FaizaJ. Saeed is a partner in Cravath's Corporate Department. Ms. Saeed advises on mergers and acquisitions, including hostile bids, takeover defense, proxy contests and hedge fund activism. She also counsels boards and special committees on corporate governance and crisis management. Her clients have included CSX, Dream Works Animation, Hasbro, Kraft Foods, Moody's, Morgan Stanley, Starbucks, Time Warner and Viacom.
Ms. Saeed has extensive deal experience across many industry sectors, including significant depth in media and technology.
Ms. Saeed is a recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to the Legal Profession Award from Chambers and Partners (2010), and has been named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (Davos) (2006). In 2007, The New York Times named her one of "Wall Street's 100 Masters of the New Universe" and Crain's New York Business one of the "100 Most Influential Women in NYC Business." She has also received professional recognition from The American Lawyer magazine (a "Dealmaker of the Year" in 2000, 2005 and 2011, and "45 Under 45" in 2003), The National Law Journal ("40 Under 40" (2005)), as well as New York Magazine (2001), Corporate Board Member magazine (2002) and Dealmaker magazine (2008). She has been repeatedly recognized as one of the country's leading practitioners in M&A and media and entertainment by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business, The International Who's Who of Merger & Acquisition Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America, The Legal 500, IFLR1000: The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms, Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America and Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America.
Ms. Saeed is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and she served on the Visiting Committee for Harvard Law School from 2006 to 2011. She speaks frequendy on developments in mergers and acquisitions including as a guest lecturer at Harvard Law School and a panelist at Tulane University's Corporate Law Institute, Penn State's Institute on Mergers and Acquisitions and the International Bar Association's International M&A Conference. She is a member of the Editorial Board of M&A Lawyer magazine. Ms. Saeed also serves on the Board ofDirectors of the March of Dimes (NY Chapter).
Ms. Saeed was born in Walnut Creek, California. She received a B.A. in Economics and Molecular Biology with Highest Distinction from the University of California at Berkeley in 1987, where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1991. She joined Cravath in 1991 and was elected a partner in 1998.