Davis Polk Poaches Debevoise M&A Chief in Dealmaker Talent War

Davis Polk & Wardwell hired a top deals lawyer from rival Debevoise & Plimpton to boost the Wall Street’s firm’s presence in Northern California.

Michael Diz is joining Davis Polk as a partner, the firm said Monday. Diz spent more than 20 years at Debevoise, co-leading its mergers and acquisitions group and the firm’s San Francisco office. He steered the Debevoise team advising Verizon Communications in its $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications Parent in September.

Diz is “an important addition to our Northern California team, particularly as we continue to strengthen our private equity M&A capabilities,” said Neil Barr, ...