Derek M Winokur > Dechert LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

Dechert LLP Offices

Dechert LLP
Three Bryant Park, 1095 Avenue of the Americas
NEW YORK, NY 10036-6797
NEW YORK
United States
Visit website 1 212 698 3500 1 212 698 3599

Derek M Winokur

Derek M Winokur photo
+1 212 698 3860 derek.winokur@dechert.com

Work Department

Corporate

Position

Partner

Career

Derek M. Winokur, co-head of Dechert’s private equity practice, represents private equity sponsors, strategic buyers and sellers, special committees, majority shareholders, investment banks and company management in public and private mergers and acquisitions both domestically and internationally. As a result of Mr. Winokur’s diverse client base, he is familiar with the pressure points of all deal parties in negotiations and works with clients to help anticipate and resolve issues. In addition, Mr. Winokur represents companies in connection with more general corporate matters, including public reporting obligations, recapitalizations, buybacks, reforming corporate governance, and capital market transactions. Mr. Winokur’s experience spans a wide range of industries, including technology, telecom, pharmaceuticals and manufacturing.

Mr. Winokur also has extensive experience advising both corporations and dissident shareholders in contests for corporate control. For instance, he advised Special Situations Partners and the shareholder group of Iridian Asset Management and Franklin Mutual Advisers in their respective successful proxy fights for ICN Pharmaceuticals, and represented PeopleSoft in responding to Oracle’s unsolicited tender offer and threatened proxy fight. More recently, Mr. Winokur represented a group of shareholders of USA Technologies, Inc. (USAT), who called themselves the “Shareholder Advocates for Value Enhancement” (SAVE), in a proxy contest that settled and resulted in USAT agreeing to: seat two of SAVE’s three director nominees; seat a third nominee if certain metrics were not achieved; implement a number of shareholder-friendly governance changes; and cover all of SAVE’s out-of-pocket expenses.

Education

  • University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, Articles Editor of the University of Pennsylvania Law Review
  • Cornell University, B.A.

Lawyer Rankings

United States > M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts: large deals ($500m+)

Dechert LLP has a longstanding and well-established presence in the private equity market, representing a diverse range of PE and private investment firms at every phase of the investment life-cycle. A hallmark of the firm’s practice is its cross-border capabilities, utilizing offices in the US, Europe, Asia and the Middle East to advise on complex inbound and outbound transactions. Mark Thierfelder is global chair of the firm’s PE practice and recently led in a significant deal in the healthcare and TMT space, advising GIC in connection with its $17bn acquisition of Athenahealth. Jonathan Kim continues to grow his reputation for high-value M&A and PE buyouts, retaining clients such as Centre Partners, Further Global and PPC. Derek M Winokur and Sarah Kupferman regularly represent an impressive roster of strategic buyers, sellers and sponsors, including the likes of One Equity, Bruckmann and Rosser. Pennsylvania-based Kenneth E. Young brings a broad industry focus to the table, covering such areas as technology, energy and banking. Unless specified, attorneys are based in New York.

United States > M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+)

As its global footprint continues to expand, the strength of Dechert LLP‘s cross-border capabilities is a hallmark of the corporate and M&A practice, which is trusted by many financial services companies, asset managers and private equity funds. The practice showcases deep expertise advising on corporate deals in the healthcare and life sciences segments, and has recently handled a variety of deals in the industrial sector. Mark Thierfelder – the chair of the global private equity, corporate and securities practices – has led on hundreds of announced and closed transactions spanning strategic M&A and private equity buyouts. He sits in the New York office, where Jonathan Kim is another key contact for private equity funds. New York-based Derek M Winokur heads up the private equity group alongside Kenneth E. Young in Pennsylvania, the latter of whom is also sought out by portfolio companies from the technology, financial services, energy and healthcare sectors.

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