Cravath Publishes Summer 2026 Issue of Alumni Journal
Partner, Executive Compensation and Benefits
Matthew J. Bobby focuses his practice on executive compensation and employee benefit aspects of complex mergers and acquisitions, spin‑offs, initial public offerings and other business transactions. He also regularly advises clients on the design, negotiation and implementation of incentive compensation arrangements and the negotiation of executive employment and separation agreements, as well as on SEC disclosure regarding such arrangements.
Mr. Bobby has advised many corporate and private equity clients, including ADT, AerCap, Afterpay, AmerisourceBergen, AngloGold Ashanti, Aras, AveXis, Axalta, BDT & MSD, British American Tobacco, Canadian National Railway, Centrica, Costamare, Crown Castle, CyrusOne, DiaSorin, FactSet, GreenSky, Hasbro, Hearst, Honeywell, IBM, Illumina, Instacart, Johnson & Johnson, Just Eat Takeaway.com, Kenvue, Light & Wonder, Lindsay Goldberg, Martin Marietta, National Grid, Neurotech, Northrop Grumman, Novartis, Olin, Owl Rock, Peugeot, RWE, SMBC Aviation Capital, Starwood Hotels, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Time Warner, US Foods, Viacom, Viatris, WestRock and White Mountains.
Mr. Bobby’s notable matters include representing:
Mr. Bobby has been recognized for his work in the employee benefits and executive compensation arena by Chambers USA and he has also received Euromoney Legal Media Group’s 2022 Americas Rising Star Award for “Best in Labor & Employment.” Mr. Bobby is a frequent author and speaker on executive compensation and employee benefits topics and spoke on a panel at the American Bar Association’s 2023 Business Law Section Hybrid Spring Meeting.
Mr. Bobby was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He received a B.A. summa cum laude in mathematics and physics and an M.A. in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2012, where he was an Executive Editor of the National Security Journal and the International Law Journal. Following his graduation, Mr. Bobby served as a law clerk to Hon. Joseph Jerome Farris of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Mr. Bobby joined Cravath in 2013 and was elected a partner in 2020.
Mr. Bobby has advised many corporate and private equity clients, including ADT, AerCap, Afterpay, AmerisourceBergen, AngloGold Ashanti, Aras, AveXis, Axalta, BDT & MSD, British American Tobacco, Canadian National Railway, Centrica, Costamare, Crown Castle, CyrusOne, DiaSorin, FactSet, GreenSky, Hasbro, Hearst, Honeywell, IBM, Illumina, Instacart, Johnson & Johnson, Just Eat Takeaway.com, Kenvue, Light & Wonder, Lindsay Goldberg, Martin Marietta, National Grid, Neurotech, Northrop Grumman, Novartis, Olin, Owl Rock, Peugeot, RWE, SMBC Aviation Capital, Starwood Hotels, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Time Warner, US Foods, Viacom, Viatris, WestRock and White Mountains.
Mr. Bobby’s notable matters include representing:
Mr. Bobby has been recognized for his work in the employee benefits and executive compensation arena by Chambers USA and he has also received Euromoney Legal Media Group’s 2022 Americas Rising Star Award for “Best in Labor & Employment.” Mr. Bobby is a frequent author and speaker on executive compensation and employee benefits topics and spoke on a panel at the American Bar Association’s 2023 Business Law Section Hybrid Spring Meeting.
Mr. Bobby was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He received a B.A. summa cum laude in mathematics and physics and an M.A. in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2012, where he was an Executive Editor of the National Security Journal and the International Law Journal. Following his graduation, Mr. Bobby served as a law clerk to Hon. Joseph Jerome Farris of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Mr. Bobby joined Cravath in 2013 and was elected a partner in 2020.
