NEW YORK and LONDON – Global law firm Reed Smith today announced that corporate partners Jennifer W. Cheng and Daryl Cue have been named among the top lawyers globally for DeSPAC transactions by MergerLinks. Cheng and Cue, who ranked among the top DeSPAC lawyers in North America and EMEA, respectively, were recognized for their legal acumen advising clients on transactions in which private companies go public by merging with special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs).

Related Professionals: Jennifer W. Cheng Daryl Cue

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Cheng, resident in the firm’s New York office, currently serves as the U.S. vice-chair of the firm’s Global Corporate Group as well as chair of the firm’s Global M&A team. She represents Fortune 500, international and middle market companies in a wide range of corporate transactions both domestic and cross-border, including take privates, public and private mergers, asset and stock acquisitions and divestitures, auctions, joint ventures, corporate restructurings, private equity investments and distress and bankruptcy related acquisitions and divestitures.

Cheng’s recent DeSPAC deals include advising Adagio Medical, a leading innovator in catheter ablation technologies for treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, on its business combination with ARYA Sciences Acquisition Corp IV and CorpAcq Holdings Limited on its business combination with Churchill Capital Corp VII. Earlier this year, Cheng was recognized by Mergers & Acquisitions in its 2024 Most Influential Women in Mid-Market M&A list.

Cue, who MergerLinks ranked as the top DeSPAC lawyer in EMEA in 2023 by deal value, is a London-based partner in Reed Smith’s Global Corporate Group. He advises clients on complex cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments and joint ventures with a particular focus on US inward investment into the UK.

Cue, who’s clients span sectors including media & entertainment, financial services and real estate, was recognized by Law.com International as a top 25 Private Equity Rising Star in the UK and Europe for 2023. He also served as a critical member of the team that advised CorpAcq Holdings on its business combination with Churchill Capital Corp VII.