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J. Leonard
Teti II

Partner, Tax

lteti@cravath.com
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J. Leonard Teti II advises on the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, spin‑offs and private equity transactions. Clients seek out Mr. Teti for his ability to provide practical, clear and commercial advice on the tax issues central to complex domestic and cross‑border transactions. He also advises clients during the course of audits by the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities.

Mr. Teti’s corporate clients have included Alliant Techsystems, Amazon, AmerisourceBergen, Avon, Barnes & Noble, CardWorks, Corteva, Dentsu, DTE Energy, Exyte, Flowserve, GW Pharmaceuticals, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Kenvue, Light & Wonder, Linde, Novartis, RELX Group, Robinhood, Schneider Electric, SPANX, Time Warner, Viatris, Vista Outdoor and WestRock.

Mr. Teti has also represented private equity clients and financial investors such as American Securities, Daily Mail and General Trust (“DMGT”), ECN Capital, Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors, Future Standard and Lindsay Goldberg.

Mr. Teti has significant experience advising companies in spin‑offs and M&A transactions in connection with spin‑offs. Notable matters include representing:

  • Alliant Techsystems in the spin‑off of its Sporting Group to its shareholders and merger of its Aerospace and Defense Groups with Orbital Sciences;
  • Amentum in its “Reverse Morris Trust” merger with Jacobs’ Critical Mission Solutions and Cyber and Intelligence businesses, creating a combined organization with $13 billion in revenue;
  • Corteva in the pending spin‑off of its Seed business;
  • DTE Energy in the $7 billion spin‑off of its midstream business (DT Midstream);
  • Johnson & Johnson in the IPO and separation of Kenvue;
  • Mylan in its $50 billion “Reverse Morris Trust” combination with Upjohn, a division of Pfizer, to form Viatris;
  • Novartis in its $29.8 billion spin‑off of Alcon and its $11.4 billion spin‑off of Sandoz;
  • Time Warner in its spin‑offs of AOL and Time Warner Cable;
  • Valvoline in the $2.65 billion separation and sale of its Global Products business to Aramco; and
  • Vista Outdoor in the $2.225 billion separation and sale of The Kinetic Group to Czechoslovak Group and the $1.125 billion separation and sale of Revelyst to SVP.

Mr. Teti’s notable M&A and other transactions include representing:

  • Amazon in its $8.45 billion acquisition of MGM;
  • AmerisourceBergen in its $6.5 billion acquisition of Walgreens’ Alliance Healthcare businesses, its $815 million acquisition of H. D. Smith, its $2.575 billion acquisition of PharMEDium and its $2.5 billion acquisition of MWI Veterinary Supply;
  • Atalaya Capital Management in its $800 million sale to Blue Owl Capital;
  • Avon in its $3.7 billion acquisition by Natura and the sale of 80% of its North America business to Cerberus Capital Management and in the PIPE investment by Cerberus in Avon’s international business;
  • CardWorks in its acquisition of Ally’s credit card business;
  • Consolidated Communications’ special committee in the $3.1 billion acquisition by Searchlight and BCI;
  • Cowen in its $1.9 billion acquisition by TD;
  • CymaBay Therapeutics in its $4.3 billion acquisition by Gilead Sciences;
  • DMGT in the £1.425 billion sale of RMS to Moody’s and the $8.1 billion business combination of Cazoo and AJAX I SPAC;
  • The special committee of the board of directors of EchoStar in the $26 billion combination with DISH Network;
  • ECN Capital in the $2 billion sale of its Service Finance business to Truist Bank, the sale of Red Oak, its investment in Intercoastal Financial Group, its acquisition of Source One and its strategic investment from Skyline Champion;
  • Flowserve in its proposed $19 billion merger of equals with Chart Industries;
  • Frontier Communications in its pending $20 billion acquisition by Verizon;
  • FS Investments (now Future Standard) in its combination with Portfolio Advisors, creating a $75 billion alternative investment firm, and in the transition of the management of its business development company (BDC) platform to investment advisory partnerships with EIG Global Energy Partners and KKR;
  • GW Pharmaceuticals in its $7.2 billion acquisition by Jazz Pharmaceuticals;
  • IBM in acquisitions and dispositions aggregating more than $20 billion in value;
  • Intermex’s strategic alternatives committee in the pending $500 million acquisition by Western Union;
  • Johnson & Johnson in its $14.6 billion acquisition of Intra‑Cellular Therapies, its $2 billion acquisition of Ambrx, its $16.6 billion acquisition of Abiomed, its $6.5 billion acquisition of Momenta, its $3.4 billion acquisition of Auris Health, its ¥230 billion acquisition of Ci:z Holdings, the $2.8 billion sale of its Advanced Sterilization Products business to Fortive, the $2.1 billion sale of its LifeScan business to Platinum Equity, its $30 billion acquisition of Actelion, the $1.045 billion sale of its Codman Neurosurgery business to Integra LifeSciences, its $4.325 billion acquisition of Abbott Medical Optics, its $19.7 billion acquisition of Synthes, its acquisition of Novira Therapeutics and its acquisition of Covagen;
  • Light & Wonder in its $850 million acquisition of Grover Charitable Gaming, the $6.05 billion sale of SG Lottery to Brookfield and $1.2 billion sale of OpenBet to Endeavor, the acquisition of the remaining stake in SciPlay, the $925.5 million sale of a 34.9% stake to institutional investors including Caledonia, its $363.5 million carve-out IPO of SciPlay and its acquisitions of Don Best Sports, NYX Gaming Group and Spicerack Media; 
  • Linde in its $70 billion merger of equals with Praxair;
  • Lindsay Goldberg and its portfolio companies in multiple transactions;
  • Micro Focus in its $6 billion acquisition by OpenText;
  • Mylan in its $9.9 billion acquisition of Meda, its acquisition of the non‑sterile, topicals‑focused specialty and generics business of Renaissance Acquisition Holdings for $950 million in cash at closing plus additional contingent payments of up to $50 million, its proposal to acquire Perrigo in a transaction valued at approximately $35 billion and its $5.6 billion inversion acquisition of Abbott Laboratories’ non‑U.S. developed markets specialty and branded generics business;
  • Novartis in its $2.1 billion acquisition of Endocyte;
  • Paragon 28 in its $1.2 billion acquisition by Zimmer Biomet;
  • RELX Group in multiple acquisitions;
  • Robinhood in its IPO;
  • Schneider Electric in its acquisition of AutoGrid;
  • The Snyder family in the $6.05 billion sale of the NFL's Washington Commanders to a partnership led by Josh Harris;
  • SPANX in its sale of a majority stake to Blackstone;
  • Viatris in its divestitures totaling $6.94 billion in value, including the $3.335 billion combination of its biosimilars portfolio with Biocon Biologics and the divestitures of its Over‑the‑Counter, Women’s Healthcare and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients businesses, its $750 million acquisitions of Oyster Point and Famy Life Sciences and its global research and development collaboration with Idorsia;
  • WestRock in its $20 billion combination with Smurfit Kappa, creating Smurfit WestRock, its $4.9 billion acquisition of KapStone and its $2.3 billion acquisition of Multi Packaging Solutions; and
  • ZimVie in its pending $730 million acquisition by ARCHIMED and the $375 million sale of its spine business to H.I.G. Capital.