Americas Rising Star Awards - Best in Labor & Employment, Euromoney Legal Media Group (2022)
Chambers USA
MergerLinks
Deals & Cases
October 29, 2026
On October 29, 2026, ADT Inc. (“ADT”), a leading provider of security, interactive and smart home solutions serving residential and small business customers in the U.S., and Thrive Holdings, a permanent capital holding company focused on investing in established businesses and advancing their capabilities through technology, announced a definitive agreement under which Thrive Holdings will acquire ADT in an all‑cash transaction. The agreement values ADT at approximately $7.6 billion in equity value and $15.3 billion in enterprise value. Under the terms of the agreement, which ADT’s Board of Directors unanimously approved, ADT stockholders will receive $10.00 per share in cash upon completion. Following completion, ADT will become privately held and its common stock will cease trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Cravath is representing ADT in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
October 29, 2026
On October 29, 2026, DoorDash, Inc. (“DoorDash”) and Maplebear Inc. (d.b.a. Instacart) (“Instacart”) announced a definitive agreement under DoorDash will acquire Instacart for a total value of $65.00 for each Instacart share, or an equity value of approximately $17 billion. The aggregate transaction consideration will be at least 75% cash, with Instacart stockholders able to elect cash, DoorDash stock, or a combination of both, subject to proration so that DoorDash stock does not exceed 25% of the aggregate consideration. Instacart's board of directors has unanimously approved the agreement. Cravath is representing Instacart in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
October 20, 2026
On October 20, 2026, Alcon, a global leader in eye care, announced it has acquired Neurotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Neurotech”), a company focused on developing innovative cell therapies for chronic and neurodegenerative eye diseases, for $550 million. Alcon may be required to make additional contingent payments, including upon the achievement of commercial milestones. This acquisition expands Alcon's retina portfolio with ENCELTO™, the first and only U.S. FDA-approved treatment for adults with idiopathic Macular Telangiectasia Type 2 (“MacTel”), a rare, progressive retinal disease that leads to irreversible central vision loss that has historically had no approved treatment options. Cravath represented Neurotech in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
June 29, 2026
On June 29, 2026, Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (“Martin Marietta”), a leading supplier of aggregates and other building materials, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to combine with Lhoist North America, Inc. (“Lhoist North America”), a leading producer of hi‑calcium lime, dolomitic lime and industrial mineral products and a subsidiary of Lhoist Group, for $13.5 billion in cash and shares of Martin Marietta common stock. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals. Cravath is representing Martin Marietta in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
April 27, 2026
On April 27, 2026, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (“Thermo Fisher”), the world leader in serving science, announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its microbiology business, which provides antimicrobial susceptibility testing and culture media solutions for clinical, pharmaceutical and food safety testing, to Astorg, a leading pan‑European private equity firm, for consideration of approximately $1.075 billion, consisting of cash and a $50 million seller note. Cravath is representing Thermo Fisher in connection with the transaction.
Activities
February 28, 2025
On February 26, 2025, Cravath and Harvard Law School hosted a program to celebrate the work of the Cravath International Fellows, which was held in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 2006 by Cravath partners who are Harvard Law School alumni, under the leadership of the late Robert D. Joffe, the Cravath International Fellowships program provides financial assistance, including travel and living expenses, to students pursuing academic projects during their Winter Term with an international, transnational or comparative law focus. Approximately 12 Cravath International Fellowships are awarded annually.
Publications
January 22, 2025
On January 21, 2025, Cravath prepared a memo for its clients entitled “IRS Publishes Proposed Regulations to Expand Denial of Compensation Deduction Under Section 162(m).” The memo examines the Internal Revenue Service’s proposed regulations to expand the group of employees covered by Section 162(m), as required by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Publications
August 22, 2024
On August 21, 2024, Cravath prepared a memo for its clients entitled “Texas Federal Court Invalidates FTC’s Noncompete Ban Nationwide.” The memo examines the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas’s recent opinion and order setting aside the Federal Trade Commission’s new final rule banning all noncompete agreements with employees and preventing its implementation nationwide.
Publications
April 25, 2024
On April 25, 2024, Cravath prepared a memo for its clients entitled “FTC Adopts Rule “Banning” Non‑Compete Clauses with Workers.” The memo examines the Federal Trade Commission’s recently adopted final rule broadly deeming non‑compete clauses with “workers” to be an “unfair method of competition” under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. The memo outlines how the final rule does not necessarily constitute a ban on non‑compete clauses, potential legal challenges to the final rule and expected future enforcement. The memo concludes with recommendations for companies to consider to ensure they are in position to adapt to the changing landscape.
Publications
November 13, 2023
On November 7, 2023, Cravath prepared a memo for its clients entitled “New York Passes Law Restricting Scope of Employee IP Assignment Agreements.” The memo examines the new Section 203-f of the New York Labor Law recently signed by Governor Hochul, which renders unenforceable assignment provisions with respect to certain inventions in employment agreements. The memo outlines what types of agreements the law renders unenforceable, its exceptions, the consequences of violating the law, notice requirements and next steps for employers to consider.
