M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m) in United States

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP has played a critical role in the development of the US SPAC market, and continues to act for an impressive roster of public companies in strategic M&A. Showcasing a strong track record in the financial services space, the team is also well versed in hostile transactions, shareholder activism – where it assists both activists and boards – and corporate governance matters. Richard Brand co-leads the team, and his key strengths, besides complex M&A, lie in takeover preparation and defense. Fellow co-head William Mills advises public companies on transactions as well as disclosure and fiduciary duty mandates. Stephen Fraidin’s practice features activity in hostile M&A and private equity, while Braden McCurrach advises clients on transactional, commercial, and securities matters. All mentioned individuals are located in New York. Joshua Apfelroth is no longer at the firm.

Practice head(s):

William Mills; Richard Brand


Other key lawyers:

Stephen Fraidin; Braden McCurrach; Daniel Raglan


Key clients

Credit Bureau Connection


EquiLend Holdings LLC


Forbes Global Media Holdings Inc.


Hudson Executive Capital


Integrity Implants Inc. (d/b/a Accelus)


Mantle Ridge


MBIA Inc.


Politan Capital Management


Portico Capital Advisors


Thoma Bravo


Two Harbors Investment Corp. and Matrix Financial Services Corporation


Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust


ZX Ventures


Work highlights


  • Advised Thoma Bravo in its $10.4bn acquisition of Anaplan, Inc., including with respect to Thoma Bravo’s $2.25 per share reduction of the purchase price.
  • Advised Mantle Ridge on its agreement to add seven new directors to the board of Dollar Tree, Inc., a leading operator of discount variety stores, and on its $1.8bn investment in Dollar Tree, Inc.
  • Advised Politan Capital Management, LP, on its approximately $900m investment and agreement with managed care company Centene Corporation.

Cooley LLP

With extensive expertise in M&A pertaining to the life sciences and tech sectors, Cooley LLP is proficient in major public and private M&A deals. The ‘very competent‘ team, which boasts a strong presence in both the East and West Coast, advises a broad spectrum of clients including acquirers, sellers and targets on billion-dollar and middle-market acquisitions, public company mergers, and take-private transactions. Jamie Leigh in San Francisco co-leads the team with San Diego-based Barbara Borden, who handles an impressive volume of M&A, corporate governance and joint venture mandates in the life sciences and tech spaces. Also in San Diego, Rama Padmanabhan has strong credentials in reverse mergers and SPAC-related deals in the life sciences segment, while Ben Beerle is another name to note for M&A work in San Francisco. Steven Tonsfeldt, who sits in the Palo Alto office, represents private and publicly-traded corporations in national and globally significant M&A and hostile takeovers. The team in New York was strengthened by the addition of Bill Sorabella, who joined from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in June 2022, while the Seattle M&A bench grew with the arrival of Nick Davis from Perkins Coie LLP in April 2022.

Practice head(s):

Barbara Borden; Jamie Leigh


Other key lawyers:

Steve Tonsfeldt; Rama Padmanabhan; Ben Beerle


Testimonials

‘Very competent, but with unusually good rapport with us their client, the opposing counsel and representatives of the purchaser. The Cooley professional team work extremely well together — calling in required expertise seamlessly. The Cooley team worked efficiently and helped cause the purchaser’s counsel to be more efficient and timely.’

‘Steve Tonsfeldt is very experienced and was in complete charge from day one. He was competent, accessible and was very good at bringing out the best in his team.’

Key clients

Quanergy


NeoPhotonics


Omniome


Byju’s


Adamas Pharmaceuticals


Tapjoy


Equillium


Chimerix


SiFive


Levi Strauss & Co.


Chegg


Lengo Therapeutics


Personal Genome Diagnostics


Flow Commerce


Rothy’s


Bolder Surgical


Building Engines


Mirum Pharmaceuticals


Tempo Automation


Oyster Point Pharma


Work highlights


  • Advised Quanergy  on its definitive business combination agreement with CITIC Capital Acquisition Corp. for $970m.
  • Advised NeoPhotonics on its agreement to sell to Lumentum for $918m.
  • Assisted Omniome in its sale to Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. for $800m.

