Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP was recognized in The Deal’s 2021 Awards, an annual award celebrating advisers, professionals, firms and banks working to drive the deal economy forward in 2021.

The firm was shortlisted for Financial Services – Deal (Middle Market) for its representation of GAINSCO, Inc. in its $400 million acquisition by State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. The transaction was State Farm’s first acquisition in its 98-year history. With approximately 84 million policies and accounts, State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto and home insurance in the United States. GAINSCO, established in 1978 and based in Dallas, Texas, specializes in minimum-limits personal auto coverage. Under the terms of the agreement, GAINSCO continues to operate as a separate entity, and it is anticipated that State Farm agents will eventually have the ability to distribute GAINSCO products. The Hunton Andrews Kurth team representing GAINSCO was led by partners Steve Leshin and Steven Haas, with support from M&A associates Charles Brewer and Luis Andrade, tax partner Robert McNamara, employee benefits partner Scott Austin, labor and employment partner Alan Marcuis and antitrust partner Kevin Hahm.

The Hunton Andrews Kurth Mergers and Acquisitions Team has handled 800 transactions worth approximately $250 billion over the past five years. With proven experience managing transactions ranging from acquisitions of private equity-backed companies, to leading a $30 billion merger-of-equals to create the nation’s largest regulated utility, the practice represent clients in virtually every sector of the economy, including key focus areas on energy, financial services, manufacturing, real estate, retail/consumer products and technology.