Matthew J. Bobby focuses his practice on executive compensation and employee benefit aspects of complex mergers and acquisitions, spin‑offs, initial public offerings and other business transactions. He also regularly advises clients on the design, negotiation and implementation of incentive compensation arrangements and the negotiation of executive employment and separation agreements, as well as on SEC disclosure regarding such arrangements.
Mr. Bobby has advised many corporate and private equity clients, including ADT, AerCap, Afterpay, AmerisourceBergen, AngloGold Ashanti, Aras, AveXis, Axalta, BDT & MSD, British American Tobacco, Canadian National Railway, Centrica, Costamare, Crown Castle, CyrusOne, DiaSorin, FactSet, GreenSky, Hasbro, Hearst, Honeywell, IBM, Illumina, Instacart, Johnson & Johnson, Just Eat Takeaway.com, Kenvue, Light & Wonder, Lindsay Goldberg, Martin Marietta, National Grid, Neurotech, Northrop Grumman, Novartis, Olin, Owl Rock, Peugeot, RWE, SMBC Aviation Capital, Starwood Hotels, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Time Warner, US Foods, Viacom, Viatris, WestRock and White Mountains.
Mr. Bobby’s notable matters include representing:
Mr. Bobby has been recognized for his work in the employee benefits and executive compensation arena by Chambers USA and he has also received Euromoney Legal Media Group’s 2022 Americas Rising Star Award for “Best in Labor & Employment.” Mr. Bobby is a frequent author and speaker on executive compensation and employee benefits topics and spoke on a panel at the American Bar Association’s 2023 Business Law Section Hybrid Spring Meeting.
Mr. Bobby was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He received a B.A. summa cum laude in mathematics and physics and an M.A. in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2012, where he was an Executive Editor of the National Security Journal and the International Law Journal. Following his graduation, Mr. Bobby served as a law clerk to Hon. Joseph Jerome Farris of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Mr. Bobby joined Cravath in 2013 and was elected a partner in 2020.
Mr. Bobby has advised many corporate and private equity clients, including ADT, AerCap, Afterpay, AmerisourceBergen, AngloGold Ashanti, Aras, AveXis, Axalta, BDT & MSD, British American Tobacco, Canadian National Railway, Centrica, Costamare, Crown Castle, CyrusOne, DiaSorin, FactSet, GreenSky, Hasbro, Hearst, Honeywell, IBM, Illumina, Instacart, Johnson & Johnson, Just Eat Takeaway.com, Kenvue, Light & Wonder, Lindsay Goldberg, Martin Marietta, National Grid, Neurotech, Northrop Grumman, Novartis, Olin, Owl Rock, Peugeot, RWE, SMBC Aviation Capital, Starwood Hotels, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Time Warner, US Foods, Viacom, Viatris, WestRock and White Mountains.
Mr. Bobby’s notable matters include representing:
Mr. Bobby has been recognized for his work in the employee benefits and executive compensation arena by Chambers USA and he has also received Euromoney Legal Media Group’s 2022 Americas Rising Star Award for “Best in Labor & Employment.” Mr. Bobby is a frequent author and speaker on executive compensation and employee benefits topics and spoke on a panel at the American Bar Association’s 2023 Business Law Section Hybrid Spring Meeting.
Mr. Bobby was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He received a B.A. summa cum laude in mathematics and physics and an M.A. in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2009, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a J.D. magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2012, where he was an Executive Editor of the National Security Journal and the International Law Journal. Following his graduation, Mr. Bobby served as a law clerk to Hon. Joseph Jerome Farris of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Mr. Bobby joined Cravath in 2013 and was elected a partner in 2020.