Fenwick & West LLP

The ‘top-flight‘ team at Fenwick & West LLP is reputed for its strength in the tech and life sciences sectors, and often advises serial tech acquirers and growth companies as targets in middle-market M&A. Based in San Francisco, co-head  Douglas Cogen offers extensive transactional experience. He oversees the practice with Kris Withrow, who splits her time between Silicon Valley and Santa Monica, and is a seasoned practitioner in mid-cap strategic acquisitions in the tech space. Also in Silicon Valley, David Michaels and Stephen Fisher stand out for their involvement in strategic deals, including mergers, stock and asset sales and purchases. Ethan Skerry routinely assists venture capital and private equity investors, while Ken Myers represents boards, financial advisors and domestic and international companies in the digital entertainment, life sciences and tech industries; both attorneys are based in New York.


Practice head(s):

Douglas Cogen; Kris Withrow


Other key lawyers:

Bomi Lee; David Michaels; Ethan Skerry; Stephen Fisher; Ken Myers


Testimonials

‘Fenwick is very strong top to bottom, with particular strengths in tech M&A. I feel like the specialists and support partners are just as engaged and committed to our transactions as the corporate relationship partners.’

‘They know our company very well and are committed to the relationship.’

‘Great to have experts in the VC world and growth equity world under the same roof. They moved quickly for us.’

Key clients

Amunix


AppLovin Corporation


Bill.com


Cisco Systems


Clif Bar & Company


Niantic


SentinelOne


Tile


Vocera Communications, Inc.


Wealthfront


Amex


Billie


Calm


Cisco Systems


DoorDash


Encoding.com


Meta


GitLab


Moonbug Entertainment


Sema4


Stripe


Twilio


1047 Games


CommerceIQ


Mythical Games


Work highlights


  • Acted for Clif Bar & Company in its pending acquisition by Mondelēz International for $2.9bn with additional significant contingent earnout consideration.
  • Represented Vocera Communications, Inc. in its definitive agreement to be acquired by Stryker for a total equity value of approximately $2.97bn.

K&L Gates

K&L Gates is well placed to act for a diversity of clients, ranging from emerging and middle-market companies to Fortune 500 entities, and private equity funds. The department, which is noted for being ‘client-focused, competent and timely‘, operates across a wide spectrum of industries, most notably energy, infrastructure and transport. Robert Zinn maintains a strong M&A practice in Pittsburgh and New York. Chicago-based Mark McMillan assists middle-market and emerging companies, multinationals and investors in M&A, corporate governance and securities issues. Both practitioners manage the group alongside Rick Giovannelli in Charlotte and Seattle-based Annette BeckerCalvina Bostick in New York often acts for companies and private equity players in M&A involving the worlds of healthcare, financial services, technology and insurance. Leah Baucom is a key name to note in Charlotte for corporate transactions, private equity investments and activist shareholder defense.

Practice head(s):

Robert Zinn; Rick Giovannelli; Annette Becker; Mark McMillan


Other key lawyers:

Leah Baucom; Calvina Bostick


Testimonials

‘The Charlotte office of K&L Gates provides a great mix of excellent work product, global reach, and cost-effective rates. The firm provides pragmatic legal solutions, and allows growing companies to “punch above their weight.’

‘This practice has national and local reach. The vast skillset by all the professionals was tremendously helpful in closing and keeping our transaction moving.’

‘Partnership approach to working with clients – high levels of repeat work have enabled K&L Gates to be one step ahead of knowing what is important to us before they begin drafting / markups.’

‘The firm is very client-focused, competent and timely.’

‘The team at K&L Gates led us through the sale of a subsidiary in an extremely short time frame. They kept the process moving along to meet all deadlines, and provided significant guidance to ensure the contract contained appropriate protective language.’