Mr. Teti has been repeatedly recognized for his work in the tax arena by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 US, Super Lawyers and Lawdragon. In 2016, he was named a “Rising Star” by Law360, recognizing him as one of five outstanding tax lawyers in the nation under the age of 40.

Mr. Teti is the host of Cravath’s “On Tax” podcast and has authored several blog posts, including “President Biden’s Tax Proposals” in January 2021 and “US Government Finalizes Rules on Transfers to Partnerships with Related Foreign Partners” in February 2020, which were published by European Tax Blog. Mr. Teti is a member of the International Bar Association. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He has also served as the President of the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Scholars Program, as a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Boychoir School and the Princeton Triangle Club, and as a member of the Alumni Council of the University of Virginia School of Law.

Mr. Teti was born in Trenton, New Jersey. He received an A.B. with honors from Princeton University in 1999 and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2005, where he was a member of the Virginia Law Review, an Executive Editor of the Virginia Tax Review and elected to the Order of the Coif. At Virginia, he was also awarded the Edwin S. Cohen Tax Prize and the Robert E. Goldsten Award for Distinction in the Classroom.

Mr. Teti joined Cravath in 2005 and was elected a partner in 2012.

Mr. Teti’s corporate clients have included Alliant Techsystems, Amazon, AmerisourceBergen, Avon, Barnes & Noble, CardWorks, Corteva, Dentsu, DTE Energy, Exyte, Flowserve, GW Pharmaceuticals, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Kenvue, Light & Wonder, Linde, Novartis, RELX Group, Robinhood, Schneider Electric, SPANX, Time Warner, Viatris, Vista Outdoor and WestRock.

Mr. Teti has also represented private equity clients and financial investors such as American Securities, Daily Mail and General Trust (“DMGT”), ECN Capital, Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors, Future Standard and Lindsay Goldberg.

Mr. Teti has significant experience advising companies in spin‑offs and M&A transactions in connection with spin‑offs. Notable matters include representing:

  • Alliant Techsystems in the spin‑off of its Sporting Group to its shareholders and merger of its Aerospace and Defense Groups with Orbital Sciences;
  • Amentum in its “Reverse Morris Trust” merger with Jacobs’ Critical Mission Solutions and Cyber and Intelligence businesses, creating a combined organization with $13 billion in revenue;
  • Corteva in the pending spin‑off of its Seed business;
  • DTE Energy in the $7 billion spin‑off of its midstream business (DT Midstream);
  • Johnson & Johnson in the IPO and separation of Kenvue;
  • Mylan in its $50 billion “Reverse Morris Trust” combination with Upjohn, a division of Pfizer, to form Viatris;
  • Novartis in its $29.8 billion spin‑off of Alcon and its $11.4 billion spin‑off of Sandoz;
  • Time Warner in its spin‑offs of AOL and Time Warner Cable;
  • Valvoline in the $2.65 billion separation and sale of its Global Products business to Aramco; and
  • Vista Outdoor in the $2.225 billion separation and sale of The Kinetic Group to Czechoslovak Group and the $1.125 billion separation and sale of Revelyst to SVP.

Mr. Teti’s notable M&A and other transactions include representing:

