David Grubman

DAVID GRUBMAN co-leads Sidley’s global M&A practice. He has more than 25 years of experience representing clients in complex and high-stakes transactions and activist defense matters. He advises Fortune 500 companies and private equity funds on a wide range of strategic transactional and corporate governance issues. His practice encompasses public company mergers and tender offers, private company acquisitions and divestitures, multifaceted cross-border transactions, and corporate governance matters.

David represents companies across industry sectors, including chemicals, cosmetics, manufacturing, metals and mining, health care, technology, media, energy, packaging, and hospitality. He also regularly advises management and boards of directors in connection with corporate governance matters, fiduciary duty matters, and activist defense matters.

His experience spans the sale of major companies, brand acquisitions, mergers of large corporations, and strategic joint ventures. Additionally, he has represented clients in tender offers, sales of renewable energy platforms, and other substantial corporate transactions.

Chambers USA has ranked David in New York (2024–2025) and Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh & Surrounds (Band 1; 2020–2023) for Corporate/M&A and Private Equity, noting that clients said, “David is a sharp, sophisticated and creative deal lawyer” and “David is a phenomenal lawyer. He’s tactical, thoughtful and does a nice job of blending aggression and collaboration.” He was named a “Northeast Trailblazer” by The American Lawyer (2022), one of the Best Lawyers in America (2018–2021), a “Star Lawyer” by Acritas (2019–2021), one of the “Most Effective Dealmakers” by The Legal Intelligencer (2021), and a “Rising Star” by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers (2010–2013).

David is on the board of Humane Animal Rescue, the Pittsburgh Zoo, and Shady Side Academy. He is also an alum of the Jewish Federation's National Young Leadership Cabinet and of Leadership Pittsburgh.

• Roper Technologies (NASDAQ: ROP) in the acquisition by its subsidiary, Aderant, of the legal technology assets from HerculesAI, a pioneer in AI-driven billing compliance and decision intelligence.
• FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) in the sale of its minority interest in Signal Peak Energy, the operator of the largest underground coal mine in the United States.
• Lineage, Inc. (NASDAQ: LINE), the world’s largest global temperature-controlled warehouse REIT, in the US$247.0 million acquisition of multiple, existing cold storage warehouses and related assets from Tyson Foods, Inc.
• Matthews International Corporation in its proxy contest against Barington Capital Group.

• Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, Executive Leadership Program Certification, 2025.