‘The partner and associates that worked on our sale of a subsidiary were extremely knowledgeable and experienced, and fully explained the process and the protections we would need to put in place. They kept the process moving along in a very short time frame and were very responsive to emails and phone calls.’

‘K&L had the depth in resources and knowledge to handle any situations that came up during our transactions with the buyer.’

Key clients

Office Ally, Inc.


Securitas AB


Hexagon AB


SPX Corporation


Exact Sciences Corporation


Beyond Yoga


Fintech Meetup, LLC


Sinch Holding AB


BlueScope Steel Ltd


KnoppBiosciences LLC


DDW, Inc


PPG Industries, Inc.


Microsoft Corporation


II-VI Incorporated


Red Ventures


Work highlights


  • Represented Securitas AB in connection with its acquisition of Stanley Black & Decker’s electronic security business Stanley Security.
  • Acted for Hexagon AB in connection with the acquisition of the enterprise asset management business of Infor (US), LLC and its affiliates (“Infor”) for a total purchase price of approximately $2.8bn.
  • Advised Exact Sciences Corporation on its acquisition of Thrive Earlier Detection Corp., a healthcare company dedicated to incorporating earlier cancer detection into routine medical care.

King & Spalding LLP

With a strong following of public companies, privately held businesses, and private equity firms, King & Spalding LLP is well equipped to support clients in the full spectrum of M&A matters, excelling particularly in the middle-market. The practice also assists in serial and portfolio transactions and continues to advise clients in SPAC-related deals.  Based in Atlanta, Keith Townsend, who heads up the public companies practice group, is adept in both corporate governance and transactional matters. Also in Atlanta, Rahul Patel is the main point of contact for some of the firm’s most significant corporate clients engaged in control and non-control transactions. In the New York office,  Jonathan Melmed handles strategic, private equity and SPAC deals across the energy, financial, and infrastructure sectors, while Enrico Granata co-chairs the private equity group. Kathleen Blaszak joined from Winston & Strawn LLP in July 2022, bringing a wealth of experience in M&A and strategic alliances in the TMT sector; she is based between Northern Virginia and Washington DC.

Practice head(s):

Keith Townsend; Rahul Patel; Jonathan Melmed


Other key lawyers:

Enrico Granata; Cal Smith; Larry Yanowitch; Erik Belenky; Kathleen Blaszak; John Hyman


Key clients

EVO Payments


Genuine Parts Company


Mativ


Exterran Corporation


Cox Enterprises


Roper Technologies


H.I.G. Capital / USALCO


Riverview Acquisition Corp.


BOA Acquisition Corp.


Kraton Corporation


Tomson Technologies and Group 2 Technologies


Equifax


BBB Industries


Axium Infrastructure


Instar Asset Management


ManTech International


Booz Allen Hamilton


Fugue, Inc.


Eisai Pharmaceuticals


Work highlights


  • Advised EVO Payments on its pending $4bn sale to Global Payments.
  • Advised ManTech International on its $4.2bn sale to Carlyle.
  • Assisted Mativ Holdings, Inc in closing its acquisition of Neenah, Inc., in an all-stock merger of equals transaction.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is particularly active on sell-side M&A and possesses notable strength in the energy, life sciences, and tech sectors. Co-head David Ruff in New York advises a diversity of clients, including private equity funds and their portfolio companies, on joint ventures, minority and majority investments, as well as an assortment of other significant transactions. He coordinates the team with Mark Seneca, who is based in Silicon Valley, and has overseen numerous buy and sell-side mandates involving high-profile unicorns and high-tech serial acquiring companies. In the same office, Matthew Gemello assists technology clients and their financial sponsors in domestic and multijurisdictional transactions, such as spin-offs and business carveouts. Tony Chan is a new arrival in Washington DC, who arrived from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP in February 2022, and is particularly proficient in corporate deals involving life sciences and tech companies.

