Eric W. Hilfers is Head of Cravath's Executive Compensation and Benefits Department. Hilfers’ practice focuses on executive compensation and employee benefit matters faced by Cravath’s clients, principally in connection with mergers and acquisitions and other business transactions. Clients value his “expansive knowledge” and “comprehensive understanding of the business and legal challenges and opportunities” in compensation and benefits matters, leading one to affirm, “he’s not just a lawyer—I view him more as an adviser.”
Hilfers’ representations include the hiring of chief executives and other officers; the design and implementation of compensation programs; the crafting of public disclosures regarding executive pay; and the management of the many legal and regulatory concerns generated by compensation practices, such as securities law, tax, ERISA and financial accounting.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers | 2026 | Executive Compensation & Benefits |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers | 2025 | Executive Compensation & Benefits |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Corporate Employment Lawyers | 2024 | Executive Compensation & Benefits |
| Lawdragon Releases Latest Guide to the Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers in America | 2022 | Executive Compensation & Benefits |
| Lawdragon's Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers of America | 2021 | Executive Compensation & Benefits |
| Lawdragon 500 Leading U.S. Corporate Employment Lawyers | 2020 | Executive Compensation & Benefits |
| 2019 Top 20 Lawyers in Employee Benefits | 2019 | Executive Compensation & Benefits |
| 2018 Top 20 Lawyers in Employee Benefits | 2018 | Executive Compensation & Benefits |
| 2017 Top 20 Lawyers in Employee Benefits | 2017 | Executive Compensation & Benefits |
Hilfers has extensive experience providing executive compensation and benefits counsel in connection with M&A transactions. Notable matters include representing:
- Wiz in its pending $32 billion acquisition by Google.
- Endeavor’s special committee in the $25 billion take‑private acquisition by Silver Lake.
- The special committee of the board of directors of EchoStar in the $26 billion combination with DISH Network.
- Aon in its $13 billion acquisition of NFP.
- Newcrest in its A$28.8 billion acquisition by Newmont.
- FS Investments (now Future Standard) in its combination with Portfolio Advisors, creating a $75 billion alternative investment firm.
- Amazon in its $8.45 billion acquisition of MGM.
- Viacom’s transaction committee in the $30 billion merger with CBS.
- Occidental Petroleum in its $57 billion acquisition of Anadarko, topping Anadarko’s original agreement with Chevron.
- Mylan in its $50 billion combination with Upjohn, a division of Pfizer, to form Viatris and its proposal to acquire Perrigo in a transaction valued at approximately $35 billion.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific in its $20.9 billion acquisition of PPD.
- Barrick Gold in its proposed $42 billion merger and subsequent joint venture with Newmont Mining.
- Pinnacle Foods in its $10.9 billion acquisition by Conagra Brands.
- AXA in its $15.3 billion acquisition of XL Group.
- Disney in its $85 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox, overcoming an interloper bid by Comcast to its original $66 billion agreement.
- Unilever in the $143 billion unsolicited offer from Kraft Heinz to acquire Unilever.
- British American Tobacco in its $97 billion merger with Reynolds American.
- Honeywell in its proposal to acquire United Technologies in a transaction valued at approximately $90 billion.
- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in its $13.3 billion sale to Marriott.
- Weyerhaeuser in its $23 billion merger with Plum Creek Timber.
- The Williams Companies in its proposed $37.7 billion business combination transaction with Energy Transfer Equity.
- Cameron International in its $15 billion sale to Schlumberger.
- AGL Resources in its $12 billion sale to The Southern Company.
- Precision Castparts in its $37 billion sale to Berkshire Hathaway.
- Cigna in its proposed $54.2 billion merger with Anthem.
- MarkWest in its $21 billion merger with MPLX.
- Delhaize in its $29 billion merger of equals with Royal Ahold.
- H.J. Heinz and 3G Capital in Heinz’s $60 billion merger with Kraft Foods to form The Kraft Heinz Company.
- Rock‑Tenn in its $16 billion combination with MeadWestvaco.
- Life Technologies in its $15.8 billion sale to Thermo Fisher Scientific.
- Johnson & Johnson in its acquisition of Synthes, a premier global manufacturer of orthopaedic devices, for $19.7 billion.
- Burlington Northern Santa Fe (“BNSF”) in Berkshire Hathaway’s $44 billion acquisition of BNSF, including $10 billion of outstanding BNSF debt.