named among Daily Journal’s 2025 “Top 100 Lawyers in California.” The annual list honors the leading lawyers throughout California across a variety of sectors, including private practice, academia and public service.

Alan was recognized for advising on more than 60 initial public offerings since 2015, including Reddit’s $748 million IPO, which was one of the largest U.S. public offerings in 2024. He also guided Acelyrin’s $621 million IPO in 2023, marking the largest biotech startup IPO since 2021, and Hinge Health’s $503 million IPO in May 2025. On the M&A front, Alan advised Altair Engineering on its $10.6 billion acquisition by Siemens, the largest cross-border technology deal of 2024 and the third-largest U.S. tech transaction that year.

In his winner’s profile, Alan discusses why he was drawn to the legal field, how the legal landscape has evolved, and his approach to understanding client needs and market dynamics. “The corporate legal world has become incredibly competitive – and more so with each passing year. That competition puts a premium on solid legal advice paired with reasonableness, pragmatism and the need to position oneself as a trusted business advisor,” Alan explained.

Paul was recognized for guiding clients through some of 2024’s most complex M&A transactions, including Gilead Sciences’ $4.3 billion acquisition of CymaBay Therapeutics. Daily Journal also highlighted his recent work advising Braze on its $325 million acquisition of Offerfit in February 2025 and his role representing Quorvo against an activist campaign by Starboard Value.

In his profile, Paul explains that one of the main challenges in getting deals across the finish line is time. “Time kills all deals. The passage of time is generally not helpful to M&A transactions. You take on ‘event risk’ – unexpected things that occur that can result in scuttling the deal.”

The 2025 Top 100 Lawyers in California were featured in the September 17, 2025, issue of the Daily Journal.

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