Practice head(s):

David Ruff; Mark Seneca


Other key lawyers:

Tony Chan; Matthew Gemello; King Milling; Leah Recht


Key clients

Apex Clean Energy


Banneker


Ryzac, Inc., aka Codecademy


Enlight


Aptean, Inc.


Sizewise


Novitium Pharma


Superior Plus


NextCaptial Advisers, Inc.


Industrious


Aledade


Catalyst Biosciences


Shopify


Avaya Holdings Corp.


Workday


Juniper


PCF Insurance Services


Clutter


Invoice2go


Trimble


When I Work


Enlight Renewable Energy


Ryzac


Clever


Arcus


Aspen Designs


Dave


COVA Acquisition Corp.


Weta FX Limited (previously Weta Digital)


Work highlights


  • Advised Clutter Inc. on its merger with MakeSpace.
  • Advised Ryzac, Inc. on its $525m acquisition by Skillsoft.
  • Assisted Clever Inc. in its $500m acquisition by Kahoot!.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Recommended for its ‘regulatory expertise and market knowledge‘, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP oversees a diversity of M&A – including divestitures and joint ventures- and showcases particular strength in the technology, media, energy and financial services industries. In addition to his transactional focus, New York-based Jonathan Russo serves as primary outside counsel to family offices, investment banks, and private equity firms on corporate governance and compliance issues. He manages the M&A practice with Justin Hovey in San Francisco, who is frequently engaged in strategic M&A in the tech space. The private equity group is led from New York by Stephen Amdur, while Jeffrey Delaney in the same office focuses on global corporate matters. Also in New York, Jarrod Murphy is renowned for his expertise of private equity, while Ted Powers is best known for his transactional work in the financial services, fintech and life sciences sectors.

Practice head(s):

Jonathan Russo; Justin Hovey; Jeffrey Delaney; Stephen Amdur


Other key lawyers:

Jarrod Murphy; Allison Leopold Tilley; Ted Powers


Testimonials

‘Jarrod Murphy and his team have been fantastic at guiding us through our first transaction in the US. The team are very thorough with strength and expertise covering all aspects of the transaction, including corporate, real estate, regulatory, tax and insurance. We particularly valued their regulatory expertise and market knowledge.’

‘Jarrod Murphy and the wider team were all a pleasure to work with. Their advice was always spot on and delivered in a timely fashion. They helped manage a tricky seller to get the transaction over the line.’

Key clients

AT&T


BioLegend


Cenntro Automotive Group Limited


Chelsea Football Club


NextEra Energy Partners, LP


NTT DATA


Raine Group LLC


Standard General L.P.


Support.com


SYNNEX Corporation


Work highlights


  • Advised Standard General L.P. on its $8.6bn cash transaction with television broadcaster TEGNA Inc.
  • Represented SYNNEX Corporation in connection with its merger agreement with Tech Data valued at approximately $7.2bn.
  • Acted for a Singaporean offshore engineering group on its $6.29bn merger with Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd.

Winston & Strawn LLP

Winston & Strawn LLP is home to seasoned corporate law attorneys, who often collaborate with the antitrust, employment, IP and tax practices on complex M&A mandates. The team, whose sector breadth covers tech, energy, healthcare, logistics and manufacturing, is a go-to choice for sellers engaged in upper middle-market transactions. Matthew Costigan is sought out by public and private companies, private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies for his wealth of experience in the full spectrum of M&A matters; he oversees the practice that is primarily based in Chicago. Oscar David acts for clients from the worlds of manufacturing, private equity, pharma and technology in high-value and middle-market M&A. Matthew Bergmann is a skillful capital markets, M&A and private equity practitioner, while Steven Gavin often counsels on corporate governance issues. As a result of Florida’s tremendous growth in M&A activity and private equity firms, the firm has recently expanded in the jurisdiction. Former co-head Uri Doron and Katie Blaszak are no longer at the firm.

Practice head(s):

Matt Costigan


Other key lawyers:

Oscar David; Allen Miller; Matthew Bergmann; Steve Gavin


Key clients

AAR Corp.


Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc.


American Access Casualty Company


Beam Suntory, Inc.


Chart Industries, Inc.


Citadel Defense Company


Corning Incorporated


Ducommun Incorporated


Dune Acquisition Corp.


Echo Global Logistics, Inc.


FAST Acquisition Corp.


Fathom Digital Manufacturing Corp.


Founder SPAC


Galen Healthcare Solutions, Inc.


Holicity Inc.


Kainos Capital, LP


KAR Auction Services, Inc.


Kleinfelder, Inc.


Koppers Holdings, Inc.


LAACO, Ltd.


Miffin Associates Corp.


Molina Healthcare, Inc.


Morningstar, Inc.


Motorola Solutions Inc.


NexPoint Advisors


Quantam FinTech Acquisition Corp.


R1 RCM Inc.


Reyes Holdings, L.L.C.


Sandvik Mining and Construction B.V.


Silva International, Inc.


Skillz, Inc.


SPX Flow, Inc.


SweetWater Brewing Company, Inc.


Thomas Publishing, LLC


TreeHouse Foods, Inc.


USG Corporation


Velocity Acquisition Corp.


Wind Point Partners LLC


Work highlights


  • Represented SPX FLOW in its acquisition by an affiliate of Lone Star Funds.
  • Acted for Allscripts Healthcare Solutions in the sale of its Hospital and Large Physician Practices business segment to Toronto-based Constellation Software, through its wholly owned subsidiary, N. Harris Computer Corporation.

Goodwin

Able to call upon a network of intellectual property, real estate and tax experts, Goodwin is best known for its strong track record in complex M&A involving life sciences, tech, and private equity players. The department is well positioned to handle public and private M&A, leveraged buyouts, and spin-offs, and is also skilled in shareholder activism defense and proxy contests. Based in Boston, Stuart Cable spearheads the global M&A practice. Cable is counsel of choice for a number of leading tech and life sciences clients, who retain him on a recurrent basis in transactional and corporate governance matters. On the West Coast, Alessandra Simons is a prominent M&A figure in San Francisco, while Andrew Weidhaas in Los Angeles focuses on private equity deals and emerging companies.

Practice head(s):

Stuart Cable


Other key lawyers:

Alessandra Simons; Andrew Weidhaas; Jacqueline Mercier


Key clients

TA Associates


Thoma Bravo


Senti Biosciences


Toast


Halo Technology Limited


iRobot


BioDelivery Sciences International


Great Hill Partners LLC


OpenEye Scientific Software, Inc.


Cedar Realty Trust, Inc.


Retina Holdings, LLC


Wellframe, Inc.


Work highlights


  • Advised TA Associates, and its portfolio company Power Line Systems, on its $700m sale to Bentley Systems, Inc.
  • Assisted Thoma Bravo in its $810m acquisition of UserZoom Technologies, Inc.
  • Represented Halo Technology in the $715m sale of Halo Technology to Amphenol Corporation.

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP stands out for its strength in transactions involving the real estate, energy, accounting and private equity spaces. Steven Haas works from Richmond, and is proficient in change-of-control transactions, strategic M&A, and corporate governance matters. These are also core areas of activity for Steve Patterson in Washington DC, whose expertise extends to securities compliance. Houston-based Michael O’Leary is primarily engaged in energy M&A mandates.

Practice head(s):

Steven Haas; Steven Patterson


Other key lawyers:

Gary Thompson; Fernando Alonso; Kevin Georgerian; Michael O’Leary


Testimonials

‘I have worked with Hunton at 3 different companies over 15 years. I keep using them because they are down to earth and practical, but really think outside the box when needed. They work diligently, keep me informed and really go above and beyond.’

‘Kevin Georgerian is among the best attorneys I have ever had the opportunity to work with – he embodies what an outstanding attorney is.’

‘We have always been happy with Hunton’s M&A practice. They are excellent at providing high-value service and a reasonable cost.’