  • Amazon in its $8.45 billion acquisition of MGM;
  • AmerisourceBergen in its $6.5 billion acquisition of Walgreens’ Alliance Healthcare businesses, its $815 million acquisition of H. D. Smith, its $2.575 billion acquisition of PharMEDium and its $2.5 billion acquisition of MWI Veterinary Supply;
  • Atalaya Capital Management in its $800 million sale to Blue Owl Capital;
  • Avon in its $3.7 billion acquisition by Natura and the sale of 80% of its North America business to Cerberus Capital Management and in the PIPE investment by Cerberus in Avon’s international business;
  • CardWorks in its acquisition of Ally’s credit card business;
  • Consolidated Communications’ special committee in the $3.1 billion acquisition by Searchlight and BCI;
  • Cowen in its $1.9 billion acquisition by TD;
  • CymaBay Therapeutics in its $4.3 billion acquisition by Gilead Sciences;
  • DMGT in the £1.425 billion sale of RMS to Moody’s and the $8.1 billion business combination of Cazoo and AJAX I SPAC;
  • The special committee of the board of directors of EchoStar in the $26 billion combination with DISH Network;
  • ECN Capital in the $2 billion sale of its Service Finance business to Truist Bank, the sale of Red Oak, its investment in Intercoastal Financial Group, its acquisition of Source One and its strategic investment from Skyline Champion;
  • Flowserve in its proposed $19 billion merger of equals with Chart Industries;
  • Frontier Communications in its pending $20 billion acquisition by Verizon;
  • FS Investments (now Future Standard) in its combination with Portfolio Advisors, creating a $75 billion alternative investment firm, and in the transition of the management of its business development company (BDC) platform to investment advisory partnerships with EIG Global Energy Partners and KKR;
  • GW Pharmaceuticals in its $7.2 billion acquisition by Jazz Pharmaceuticals;
  • IBM in acquisitions and dispositions aggregating more than $20 billion in value;
  • Intermex’s strategic alternatives committee in the pending $500 million acquisition by Western Union;
  • Johnson & Johnson in its $14.6 billion acquisition of Intra‑Cellular Therapies, its $2 billion acquisition of Ambrx, its $16.6 billion acquisition of Abiomed, its $6.5 billion acquisition of Momenta, its $3.4 billion acquisition of Auris Health, its ¥230 billion acquisition of Ci:z Holdings, the $2.8 billion sale of its Advanced Sterilization Products business to Fortive, the $2.1 billion sale of its LifeScan business to Platinum Equity, its $30 billion acquisition of Actelion, the $1.045 billion sale of its Codman Neurosurgery business to Integra LifeSciences, its $4.325 billion acquisition of Abbott Medical Optics, its $19.7 billion acquisition of Synthes, its acquisition of Novira Therapeutics and its acquisition of Covagen;
  • Light & Wonder in its $850 million acquisition of Grover Charitable Gaming, the $6.05 billion sale of SG Lottery to Brookfield and $1.2 billion sale of OpenBet to Endeavor, the acquisition of the remaining stake in SciPlay, the $925.5 million sale of a 34.9% stake to institutional investors including Caledonia, its $363.5 million carve-out IPO of SciPlay and its acquisitions of Don Best Sports, NYX Gaming Group and Spicerack Media; 
  • Linde in its $70 billion merger of equals with Praxair;
  • Lindsay Goldberg and its portfolio companies in multiple transactions;
  • Micro Focus in its $6 billion acquisition by OpenText;
  • Mylan in its $9.9 billion acquisition of Meda, its acquisition of the non‑sterile, topicals‑focused specialty and generics business of Renaissance Acquisition Holdings for $950 million in cash at closing plus additional contingent payments of up to $50 million, its proposal to acquire Perrigo in a transaction valued at approximately $35 billion and its $5.6 billion inversion acquisition of Abbott Laboratories’ non‑U.S. developed markets specialty and branded generics business;
  • Novartis in its $2.1 billion acquisition of Endocyte;
  • Paragon 28 in its $1.2 billion acquisition by Zimmer Biomet;
  • RELX Group in multiple acquisitions;
  • Robinhood in its IPO;
  • Schneider Electric in its acquisition of AutoGrid;
  • The Snyder family in the $6.05 billion sale of the NFL's Washington Commanders to a partnership led by Josh Harris;
  • SPANX in its sale of a majority stake to Blackstone;
  • Viatris in its divestitures totaling $6.94 billion in value, including the $3.335 billion combination of its biosimilars portfolio with Biocon Biologics and the divestitures of its Over‑the‑Counter, Women’s Healthcare and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients businesses, its $750 million acquisitions of Oyster Point and Famy Life Sciences and its global research and development collaboration with Idorsia;
  • WestRock in its $20 billion combination with Smurfit Kappa, creating Smurfit WestRock, its $4.9 billion acquisition of KapStone and its $2.3 billion acquisition of Multi Packaging Solutions; and
  • ZimVie in its pending $730 million acquisition by ARCHIMED and the $375 million sale of its spine business to H.I.G. Capital.

Mr. Teti has been repeatedly recognized for his work in the tax arena by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 US, Super Lawyers and Lawdragon. In 2016, he was named a “Rising Star” by Law360, recognizing him as one of five outstanding tax lawyers in the nation under the age of 40.

Mr. Teti is the host of Cravath’s “On Tax” podcast and has authored several blog posts, including “President Biden’s Tax Proposals” in January 2021 and “US Government Finalizes Rules on Transfers to Partnerships with Related Foreign Partners” in February 2020, which were published by European Tax Blog. Mr. Teti is a member of the International Bar Association. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He has also served as the President of the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Scholars Program, as a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Boychoir School and the Princeton Triangle Club, and as a member of the Alumni Council of the University of Virginia School of Law.

Mr. Teti was born in Trenton, New Jersey. He received an A.B. with honors from Princeton University in 1999 and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2005, where he was a member of the Virginia Law Review, an Executive Editor of the Virginia Tax Review and elected to the Order of the Coif. At Virginia, he was also awarded the Edwin S. Cohen Tax Prize and the Robert E. Goldsten Award for Distinction in the Classroom.

Mr. Teti joined Cravath in 2005 and was elected a partner in 2012.

Education

  • J.D., 2005, University of Virginia School of Law
    Order of the Coif
  • A.B., 1999, Princeton University
    with Honors

Admitted In

  • New York

Professional Affiliations

International Bar Association

Organizations

American Boychoir School 

  • Former Member, Board of Trustees 

New Jersey Scholars Program

  • Former President, Board of Trustees

Orchestra of St. Luke’s

  • Member, Board of Directors

Princeton Triangle Club

  • Former Member, Board of Trustees 

University of Virginia School of Law

  • Former Member, Alumni Council

Rankings

Chambers USA

  • Tax - New York (2025‑2010)

Law360

  • Rising Star: Tax (2016)

Lawdragon

  • 500 Leading Dealmakers in America (2024, 2023)
  • 500 Leading Global Tax Lawyers (2025)

The Legal 500 US

  • International Tax (2024-2019, 2017‑2013)
  • US Taxes: Non-contentious (2025-2018, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010)

Super Lawyers - Rising Stars - New York

  • Tax (2016, 2015)

Deals & Cases

October 01, 2025

Corteva’s Planned Separation into Two Public Companies

On October 1, 2025, global agricultural technology leader Corteva announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously approved a plan to separate the company into two independent, publicly traded companies, one comprising its current Crop Protection business (“New Corteva”) and the other comprising its current Seed business (“SpinCo”). 2025 net sales attributable to New Corteva are estimated to total $7.8 billion, representing 44% of net sales for Corteva; 2025 net sales attributable to SpinCo are estimated to total $9.9 billion, representing 56% of net sales for Corteva. The separation is expected to be effected through a spin‑off of SpinCo that is intended to qualify as a tax‑free transaction for U.S. federal tax purposes to Corteva shareholders. Cravath is representing Corteva in connection with the transaction.