Americas Rising Star Awards - Best in Labor & Employment, Euromoney Legal Media Group (2022)
Chambers USA
MergerLinks
Deals & Cases
October 29, 2026
On October 29, 2026, ADT Inc. (“ADT”), a leading provider of security, interactive and smart home solutions serving residential and small business customers in the U.S., and Thrive Holdings, a permanent capital holding company focused on investing in established businesses and advancing their capabilities through technology, announced a definitive agreement under which Thrive Holdings will acquire ADT in an all‑cash transaction. The agreement values ADT at approximately $7.6 billion in equity value and $15.3 billion in enterprise value. Under the terms of the agreement, which ADT’s Board of Directors unanimously approved, ADT stockholders will receive $10.00 per share in cash upon completion. Following completion, ADT will become privately held and its common stock will cease trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Cravath is representing ADT in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
October 29, 2026
On October 29, 2026, DoorDash, Inc. (“DoorDash”) and Maplebear Inc. (d.b.a. Instacart) (“Instacart”) announced a definitive agreement under DoorDash will acquire Instacart for a total value of $65.00 for each Instacart share, or an equity value of approximately $17 billion. The aggregate transaction consideration will be at least 75% cash, with Instacart stockholders able to elect cash, DoorDash stock, or a combination of both, subject to proration so that DoorDash stock does not exceed 25% of the aggregate consideration. Instacart's board of directors has unanimously approved the agreement. Cravath is representing Instacart in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
October 20, 2026
On October 20, 2026, Alcon, a global leader in eye care, announced it has acquired Neurotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Neurotech”), a company focused on developing innovative cell therapies for chronic and neurodegenerative eye diseases, for $550 million. Alcon may be required to make additional contingent payments, including upon the achievement of commercial milestones. This acquisition expands Alcon's retina portfolio with ENCELTO™, the first and only U.S. FDA-approved treatment for adults with idiopathic Macular Telangiectasia Type 2 (“MacTel”), a rare, progressive retinal disease that leads to irreversible central vision loss that has historically had no approved treatment options. Cravath represented Neurotech in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
June 29, 2026
On June 29, 2026, Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (“Martin Marietta”), a leading supplier of aggregates and other building materials, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to combine with Lhoist North America, Inc. (“Lhoist North America”), a leading producer of hi‑calcium lime, dolomitic lime and industrial mineral products and a subsidiary of Lhoist Group, for $13.5 billion in cash and shares of Martin Marietta common stock. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals. Cravath is representing Martin Marietta in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
April 27, 2026
On April 27, 2026, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (“Thermo Fisher”), the world leader in serving science, announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its microbiology business, which provides antimicrobial susceptibility testing and culture media solutions for clinical, pharmaceutical and food safety testing, to Astorg, a leading pan‑European private equity firm, for consideration of approximately $1.075 billion, consisting of cash and a $50 million seller note. Cravath is representing Thermo Fisher in connection with the transaction.
Activities
February 28, 2025
On February 26, 2025, Cravath and Harvard Law School hosted a program to celebrate the work of the Cravath International Fellows, which was held in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 2006 by Cravath partners who are Harvard Law School alumni, under the leadership of the late Robert D. Joffe, the Cravath International Fellowships program provides financial assistance, including travel and living expenses, to students pursuing academic projects during their Winter Term with an international, transnational or comparative law focus. Approximately 12 Cravath International Fellowships are awarded annually.
Publications
January 22, 2025
On January 21, 2025, Cravath prepared a memo for its clients entitled “IRS Publishes Proposed Regulations to Expand Denial of Compensation Deduction Under Section 162(m).” The memo examines the Internal Revenue Service’s proposed regulations to expand the group of employees covered by Section 162(m), as required by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Publications
August 22, 2024
On August 21, 2024, Cravath prepared a memo for its clients entitled “Texas Federal Court Invalidates FTC’s Noncompete Ban Nationwide.” The memo examines the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas’s recent opinion and order setting aside the Federal Trade Commission’s new final rule banning all noncompete agreements with employees and preventing its implementation nationwide.
Publications
April 25, 2024
On April 25, 2024, Cravath prepared a memo for its clients entitled “FTC Adopts Rule “Banning” Non‑Compete Clauses with Workers.” The memo examines the Federal Trade Commission’s recently adopted final rule broadly deeming non‑compete clauses with “workers” to be an “unfair method of competition” under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. The memo outlines how the final rule does not necessarily constitute a ban on non‑compete clauses, potential legal challenges to the final rule and expected future enforcement. The memo concludes with recommendations for companies to consider to ensure they are in position to adapt to the changing landscape.
Publications
November 13, 2023
On November 7, 2023, Cravath prepared a memo for its clients entitled “New York Passes Law Restricting Scope of Employee IP Assignment Agreements.” The memo examines the new Section 203-f of the New York Labor Law recently signed by Governor Hochul, which renders unenforceable assignment provisions with respect to certain inventions in employment agreements. The memo outlines what types of agreements the law renders unenforceable, its exceptions, the consequences of violating the law, notice requirements and next steps for employers to consider.
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