McDermott Will & Emery LLP

With great geographical reach in the US and internationally, McDermott Will & Emery LLP enjoys a strong reputation in the middle-market M&A space, where it frequently advises chemicals, energy, healthcare, and manufacturing clients. New York-based Todd Finger has deep experience advising private equity and corporate clients active in the life sciences, consumer products, media and retail industries. Leader of the global transactional group Harris Siskind and Frederic Levenson, who co-heads the private equity practice, are based in Miami. Wilson Chu is a name to note in Dallas, while Brooks Gruemmer is a key contact in Chicago for strategic and private equity clients. Sam Snideris an excellent attorney’ in Atlanta, who specializes in M&A, corporate minority investments and joint ventures.

Other key lawyers:

Sam Snider; Anne Cox-Johnson; David Grimes


Testimonials

‘Available, engaged, strategic.’

‘We have a strong relationship with Sam Snider, who is an excellent attorney – both in terms of legal detail as well as interpersonal skills. He is well respected by others in the wider deal team, which means he can get stuff done without it always having to come back to the corporate M&A team. This is very valuable. I also personally trust and seek his advice.’

‘McDermott’s partners put themselves in their client shoes: they’re not only supporting an inorganic deal, but critically question or suggest innovative approaches that help the client.’

‘In my experience with MWE, they bring all the heft and depth of a big law firm with the personal touch and responsiveness of smaller outfits. We are a small but growing private equity firm and are given great attention despite being smaller than many of their other clients.’

‘David Grimes is our primary point of contact and has been working on growth equity deals with us for a couple years now. He’s responsive, smart, engaged and enjoyable to work with.’

‘The MWE team has a deep bench strength, but the partners take a strong lead, assuring top level active involvement throughout the transaction. The team ensures they have a good understanding of your business, frequently researching the market and industry to ensure their advice is on point and proactive.’

‘The Dallas team is among the most diverse that I’ve experienced. Wilson Chu is particularly good about providing and honouring fee estimates, even for complicated transactions.’

Key clients

Prime Therapeutics LLC


The Coca-Cola Company


Chicago Pacific Founders


Revelstoke Capital Management LLC


General Atlantic


NationsBenefits Holdings, LLC


Cuisine Solutions, Inc.


RiverGlade Capital, LP


Viking Global Investors


Ilitch Family


Baker Hughes


Delta Electronics, Inc.


BQ Energy


Deerfield Management


Lennar Corporation


Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc.


Work highlights


  • Represented Prime Therapeutics LLC in its entry into a definitive agreement with Centene Corporation to acquire Magellan Health, Inc.’s pharmacy business, Magellan Rx Management, for $1.35bn.
  • Acted for The Coca-Cola Company in connection with the sale of its Cambodian and Vietnamese bottling operations to Swire Beverages Holdings Limited.

Norton Rose Fulbright

Norton Rose Fulbright acts for an impressive client roster, which features public and private companies present in the worlds of financial services, healthcare, insurance, technology, and energy. The latter is a key strength for the practice, which is well placed to advise clients on a breadth of M&A matters, ranging from multi-billion cross-border deals to smaller domestic middle-market transactions. Scarlet McNellie in Dallas heads up the corporate, M&A and securities team, while Sheldon Nussbaum in New York coordinates the business group. Also in New York, Kessar Nashat maintains a broad M&A practice, undertaking transactional work – including joint ventures and spin-offs – for public and private companies. Corporate and securities law specialist Steve Suzzan is frequently engaged in cross-border M&A on behalf of private and public companies, as well as private equity sponsors; he is also based in New York.


Practice head(s):

Scarlet McNellie; Sheldon Nussbaum


Other key lawyers:

Mike Keeley; Daryl Lansdale; Kessar Nashat; Steve Suzzan; Craig Vogelsang


Testimonials

‘Broad set of experts in all practice areas – regulatory, employment, environmental, etc. to support M&A process.’