Deals & Cases

August 11, 2025

Intermex’s Acquisition by Western Union

On August 10, 2025, International Money Express, Inc. (“Intermex”) and The Western Union Company (“Western Union”) announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Western Union will acquire Intermex in an all‑cash transaction at $16.00 per share, representing a total equity and enterprise value of approximately $500 million. Cravath is representing Intermex’s Strategic Alternatives Committee in connection with the transaction.

Deals & Cases

July 21, 2025

ZimVie’s Acquisition by ARCHIMED

On July 21, 2025, ZimVie Inc. (“ZimVie”), a global life sciences leader in the dental implant market, announced their entry into a definitive agreement pursuant to which ZimVie will be acquired by an affiliate of ARCHIMED (“ARCHIMED”), an investment firm focused exclusively on healthcare industries. Under the terms of the merger agreement, ZimVie stockholders will receive $19.00 in cash for each share of ZimVie common stock outstanding at the closing of the transaction, corresponding to an enterprise value of approximately $730 million. Cravath is representing ZimVie in connection with the transaction.

Deals & Cases

June 04, 2025

Flowserve’s $19 Billion Merger of Equals with Chart

On June 4, 2025, Flowserve Corporation (“Flowserve”) and Chart Industries, Inc. (“Chart”) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger of equals, creating a differentiated leader in industrial process technologies. The combined company is expected to have an enterprise value of approximately $19 billion based on the exchange ratio and the closing share prices for Flowserve and Chart as of June 3, 2025. Under the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of each company, at the closing of the transaction Chart shareholders will receive 3.165 shares of Flowserve common stock for each share of Chart common stock owned. Following the close of the transaction, Flowserve shareholders will own approximately 46.5% and Chart shareholders will own approximately 53.5% of the combined company, on a fully diluted basis. Cravath is representing Flowserve in connection with the transaction.

Deals & Cases

April 07, 2025

IBM’s Acquisition of Hakkoda

On April 7, 2025, IBM announced it has acquired Hakkoda Inc., a leading global data and AI consultancy. Hakkoda will expand IBM Consulting's data transformation services portfolio, adding specialized data platform expertise to help clients get their data ready to fuel AI‑powered business operations. Cravath is representing IBM in connection with the transaction.

Podcasts

September 30, 2025

On Tax – Vlad Izversky of Integral Ad Science

Vlad Izversky is the Senior Vice President, Head of Global Tax and Treasury at Integral Ad Science. In this episode of On Tax, he and Cravath partner and host Len Teti discuss Vlad’s path from engineering school in the Soviet Union to studying accounting in the United States and the route he took from public accounting to his current in‑house role. They also reflect on the multidisciplinary skills that enable tax professionals to excel across functions and discuss how strong leaders in the field add value by building trust with stakeholders at all levels.

Activities

September 25, 2025

Len Teti Speaks at Tax Executives Institute’s 2025 CTO Discussion Series: Tax’s Role in M&A — From Diligence to Closing

On September 25, 2025, Cravath partner J. Leonard Teti II participated in “Tax’s Role in M&A — From Diligence to Closing,” a virtual event hosted by Tax Executives Institute as part of its 2025 CTO Discussion series. Len spoke about the critical role of tax professionals in M&A transactions, including in coordination with legal teams for seamless issue tracking, risk mitigation through targeted covenants, indemnities and the use of R&W and tax insurance. The discussion also covered strategic valuation and negotiation of basis step‑ups, analysis of structural alternatives to optimize deal value, key moments where tax leads influence deal structure and terms, best practices for collaboration with counsel and strategic post-closing follow‑ups to maximize tax efficiency and ensure compliance.

Podcasts

September 09, 2025

On Tax – Len Teti with Guest Host Steve Gordon of Cravath

Steve Gordon is a retired partner and former Head of the Tax Department at Cravath, who first appeared as an On Tax guest in the Season 1 pilot (listen to that episode here). In the show’s very first role reversal, Steve returns to talk with Cravath partner and host Len Teti not as a guest, but as a guest host for the Season 10 premiere of On Tax. They discuss Len’s path to practicing tax law, their time working together in the Firm’s Tax Department and the valuable problem‑solving role that tax practitioners play for clients.

Podcasts

July 01, 2025

On Tax: Where Are They Now? – Lisa Siders of Avon Products, Inc. and Avon International

Lisa Siders is General Counsel at Avon Products, Inc. and the Chief Transformation Officer at Avon International. In the inaugural “Where Are They Now?” episode of On Tax, Lisa returns to talk with Cravath partner and host Len Teti about her career since she last appeared on the show as Vice President of Tax at Natura &Co in Season 1 (listen to that episode here). They also discuss the qualities that enable tax attorneys to excel across a variety of (sometimes unexpected) functions and reflect on the importance of building trust among clients and colleagues.

Podcasts

June 10, 2025

On Tax – Alex Raskolnikov of Columbia Law School

Alex Raskolnikov is a Wilbur H. Friedman Professor of Tax Law and a co‑chair of the Charles Evans Gerber Transactional Studies Center at Columbia Law School. In this episode of On Tax, he and Cravath partner and host Len Teti discuss Alex’s unusual path into the world of tax, from metallurgical engineering in Lansing, Michigan to teaching tax law at Columbia Law. They also talk about the qualities that distinguish students in the tax law classroom and share advice for young professionals facing junctures in their career journeys.

