March 25, 2026
Willkie partners Danielle Scalzo and Laura Acker were named 2026 “Dealmakers of the Year” by The American Lawyer for successfully advising The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (IPG) on its landmark acquisition by Omnicom Group Inc.
Danielle and Laura led the Willkie team that represented IPG in its approximately $13.5 billion sale to Omnicom, a deal that closed in November 2025, creating the world's leading marketing and sales company. The American Lawyer noted that it was the first major advertising industry deal in well over a decade and required Danielle and Laura to navigate an array of complex legal and regulatory challenges.
The profile highlighted how Willkie’s longstanding ties to IPG helped clarify the business strategy, pinpoint objectives in the negotiations and position IPG for long-term success.
The profile also noted the scope of the transaction and the way that Danielle and Laura, both partners in the Corporate & Financial Services Department, worked so effectively together, collaborating with dozens of lawyers across Willkie’s practices and offices to bring the deal to completion, roughly 11 months after it was announced.
Danielle, who is also a member of Willkie’s Executive Committee, emphasized the significance of the deal, the way it strengthened the combined business, enhancing its platform and advancing the deployment of cutting-edge technology, including generative AI.
“The IPG-Omnicom deal reshaped the advertising industry amidst a fundamental shift in the competitive landscape,” Danielle said, noting that the merger gave the combined company "the scale that's now become a prerequisite to compete, and it also combined their technology and data platforms and presented the opportunity for them to really lean into technology investments, including [the use of] generative AI.”
Danielle and Laura led an extensive Willkie team that included antitrust partners Wesley Powell, Robert Lepore and Katrina Robson, along with corporate partner Samir Patel, and executive compensation partner Jordan Messinger, and dozens of other attorneys across Willkie’s practices and offices.
Read the full 2026 “Dealmakers of the Year” profile in The American Lawyer here (subscription may be required).
Danielle and Laura led the Willkie team that represented IPG in its approximately $13.5 billion sale to Omnicom, a deal that closed in November 2025, creating the world's leading marketing and sales company. The American Lawyer noted that it was the first major advertising industry deal in well over a decade and required Danielle and Laura to navigate an array of complex legal and regulatory challenges.
The profile highlighted how Willkie’s longstanding ties to IPG helped clarify the business strategy, pinpoint objectives in the negotiations and position IPG for long-term success.
The profile also noted the scope of the transaction and the way that Danielle and Laura, both partners in the Corporate & Financial Services Department, worked so effectively together, collaborating with dozens of lawyers across Willkie’s practices and offices to bring the deal to completion, roughly 11 months after it was announced.
Danielle, who is also a member of Willkie’s Executive Committee, emphasized the significance of the deal, the way it strengthened the combined business, enhancing its platform and advancing the deployment of cutting-edge technology, including generative AI.
“The IPG-Omnicom deal reshaped the advertising industry amidst a fundamental shift in the competitive landscape,” Danielle said, noting that the merger gave the combined company "the scale that's now become a prerequisite to compete, and it also combined their technology and data platforms and presented the opportunity for them to really lean into technology investments, including [the use of] generative AI.”
Danielle and Laura led an extensive Willkie team that included antitrust partners Wesley Powell, Robert Lepore and Katrina Robson, along with corporate partner Samir Patel, and executive compensation partner Jordan Messinger, and dozens of other attorneys across Willkie’s practices and offices.
Read the full 2026 “Dealmakers of the Year” profile in The American Lawyer here (subscription may be required).