‘Highly intelligent and experienced.’

Key clients

AmeriQual Group


Arizona Natural Resources


BMO Financial


BP


CAE


CBTX


Enerflex


Greenfirst Forest Products


Longuevue Capital


Oakwood Bancshares


Origis Energy


Raymond James Financial


Rush Enterprises


Sharps Compliance Corp.


Shell Oil Company


Silgan Holdings


Sterling Investment Partners


TerrAscend Corp.


Ullico Inc.


World Fuel Services


Work highlights


  • Advised Shell Enterprises LLC in connection with an agreement to sell its Permian business to ConocoPhillips for $9.5bn in cash.
  • Advised World Fuel Services Corporation in the $775m acquisition of Flyers Energy Group.
  • Advised Enerflex Ltd. on its stock-for-stock business combination with Exterran Corporation, creating a combined entity with an implied combined enterprise value of approximately $1.5bn.

Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP

A go-to destination for middle-market private equity funds, activist investors and hedge funds, Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP’s primary focus is private equity-driven M&A. Energy, financial services, healthcare, tech and telecoms are key sectors of focus for the team, which frequently advises investment management clients on complex deals. Its capabilities in the shareholder activism space are also noteworthy; Eleazer Klein is a key contact in New York for this type of work. He co-heads the M&A and securities team with Brian Miner in Washington DC, who is singled out for his private equity credentials. Benjamin Kozinn, who handles a mix of investment management and private equity M&A, joined the New York office from Lowenstein Sandler LLP in March 2022. In the same office, Jeffrey Symons is knowledgeable of domestic and cross-border M&A, joint ventures and corporate restructurings.

Practice head(s):

Eleazer Klein; Brian Miner


Other key lawyers:

Benjamin Kozinn; Lawrence Natke; Jeffrey Symons


Key clients

26 Capital Acquisition Corp.


American Water


Axar Capital Management LP


Cerberus Capital Management, L.P.


Entities associated with Koch Industries, Inc.


LLR Partners


Lovell Minnick Partners


Mill Point Capital


AB CarVal Investors L.P.


The WindAcre Partnership


Work highlights


  • Advised The WindAcre Partnership, Nielsen’s largest shareholder, with approximately 27% of the company’s stock worth in the region of $2.5 billion, in its negotiation and entry into a consortium that ultimately took Nielsen private.
  • Represented 26 Capital Acquisition Corp., a Nasdaq-listed blank check company, in connection with its planned stock merger with UE Resorts International, Inc.
  • Acted for American Water on the sale of its New York operations to Liberty Utilities for $610m.

WilmerHale

The ‘strong and experienced team‘ at WilmerHaleoffers consistent high-quality‘ advice to companies of all sizes, investment banks and private equity firms, and particularly excels in M&A matters involving the tech, life sciences and financial services sectors. The practice is under the joint leadership of two well-regarded partners based in Boston: Hal Leibowitz, whose notable areas of strength include joint ventures and sell-side M&A, and Joseph Conahan, who offers support to boards of directors, buyers and sellers in acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures. In the same office, Andrew Bonnes plays a prominent role in public and private M&A deals. In New York, Andy Alin acts for financial institutions, fintech companies, and private equity sponsors, while Chris Barnstable-Brown is noted for his experience in the tech, finance and life sciences industries.


Practice head(s):

Hal Leibowitz; Joseph Conahan


Other key lawyers:

Keith Trammell; Andrew Bonnes; Stephanie Evans; Andy Alin; Chris Barnstable-Brown; Tal Hacohen


Testimonials

‘Pragmatic and dedicated. Not in it to win an argument but to get the deal done.’

‘Very strong and experienced team that offers consistent high quality, takes ownership and initiative and is responsive, engaged and fun to work with.’

‘Stephanie Evans – highly experienced and capable, pragmatic and commercial with an ability to build bridges with counterparties to get a deal done. Manages her teams very well and is present and responsive at the right times. Invests in building deep and lasting client relationships.’