J. Leonard Teti II advises on the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, spin‑offs and private equity transactions. Clients seek out Mr. Teti for his ability to provide practical, clear and commercial advice on the tax issues central to complex domestic and cross‑border transactions. He also advises clients during the course of audits by the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities.

Mr. Teti’s corporate clients have included Alliant Techsystems, Amazon, AmerisourceBergen, Avon, Barnes & Noble, CardWorks, Corteva, Dentsu, DTE Energy, Exyte, Flowserve, GW Pharmaceuticals, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Kenvue, Light & Wonder, Linde, Novartis, RELX Group, Robinhood, Schneider Electric, SPANX, Time Warner, Viatris, Vista Outdoor and WestRock.

Mr. Teti has also represented private equity clients and financial investors such as American Securities, Daily Mail and General Trust (“DMGT”), ECN Capital, Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors, Future Standard and Lindsay Goldberg.

Mr. Teti has significant experience advising companies in spin‑offs and M&A transactions in connection with spin‑offs. Notable matters include representing:

  • Alliant Techsystems in the spin‑off of its Sporting Group to its shareholders and merger of its Aerospace and Defense Groups with Orbital Sciences;
  • Amentum in its “Reverse Morris Trust” merger with Jacobs’ Critical Mission Solutions and Cyber and Intelligence businesses, creating a combined organization with $13 billion in revenue;
  • Corteva in the pending spin‑off of its Seed business;
  • DTE Energy in the $7 billion spin‑off of its midstream business (DT Midstream);
  • Johnson & Johnson in the IPO and separation of Kenvue;
  • Mylan in its $50 billion “Reverse Morris Trust” combination with Upjohn, a division of Pfizer, to form Viatris;
  • Novartis in its $29.8 billion spin‑off of Alcon and its $11.4 billion spin‑off of Sandoz;
  • Time Warner in its spin‑offs of AOL and Time Warner Cable;
  • Valvoline in the $2.65 billion separation and sale of its Global Products business to Aramco; and
  • Vista Outdoor in the $2.225 billion separation and sale of The Kinetic Group to Czechoslovak Group and the $1.125 billion separation and sale of Revelyst to SVP.

Mr. Teti’s notable M&A and other transactions include representing:

  • Amazon in its $8.45 billion acquisition of MGM;
  • AmerisourceBergen in its $6.5 billion acquisition of Walgreens’ Alliance Healthcare businesses, its $815 million acquisition of H. D. Smith, its $2.575 billion acquisition of PharMEDium and its $2.5 billion acquisition of MWI Veterinary Supply;
  • Atalaya Capital Management in its $800 million sale to Blue Owl Capital;
  • Avon in its $3.7 billion acquisition by Natura and the sale of 80% of its North America business to Cerberus Capital Management and in the PIPE investment by Cerberus in Avon’s international business;
  • CardWorks in its acquisition of Ally’s credit card business;
  • Consolidated Communications’ special committee in the $3.1 billion acquisition by Searchlight and BCI;
  • Cowen in its $1.9 billion acquisition by TD;
  • CymaBay Therapeutics in its $4.3 billion acquisition by Gilead Sciences;
  • DMGT in the £1.425 billion sale of RMS to Moody’s and the $8.1 billion business combination of Cazoo and AJAX I SPAC;
  • The special committee of the board of directors of EchoStar in the $26 billion combination with DISH Network;
  • ECN Capital in the $2 billion sale of its Service Finance business to Truist Bank, the sale of Red Oak, its investment in Intercoastal Financial Group, its acquisition of Source One and its strategic investment from Skyline Champion;
  • Flowserve in its proposed $19 billion merger of equals with Chart Industries;
  • Frontier Communications in its pending $20 billion acquisition by Verizon;
  • FS Investments (now Future Standard) in its combination with Portfolio Advisors, creating a $75 billion alternative investment firm, and in the transition of the management of its business development company (BDC) platform to investment advisory partnerships with EIG Global Energy Partners and KKR;
  • GW Pharmaceuticals in its $7.2 billion acquisition by Jazz Pharmaceuticals;
  • IBM in acquisitions and dispositions aggregating more than $20 billion in value;
  • Intermex’s strategic alternatives committee in the pending $500 million acquisition by Western Union;
  • Johnson & Johnson in its $14.6 billion acquisition of Intra‑Cellular Therapies, its $2 billion acquisition of Ambrx, its $16.6 billion acquisition of Abiomed, its $6.5 billion acquisition of Momenta, its $3.4 billion acquisition of Auris Health, its ¥230 billion acquisition of Ci:z Holdings, the $2.8 billion sale of its Advanced Sterilization Products business to Fortive, the $2.1 billion sale of its LifeScan business to Platinum Equity, its $30 billion acquisition of Actelion, the $1.045 billion sale of its Codman Neurosurgery business to Integra LifeSciences, its $4.325 billion acquisition of Abbott Medical Optics, its $19.7 billion acquisition of Synthes, its acquisition of Novira Therapeutics and its acquisition of Covagen;
  • Light & Wonder in its $850 million acquisition of Grover Charitable Gaming, the $6.05 billion sale of SG Lottery to Brookfield and $1.2 billion sale of OpenBet to Endeavor, the acquisition of the remaining stake in SciPlay, the $925.5 million sale of a 34.9% stake to institutional investors including Caledonia, its $363.5 million carve-out IPO of SciPlay and its acquisitions of Don Best Sports, NYX Gaming Group and Spicerack Media; 
  • Linde in its $70 billion merger of equals with Praxair;
  • Lindsay Goldberg and its portfolio companies in multiple transactions;
  • Micro Focus in its $6 billion acquisition by OpenText;
  • Mylan in its $9.9 billion acquisition of Meda, its acquisition of the non‑sterile, topicals‑focused specialty and generics business of Renaissance Acquisition Holdings for $950 million in cash at closing plus additional contingent payments of up to $50 million, its proposal to acquire Perrigo in a transaction valued at approximately $35 billion and its $5.6 billion inversion acquisition of Abbott Laboratories’ non‑U.S. developed markets specialty and branded generics business;
  • Novartis in its $2.1 billion acquisition of Endocyte;
  • Paragon 28 in its $1.2 billion acquisition by Zimmer Biomet;
  • RELX Group in multiple acquisitions;
  • Robinhood in its IPO;
  • Schneider Electric in its acquisition of AutoGrid;
  • The Snyder family in the $6.05 billion sale of the NFL's Washington Commanders to a partnership led by Josh Harris;
  • SPANX in its sale of a majority stake to Blackstone;
  • Viatris in its divestitures totaling $6.94 billion in value, including the $3.335 billion combination of its biosimilars portfolio with Biocon Biologics and the divestitures of its Over‑the‑Counter, Women’s Healthcare and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients businesses, its $750 million acquisitions of Oyster Point and Famy Life Sciences and its global research and development collaboration with Idorsia;
  • WestRock in its $20 billion combination with Smurfit Kappa, creating Smurfit WestRock, its $4.9 billion acquisition of KapStone and its $2.3 billion acquisition of Multi Packaging Solutions; and
  • ZimVie in its pending $730 million acquisition by ARCHIMED and the $375 million sale of its spine business to H.I.G. Capital.

