David Martland is a partner in Nixon Peabody’s Corporate group. David advises major strategics, including leading domestic and international companies, as well as investment funds and health care not-for-profits, on acquisitions, investments, and other transformative transactions.
In 2020, for the fourth year in a row, David was recognized by The Legal 500 as one of the 18 “Leading Lawyers” in middle-market M&A (below $500 million) in the United States. He has also been recognized for exceptional standing in the legal community in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business since 2006; in The Best Lawyers in America© since 2007 (Antitrust Law, Corporate Law, Health Care Law, and Venture Capital Law); and as a “recognized” lawyer in The Legal 500 U.S. since 2010. David also holds an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating™ from Martindale Hubbell®, the highest possible rating for ethics and legal ability, and is a winner of the International Law Office Client Choice Awards for M&A. The Client Choice Awards recognize “law firms and partners around the world that stand apart for the excellent client care they provide and the quality of their service.” David is described in the 2018 edition of The Legal 500 as “a great business partner—he is a very realistic lawyer who…takes responsibility for his decisions.”
David headed Nixon Peabody’s Corporate Transactional practice from 2009 to early 2019. He currently serves on the board of directors of TerraLex®, a worldwide network of more than 155 leading independent law firms in 100 countries and 44 U.S. states, of which Nixon Peabody has been a member for over two decades.
David also serves on the boards of several cultural organizations. He is the chair of the board of trustees of Historic New England, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving New England buildings, landscapes, and objects dating from the 17th century to the present.
David clerked for Walter R. Mansfield, United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
I counsel private and public companies and health care not-for-profits on the full range of corporate matters. I also represent a variety of private equity and venture funds in connection with their investments. In addition, I represent corporate and health care clients on antitrust matters.
While the economy continues to show strength, I expect it to experience a downturn of some nature in the not-so-distant future. That, coupled with uncertainty surrounding the United States’ attitude toward cross-border investment and other geopolitical activity, will continue to impact decisions with respect to dealmaking. The antitrust area remains very active with continued vigorous U.S. and international enforcement.
To give a flavor of the types of matters David handles, select, recent publicly-disclosed examples of transactions on which he and the Nixon Peabody team assisted include representing:
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly | December 28, 2020
Boston Corporate partner Dave Martland is profiled in this special section for being named as one of 20 “Go To“ business lawyers in Massachusetts, as chosen by a Lawyers Weekly panel.
Law360 | May 10, 2019
Boston Corporate partner David Martland and Chicago Corporate partner Brian Krob are mentioned in this roundup of notable deals for advising Merck in its acquisition of Intermolecular.
PE Hub | December 10, 2018
The arrival of San Francisco Corporate partner Lior Zorea is covered in this article by PE Hub, a top publication covering venture capital and private equity fundraising. Lior is quoted in the piece, along with San Francisco Office Managing Partner Tom Gaynor and Corporate practice group leader David Martland of Boston.
Yale Law School, J.D., (Senior Editor, Yale Law Journal; Moot Court Finalist)
Princeton University, B.A., cum laude
Massachusetts