Key clients

TechTarget


Vail Resorts


Brigade Energy Services


Emirate Hospitality Restaurant Management


Gemini Therapeutics


Jebbit Inc.


Nomura


Fortive


Danaher


CoNCERT Pharmaceuticals


BakerHostetler

Demonstrating in-depth knowledge of the TMT sector, BakerHostetler’s department, which is primarily based in New York, represents a breadth of clients – including Fortune 500 companies – in domestic and cross-border transactions. Practice head Steven Goldberg has longstanding experience in the M&A market, and is often engaged by privately held and publicly traded companies in the full spectrum of corporate transactions, such as joint ventures, and private equity investments. Asim Grabowski-Shaikh works with boards of directors, private equity sponsors and strategic clients on their global investment strategies. Matthew Gases stands out at the associate level for his involvement in high-value M&A. John Allotta is a name to note in Cleveland for portfolio acquisitions in the aerospace, healthcare and manufacturing industries. All individuals are based in New York, unless stated otherwise.


Practice head(s):

Steven Goldberg


Other key lawyers:

John Allotta; Asim Grabowski-Shaikh; Matthew Gases


Key clients

The E.W. Scripps Company


Berlin Rosen


Boston Omaha Corporation


Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions


Lincoln International, LLC


ECN Capital Corp


MPE Partners


DCC Technology Holdings, Inc.


TransDigm Group Inc.


Lordstown Motors Corp.


Cyprium Investment Partners LLC


Littelfuse, Inc


CBIZ Inc.


Toyota Motor North America, Inc.


Work highlights


  • Advised The E.W. Scripps Company on the client’s $2.65bn acquisition of ION Media and the related preferred investment in Scripps by Berkshire Hathaway.
  • Represented Lincoln International, LLC in its proposed rendering of financial and valuation analysis as to the fairness, from a financial point of view, to WeWork Companies LLC regarding its entry into the Senior Notes Purchase Agreement and the Senior Notes Issuance.
  • Assisted Acuity Knowledge Partners and its subsidiary in an equity acquisition of an Indian entity that has two U.S. subsidiaries.

Dentons

Dentons handles a varied middle-market M&A workload, featuring deals in the financial services, energy, healthcare, tech and manufacturing industries. Besides strategic M&A, Mitchell Albert in Kansas City is also adept in corporate finance and private equity, and often represents buyers, professional investors and sellers in cross-border transactions. Chicago-based Michael Froy handles M&A of national and international significance, and is particularly active in highly regulated sectors.

Practice head(s):

Michael Froy; Mitchell Albert


Other key lawyers:

Mark Stabile; Russell Smith; Rick Guerisoli; Joseph Ritchey; Christopher Jones; Jason Stone


Testimonials

‘The Dentons Pittsburgh team with which I work has a sophisticated M&A practice in a mid-tier city.’

Reed Smith LLP

With a strong M&A bench in New York and Chicago, and further capabilities in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and California, Reed Smith LLP is well-equipped to handle the full range of M&A and private equity transactions, which often involve multijurisdictional implications. Global vice-chair of the firm’s M&A group Jennifer Cheng excels in cross-border transactions; she is based in New York, where Christopher Sheaffer is a seasoned M&A and private equity practitioner, who handles global and regional transactions in a multitude of industries.


Practice head(s):

Jennifer Cheng; Christopher Sheaffer


Other key lawyers:

Kristin Wells; Efren Acosta; Anatoliy Rozental; James Tandler; Siddesh Bale; Michael Lee; Mark Pedretti; Bradley Schmarak


Testimonials

‘On relatively short notice, the firm took on a large engagement with our Company. We were very impressed with the quality of the team on the unique transaction. The most impressive aspect was their ability to still provide practical guidance with the tight timelines.’

‘Jennifer Cheng was available at all hours of the day to meet the necessary timelines.’

‘Truly hands on guidance throughout the M&A process. This was essential to our founder-led business.’