Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has expanded its award-winning Corporate Practice with the addition of Jim Cross as shareholder in the firm’s New York office. Cross’ practice is focused on working with private equity clients, as well as public and private companies, on complex mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, minority investments and restructurings in various industries, including energy and natural resources, infrastructure, telecom, and technology. He joins the firm from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.

Peter H. Lieberman, co-chair of the firm’s Global Corporate Practice, commented: “Jim’s strong focus on client service and his significant experience advising a long roster of private equity clients in complex transactions are a perfect fit for our private equity and broader corporate practices. His work has covered a broad range of sectors, including significant transactions in the energy sector. Jim joins our New York office, where we continue our strong growth, and we are very pleased to have Jim join our team.”

“Joining Greenberg Traurig is an exciting opportunity to grow my practice. Greenberg Traurig’s stellar reputation for handling all manner of complex M&A deals is highly appealing and provides an exciting opportunity to grow my practice,” Cross said. “I am looking forward to being an active part of the collaborative global platform of legal talent that is a hallmark of Greenberg Traurig.”

“We have seen very robust activity in our M&A practice over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and we anticipate demand will remain elevated, particularly as the economy fully re-opens and any lingering uncertainty restraining capital deployment recedes. Having talented lawyers like Jim join our team equips us with an even deeper bench, which is valuable to the firm and our clients,” said Ejim Peter Achi and Scott J. Bornstein, co-managing shareholders of Greenberg Traurig’s New York office, in a joint statement. Achi is also co-chair of the New York Corporate Practice. Bornstein is also co-chair of the firm’s global Intellectual Property & Technology Practice and co-chair of the firm’s global Patent Litigation Group.

Cross has deep experience in high-stakes transactions, such as representing affiliates of Digital Colony Partners and EQT Infrastructure in their $14.3 billion acquisition of Zayo Group, a fiber services provider; advising a number of distressed oil and gas producers in restructuring and minority investment transactions; representing Segra Communications on its $240 million of acquisition of NorthState Telecommunications, a high-speed bandwidth services provider in North Carolina; and representing EQT Infrastructure in its $950 million acquisition of Lumos Networks, a Mid-Atlantic fiber-based service provider.

Cross earned his J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law, where he graduated with high distinction, and received his bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Akron.

Cross joins the New York office on the heels of Jaclyn Ruch, a recent strategic addition to the Corporate Practice.