Mr. Banes, a partner based in Davis Polk & Wardwell’s London office, represents clients in all types of corporate finance transactions. Based in Europe since 1994, he is also one of two partners responsible for the firm’s German practice.

In capital markets, Mr. Banes has represented underwriters such as Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley and other underwriters on numerous equity and debt offerings by German and other European issuers, including Allianz, AEGON, ASML, ASMI, Die Erste Bank, Linde, Axel Springer and UBS. He also advised Symrise in connection with its recent IPO, the largest German IPO of 2006, and Merck KGaA on its rights offering to finance its acquisition of Seronos.

Among the German companies that he has advised on mergers and acquisitions transactions are Deutsche Telekom and the Carl Zeiss group. Mr. Banes also advised Julius Baer Holding on its acquisition of the SBC Wealth Management subsidiary of UBS. He also represented the financial advisers to Mittal Steel on its unsolicited offer for Arcelor.

Mr. Banes also advises non-U.S. and U.S. companies on corporate governance, financial reporting and other compliance matters. He was one of the partners who represented the audit committee of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group in connection with the investigation into its recategorization of proved oil and gas reserves. Mr. Banes also advises U.S. and non-U.S. companies on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and related issues.

Mr. Banes joined Davis Polk in 1992 and became a partner in 1999. He was resident in the Frankfurt office from January 2000 to August 2002, having practiced in London from 1994 to 1999.

Mr. Banes graduated from Princeton University in 1984 and in 1991 received his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was a Coker Fellow. He clerked for the Honorable J. Frederick Motz, U.S. District Court, District of Maryland, from 1991 to 1992. Mr. Banes was a Mellon Fellow in history at Columbia University from 1986 to 1987 and taught English at Tunghai University in Taichung, Taiwan, from 1984 to 1986.