Mr. Teti has been repeatedly recognized for his work in the tax arena by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 US, Super Lawyers and Lawdragon. In 2016, he was named a “Rising Star” by Law360, recognizing him as one of five outstanding tax lawyers in the nation under the age of 40.

Mr. Teti is the host of Cravath’s “On Tax” podcast and has authored several blog posts, including “President Biden’s Tax Proposals” in January 2021 and “US Government Finalizes Rules on Transfers to Partnerships with Related Foreign Partners” in February 2020, which were published by European Tax Blog. Mr. Teti is a member of the International Bar Association. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He has also served as the President of the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Scholars Program, as a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Boychoir School and the Princeton Triangle Club, and as a member of the Alumni Council of the University of Virginia School of Law.

Mr. Teti was born in Trenton, New Jersey. He received an A.B. with honors from Princeton University in 1999 and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2005, where he was a member of the Virginia Law Review, an Executive Editor of the Virginia Tax Review and elected to the Order of the Coif. At Virginia, he was also awarded the Edwin S. Cohen Tax Prize and the Robert E. Goldsten Award for Distinction in the Classroom.

Mr. Teti joined Cravath in 2005 and was elected a partner in 2012.

Mr. Teti’s corporate clients have included Alliant Techsystems, Amazon, AmerisourceBergen, Avon, Barnes & Noble, CardWorks, Corteva, Dentsu, DTE Energy, Exyte, Flowserve, GW Pharmaceuticals, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, Kenvue, Light & Wonder, Linde, Novartis, RELX Group, Robinhood, Schneider Electric, SPANX, Time Warner, Viatris, Vista Outdoor and WestRock.

Mr. Teti has also represented private equity clients and financial investors such as American Securities, Daily Mail and General Trust (“DMGT”), ECN Capital, Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors, Future Standard and Lindsay Goldberg.

Mr. Teti has significant experience advising companies in spin‑offs and M&A transactions in connection with spin‑offs. Notable matters include representing:

  • Alliant Techsystems in the spin‑off of its Sporting Group to its shareholders and merger of its Aerospace and Defense Groups with Orbital Sciences;
  • Amentum in its “Reverse Morris Trust” merger with Jacobs’ Critical Mission Solutions and Cyber and Intelligence businesses, creating a combined organization with $13 billion in revenue;
  • Corteva in the pending spin‑off of its Seed business;
  • DTE Energy in the $7 billion spin‑off of its midstream business (DT Midstream);
  • Johnson & Johnson in the IPO and separation of Kenvue;
  • Mylan in its $50 billion “Reverse Morris Trust” combination with Upjohn, a division of Pfizer, to form Viatris;
  • Novartis in its $29.8 billion spin‑off of Alcon and its $11.4 billion spin‑off of Sandoz;
  • Time Warner in its spin‑offs of AOL and Time Warner Cable;
  • Valvoline in the $2.65 billion separation and sale of its Global Products business to Aramco; and
  • Vista Outdoor in the $2.225 billion separation and sale of The Kinetic Group to Czechoslovak Group and the $1.125 billion separation and sale of Revelyst to SVP.

Mr. Teti’s notable M&A and other transactions include representing:

  • Amazon in its $8.45 billion acquisition of MGM;
  • AmerisourceBergen in its $6.5 billion acquisition of Walgreens’ Alliance Healthcare businesses, its $815 million acquisition of H. D. Smith, its $2.575 billion acquisition of PharMEDium and its $2.5 billion acquisition of MWI Veterinary Supply;
  • Atalaya Capital Management in its $800 million sale to Blue Owl Capital;
  • Avon in its $3.7 billion acquisition by Natura and the sale of 80% of its North America business to Cerberus Capital Management and in the PIPE investment by Cerberus in Avon’s international business;
  • CardWorks in its acquisition of Ally’s credit card business;
  • Consolidated Communications’ special committee in the $3.1 billion acquisition by Searchlight and BCI;
  • Cowen in its $1.9 billion acquisition by TD;
  • CymaBay Therapeutics in its $4.3 billion acquisition by Gilead Sciences;
  • DMGT in the £1.425 billion sale of RMS to Moody’s and the $8.1 billion business combination of Cazoo and AJAX I SPAC;
  • The special committee of the board of directors of EchoStar in the $26 billion combination with DISH Network;
  • ECN Capital in the $2 billion sale of its Service Finance business to Truist Bank, the sale of Red Oak, its investment in Intercoastal Financial Group, its acquisition of Source One and its strategic investment from Skyline Champion;
  • Flowserve in its proposed $19 billion merger of equals with Chart Industries;
  • Frontier Communications in its pending $20 billion acquisition by Verizon;
  • FS Investments (now Future Standard) in its combination with Portfolio Advisors, creating a $75 billion alternative investment firm, and in the transition of the management of its business development company (BDC) platform to investment advisory partnerships with EIG Global Energy Partners and KKR;
  • GW Pharmaceuticals in its $7.2 billion acquisition by Jazz Pharmaceuticals;
  • IBM in acquisitions and dispositions aggregating more than $20 billion in value;
  • Intermex’s strategic alternatives committee in the pending $500 million acquisition by Western Union;
  • Johnson & Johnson in its $14.6 billion acquisition of Intra‑Cellular Therapies, its $2 billion acquisition of Ambrx, its $16.6 billion acquisition of Abiomed, its $6.5 billion acquisition of Momenta, its $3.4 billion acquisition of Auris Health, its ¥230 billion acquisition of Ci:z Holdings, the $2.8 billion sale of its Advanced Sterilization Products business to Fortive, the $2.1 billion sale of its LifeScan business to Platinum Equity, its $30 billion acquisition of Actelion, the $1.045 billion sale of its Codman Neurosurgery business to Integra LifeSciences, its $4.325 billion acquisition of Abbott Medical Optics, its $19.7 billion acquisition of Synthes, its acquisition of Novira Therapeutics and its acquisition of Covagen;
  • Light & Wonder in its $850 million acquisition of Grover Charitable Gaming, the $6.05 billion sale of SG Lottery to Brookfield and $1.2 billion sale of OpenBet to Endeavor, the acquisition of the remaining stake in SciPlay, the $925.5 million sale of a 34.9% stake to institutional investors including Caledonia, its $363.5 million carve-out IPO of SciPlay and its acquisitions of Don Best Sports, NYX Gaming Group and Spicerack Media; 
  • Linde in its $70 billion merger of equals with Praxair;
  • Lindsay Goldberg and its portfolio companies in multiple transactions;
  • Micro Focus in its $6 billion acquisition by OpenText;
  • Mylan in its $9.9 billion acquisition of Meda, its acquisition of the non‑sterile, topicals‑focused specialty and generics business of Renaissance Acquisition Holdings for $950 million in cash at closing plus additional contingent payments of up to $50 million, its proposal to acquire Perrigo in a transaction valued at approximately $35 billion and its $5.6 billion inversion acquisition of Abbott Laboratories’ non‑U.S. developed markets specialty and branded generics business;
  • Novartis in its $2.1 billion acquisition of Endocyte;
  • Paragon 28 in its $1.2 billion acquisition by Zimmer Biomet;
  • RELX Group in multiple acquisitions;
  • Robinhood in its IPO;
  • Schneider Electric in its acquisition of AutoGrid;
  • The Snyder family in the $6.05 billion sale of the NFL's Washington Commanders to a partnership led by Josh Harris;
  • SPANX in its sale of a majority stake to Blackstone;
  • Viatris in its divestitures totaling $6.94 billion in value, including the $3.335 billion combination of its biosimilars portfolio with Biocon Biologics and the divestitures of its Over‑the‑Counter, Women’s Healthcare and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients businesses, its $750 million acquisitions of Oyster Point and Famy Life Sciences and its global research and development collaboration with Idorsia;
  • WestRock in its $20 billion combination with Smurfit Kappa, creating Smurfit WestRock, its $4.9 billion acquisition of KapStone and its $2.3 billion acquisition of Multi Packaging Solutions; and
  • ZimVie in its pending $730 million acquisition by ARCHIMED and the $375 million sale of its spine business to H.I.G. Capital.

Mr. Teti has been repeatedly recognized for his work in the tax arena by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 US, Super Lawyers and Lawdragon. In 2016, he was named a “Rising Star” by Law360, recognizing him as one of five outstanding tax lawyers in the nation under the age of 40.

Mr. Teti is the host of Cravath’s “On Tax” podcast and has authored several blog posts, including “President Biden’s Tax Proposals” in January 2021 and “US Government Finalizes Rules on Transfers to Partnerships with Related Foreign Partners” in February 2020, which were published by European Tax Blog. Mr. Teti is a member of the International Bar Association. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He has also served as the President of the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Scholars Program, as a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Boychoir School and the Princeton Triangle Club, and as a member of the Alumni Council of the University of Virginia School of Law.

Mr. Teti was born in Trenton, New Jersey. He received an A.B. with honors from Princeton University in 1999 and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2005, where he was a member of the Virginia Law Review, an Executive Editor of the Virginia Tax Review and elected to the Order of the Coif. At Virginia, he was also awarded the Edwin S. Cohen Tax Prize and the Robert E. Goldsten Award for Distinction in the Classroom.

Mr. Teti joined Cravath in 2005 and was elected a partner in 2012.

Education

  • J.D., 2005, University of Virginia School of Law
    Order of the Coif
  • A.B., 1999, Princeton University
    with Honors

Admitted In

  • New York

Professional Affiliations

International Bar Association

Organizations

American Boychoir School 

  • Former Member, Board of Trustees 

New Jersey Scholars Program

  • Former President, Board of Trustees

Orchestra of St. Luke’s

  • Member, Board of Directors

Princeton Triangle Club

  • Former Member, Board of Trustees 

University of Virginia School of Law

  • Former Member, Alumni Council

Rankings

Chambers USA

  • Tax - New York (2025‑2010)

Law360

  • Rising Star: Tax (2016)

Lawdragon

  • 500 Leading Dealmakers in America (2024, 2023)
  • 500 Leading Global Tax Lawyers (2025)

The Legal 500 US

  • International Tax (2024-2019, 2017‑2013)
  • US Taxes: Non-contentious (2025-2018, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010)

Super Lawyers - Rising Stars - New York

  • Tax (2016, 2015)

Deals & Cases

October 01, 2025

Corteva’s Planned Separation into Two Public Companies

On October 1, 2025, global agricultural technology leader Corteva announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously approved a plan to separate the company into two independent, publicly traded companies, one comprising its current Crop Protection business (“New Corteva”) and the other comprising its current Seed business (“SpinCo”). 2025 net sales attributable to New Corteva are estimated to total $7.8 billion, representing 44% of net sales for Corteva; 2025 net sales attributable to SpinCo are estimated to total $9.9 billion, representing 56% of net sales for Corteva. The separation is expected to be effected through a spin‑off of SpinCo that is intended to qualify as a tax‑free transaction for U.S. federal tax purposes to Corteva shareholders. Cravath is representing Corteva in connection with the transaction.

