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White & Case Ranked a Top 10 Most Innovative Law Firm in Europe by Financial Times

White & Case Prague contributed to the Top 10 Most Innovative Law Firm in Europe ranking by Financial Times by acting for global anti-virus supplier Avast Software during its 40 per cent equity sale to CVC Capital Partners. We helped to ensure a tax-efficient transaction that satisfied the interests of investors resulting in a new valuation of US$1 billion for Avast.

White & Case was ranked among the top ten most innovative law firms in Europe by the Financial Times in its FT Innovative Lawyers 2014 report. Five White & Case matters were "commended" for their innovation in the following categories:

Corporate & Commercial
We acted for global anti-virus supplier Avast Software during its 40 per cent equity sale to CVC Capital Partners. We helped to ensure a tax-efficient transaction that satisfied the interests of investors resulting in a new valuation of US$1 billion for Avast.

Dispute Resolution
When a group of Chinese textile sellers found themselves unable to prevail against a Russian bank in the matter of the validity of SWIFT messages confirming letters of credit, we stepped in with an innovative argument that shifted the burden of proof away from the clients and onto the bank and established the validity of electronic evidence. The clients not only won the two case they had brought us, but had the judgments overturned in two other cases they had lost previously.

Client Service
To improve customer service as well as deal flow, White & Case restructured its private equity team by creating a PE Porfolio team with the capability to oversee the entire life cycle of private equity investments. This structure better reflects the complex nature of today’s private equity deals, and it gives clients continuity between deals from a law firm that gets to know and understand them.

Social Responsibility
After major aid donors the US State Department and US Agency for International Development kicked off pilot programs of anti-terrorist vetting procedures for funding recipients, which made matters very difficult, and indeed dangerous, for recipients, Save the Children US, Save the Children International and InterAction approached White & Case for support in lobbying the US government to reconsider. Calling upon our experience with UK and EU privacy and data protection laws, we were able to get permission for a change in procedure that ensured the safety of aid workers while still achieving the goal of preventing aid funds from reaching terrorist organizations.

Value Resourcing
Seeking to make the Firm’s wealth of knowledge tools and resources easily accessible and effective, we developed Matter Pathways, online tools that provide lawyers with a step-by-step guide through a transaction or process, to support the management of matters and process in all our offices around the world. Our lawyers are enthusiastically using Matter Pathways, helping client receive an excellent and a consistent experience wherever they are.

Complete listing of White & Case's Awards, Rankings and League Tables:
http://www.whitecase.com/news/awards/