Eleanor Halden co-founded Halden & Vale in 2011 after twelve years in the mergers and acquisitions group at Davis Polk & Wardwell. She leads the firm's M&A practice and serves as Managing Partner.

Over twenty-six years in practice, Eleanor has represented strategic acquirers, financial sponsors, and selling founders in transactions totaling over $4 billion in aggregate deal value. Her work has spanned technology, life sciences, consumer goods, manufacturing, and financial services — with a particular focus on cross-border transactions between the US, EU, and UK.

Recent representative matters

• Lead counsel to a US strategic buyer in the $340M acquisition of a Berlin-headquartered SaaS platform, including three-jurisdiction antitrust clearance and twelve months of post-closing integration support
• Sell-side counsel to two co-founders in the $95M sale of a profitable e-commerce company to private equity, including rollover equity and post-closing board representation
• Lead counsel to a US healthcare technology company in a $48M cross-border joint venture with a UK-listed strategic partner
• Sell-side counsel to a founder in the $210M sale of a B2B SaaS company to a public-company acquirer

Practice approach

Eleanor's M&A practice is built on three commitments: senior judgment at every stage, scope honesty before the engagement letter is signed, and continued engagement through the twelve to eighteen months following close. She negotiates definitive agreements personally on every transaction she leads.

The best deals don't feel like deals. They feel like a clean handoff between two parties who both got what they came for. My job is to make sure my client comes away with what they actually needed — and that the other side doesn't feel cheated, because cheated parties become litigants.

Recognition

• Chambers USA — Ranked Band 2 for Corporate/M&A, New York (2018–2026)
• The Legal 500 — Recommended for M&A: Middle-Market (2019–2026)
• Lawdragon 500 — Leading Dealmakers in America (2023–2026)
• Best Lawyers in America — Mergers & Acquisitions Law (2017–2026)
• Crain's New York — Notable Women in Law (2022)

Publications & speaking

Eleanor has written for the Harvard Business Law Review, The M&A Lawyer, and Law360 on subjects including cross-border representations and warranties insurance, earnout structures in down-round acquisitions, and the strategic use of pre-LOI diligence. She speaks regularly at the Practising Law Institute's annual M&A seminar and at Yale Law School's M&A Workshop.

Pro bono

Eleanor maintains an active pro bono practice in nonprofit governance and incorporation matters, particularly for arts and educational institutions. She serves on the board of two New York cultural nonprofits.