Deals & Cases

August 11, 2025

Intermex’s Acquisition by Western Union

On August 10, 2025, International Money Express, Inc. (“Intermex”) and The Western Union Company (“Western Union”) announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Western Union will acquire Intermex in an all‑cash transaction at $16.00 per share, representing a total equity and enterprise value of approximately $500 million. Cravath is representing Intermex’s Strategic Alternatives Committee in connection with the transaction.

Deals & Cases

July 21, 2025

ZimVie’s Acquisition by ARCHIMED

On July 21, 2025, ZimVie Inc. (“ZimVie”), a global life sciences leader in the dental implant market, announced their entry into a definitive agreement pursuant to which ZimVie will be acquired by an affiliate of ARCHIMED (“ARCHIMED”), an investment firm focused exclusively on healthcare industries. Under the terms of the merger agreement, ZimVie stockholders will receive $19.00 in cash for each share of ZimVie common stock outstanding at the closing of the transaction, corresponding to an enterprise value of approximately $730 million. Cravath is representing ZimVie in connection with the transaction.

Deals & Cases

June 04, 2025

Flowserve’s $19 Billion Merger of Equals with Chart

On June 4, 2025, Flowserve Corporation (“Flowserve”) and Chart Industries, Inc. (“Chart”) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger of equals, creating a differentiated leader in industrial process technologies. The combined company is expected to have an enterprise value of approximately $19 billion based on the exchange ratio and the closing share prices for Flowserve and Chart as of June 3, 2025. Under the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of each company, at the closing of the transaction Chart shareholders will receive 3.165 shares of Flowserve common stock for each share of Chart common stock owned. Following the close of the transaction, Flowserve shareholders will own approximately 46.5% and Chart shareholders will own approximately 53.5% of the combined company, on a fully diluted basis. Cravath is representing Flowserve in connection with the transaction.

Deals & Cases

April 07, 2025

IBM’s Acquisition of Hakkoda

On April 7, 2025, IBM announced it has acquired Hakkoda Inc., a leading global data and AI consultancy. Hakkoda will expand IBM Consulting's data transformation services portfolio, adding specialized data platform expertise to help clients get their data ready to fuel AI‑powered business operations. Cravath is representing IBM in connection with the transaction.

Podcasts

September 30, 2025

On Tax – Vlad Izversky of Integral Ad Science

Vlad Izversky is the Senior Vice President, Head of Global Tax and Treasury at Integral Ad Science. In this episode of On Tax, he and Cravath partner and host Len Teti discuss Vlad’s path from engineering school in the Soviet Union to studying accounting in the United States and the route he took from public accounting to his current in‑house role. They also reflect on the multidisciplinary skills that enable tax professionals to excel across functions and discuss how strong leaders in the field add value by building trust with stakeholders at all levels.

Activities

September 25, 2025

Len Teti Speaks at Tax Executives Institute’s 2025 CTO Discussion Series: Tax’s Role in M&A — From Diligence to Closing

On September 25, 2025, Cravath partner J. Leonard Teti II participated in “Tax’s Role in M&A — From Diligence to Closing,” a virtual event hosted by Tax Executives Institute as part of its 2025 CTO Discussion series. Len spoke about the critical role of tax professionals in M&A transactions, including in coordination with legal teams for seamless issue tracking, risk mitigation through targeted covenants, indemnities and the use of R&W and tax insurance. The discussion also covered strategic valuation and negotiation of basis step‑ups, analysis of structural alternatives to optimize deal value, key moments where tax leads influence deal structure and terms, best practices for collaboration with counsel and strategic post-closing follow‑ups to maximize tax efficiency and ensure compliance.

Podcasts

September 09, 2025

On Tax – Len Teti with Guest Host Steve Gordon of Cravath

Steve Gordon is a retired partner and former Head of the Tax Department at Cravath, who first appeared as an On Tax guest in the Season 1 pilot (listen to that episode here). In the show’s very first role reversal, Steve returns to talk with Cravath partner and host Len Teti not as a guest, but as a guest host for the Season 10 premiere of On Tax. They discuss Len’s path to practicing tax law, their time working together in the Firm’s Tax Department and the valuable problem‑solving role that tax practitioners play for clients.

Podcasts

July 01, 2025

On Tax: Where Are They Now? – Lisa Siders of Avon Products, Inc. and Avon International

Lisa Siders is General Counsel at Avon Products, Inc. and the Chief Transformation Officer at Avon International. In the inaugural “Where Are They Now?” episode of On Tax, Lisa returns to talk with Cravath partner and host Len Teti about her career since she last appeared on the show as Vice President of Tax at Natura &Co in Season 1 (listen to that episode here). They also discuss the qualities that enable tax attorneys to excel across a variety of (sometimes unexpected) functions and reflect on the importance of building trust among clients and colleagues.

Podcasts

June 10, 2025

On Tax – Alex Raskolnikov of Columbia Law School

Alex Raskolnikov is a Wilbur H. Friedman Professor of Tax Law and a co‑chair of the Charles Evans Gerber Transactional Studies Center at Columbia Law School. In this episode of On Tax, he and Cravath partner and host Len Teti discuss Alex’s unusual path into the world of tax, from metallurgical engineering in Lansing, Michigan to teaching tax law at Columbia Law. They also talk about the qualities that distinguish students in the tax law classroom and share advice for young professionals facing junctures in their career journeys.

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