Mr Michael Wolitzer > Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Offices
425 LEXINGTON AVENUE
NEW YORK, NY 10017-3954
NEW YORK
United States
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Mr Michael Wolitzer

Work Department
Corporate/Private Funds/Investment Funds
Position
Head of Investment Funds Practice, focusing on private fund formation and other facets of “alternative asset management.” Has represented some of the largest and most well-known sponsors of private investment funds, including Apax Partners, Ares, Blackstone, Centerbridge, Lexington, Patria, Silver Lake Partners and Sixth Street Partners. Also has represented global financial institutions in the establishment of their employee investment programs; been involved in acquisitions of, and investments in, private investment firms (including minority stakes transactions); advised on GP-led secondaries and other secondary private equity transactions; and represented buyers, sellers and sponsors in the disposition of private fund interests and other private equity related assets.
Career
Partner, 1998.
Memberships
New York State Bar Association; Private Investment Fund Forum; PLC Cross-border Private Equity Handbook, Editorial Board; Association of the Bar of the City of New York; American Bar Association.
Education
J.D., Columbia Law School, 1989 (James Kent Scholar; Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar); A.B., Duke University, 1986 (magna cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa).
Lawyer Rankings
United States > Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital)
(Hall of Fame)Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP‘s ‘truly excellent‘ offering is regularly singled out for being ‘exceptionally in tune with the market‘, and is recognized as a ‘guiding force‘ in the private funds space. The firm has particular expertise in raising ‘mega funds’ – which have over $3bn in commitments – and frequently advises on many of the largest private equity funds raised globally. GP-led secondaries transactions are another core focus; the group recently cemented its reputation in this space with the arrival of Lauren King, who was previously co-head of Goodwin‘s secondaries practice. 2022 has also seen plenty of internal growth at the partner level, with a spate of promotions, including those of Deborah Gruen and Audra Cohen. Team lead Michael Wolitzer continues to count some of the largest and best known sponsors of private investment funds among his clients, as well as regularly representing sponsors in other alternative asset classes including real estate, energy and distressed debt. All named lawyers are based in the New York office, which also fields recommended practitioners Barrie Covit
, Thomas Bell
, Glenn Sarno and Rony Rothken.
Lawyer Rankings
- Hall of Fame - United States > Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital)
- Private equity funds (including venture capital) - United States > Investment fund formation and management
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: global offerings
- Finance > Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings
- Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- Industry focus > Environment: transactional
- Dispute resolution > Financial services litigation
- Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes
- Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
- Industry focus > Insurance: advice to insurers
- Dispute resolution > M&A litigation: defense
- M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
- Tax > Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations)
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts
- Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital)
- Real estate > Real estate
- Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense
- Tax > US taxes: non-contentious
Firm Rankings
- Antitrust > Cartel
- Industry focus > Energy transactions: electric power
- Industry focus > Energy transactions: oil and gas
- Industry focus > Energy: renewable/alternative power
- Tax > International tax
- Antitrust > Merger control
- Investment fund formation and management > Mutual/registered/exchange-traded funds
- Real estate > Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
- Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
- Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- M&A/corporate and commercial > Corporate governance
- Finance > Financial services regulation
- Industry focus > Insurance: non-contentious
- Finance > Structured finance: securitization
- Media, technology and telecoms > Technology transactions
- International Trade > International trade
- Finance > Structured finance: derivatives and structured products
- Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)
- Finance > Commercial lending
- Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
- Finance > Project finance