Skadden mourns the passing of our longtime friend and partner Frank Gittes.
Frank joined the firm’s New York M&A team in 1978 and remained with Skadden for 41 years, retiring in 2019. Widely recognized as a leading dealmaker, Frank built enduring relationships with clients. As the head of our M&A practice, he helped cultivate the talent that kept Skadden at the top of the field, and he mentored numerous attorneys who have gone on to highly successful careers. He was a “lawyer’s lawyer,” regularly sought out by colleagues and clients for his insights in tricky situations.
Frank majored in chemical engineering at Lehigh University and worked in the U.S. Patent Office before attending Georgetown University Law Center, where he was an editor of The Georgetown Law Journal and later served on the board of visitors. After law school, he clerked for Judge John Biggs, Jr. on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and qualified as a registered patent attorney.
Frank will be remembered for his quick analysis, unerring judgment, steadfast integrity and extreme depth of knowledge, as well as his profound sense of humor. He will be deeply missed.