Proskauer Rose LLP‘s comprehensive private equity practice advises clients across various industries, including technology, healthcare, real estate, life sciences, and consumer goods. Practice head Michael Ellis is based in New York and advises boards and executive teams through all stages of the merger and acquisition process. He is joined by fellow New York-based co-heads Daniel Ganitsky and Sarah Stasny, who joined the team in June 2025, bringing the team experience in competitive auctions, negotiating shareholder governance, and structuring the sell-side process. Kristian Herrmann focuses on the sports industry, advising sports leagues and financial investors on the management of their portfolio companies. Christopher Ahn has niche experience in non-traditional equity transactions, including debt-like preferred equity as a third party, equity kickers, and co-investments for private creditor investors. Lauren Boglivi has stepped down as practice head, but remains a key figure in the team. Another key name is Ben Orlanski.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Client satisfaction: NPS ®
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Inter-disciplinary teamwork is the best I have seen, a very cohesive group. Communication within the team is excellent.'
‘Sarah Stasny is excellent, a team leader who ensures clients get the full resources of the firm in a cohesive solution.'
- 'Sarah Stasny is a generalist who brings the right people to bear on situations and pre-wires them for efficient high-value solutions.'
‘Excellent ability to synthesize key issues and highlight what is critical for the partner to weigh in on. Great business judgement and 'thinking like an owner', not just a legal advisor. ’
‘Sarah Stasny is an excellent business partner. She is available, highly strategic, calm under pressure, and has an excellent legal mind.
‘The practice is led by Sarah Stasny, who is a very good PE M&A lawyer I've worked with in my career. She has an incredible mastery of the law, the current market, and the right path forward in any deal.'
'Their urgency, responsiveness, creativity, drafting excellence, commercial knowledge, broad relationships with opposing counsel, and commitment to the best outcomes for their client are all unique. ’
‘Incredibly user-friendly and commercial, while providing elite expertise in PE M&A deals. Recent investments in the team and additions have quickly scaled Proskauer to be a strong M&A teams in the industry.'
‘Sarah Stasny differentiates from other lawyers in her business mindset, ability to communicate succinctly to business and investment professionals, and her ability to troubleshoot issues and provide creative solutions. ’
Key clients
- Houlihan Lokey, Inc.
- Fortress Credit Corp.
- Houlihan Lokey
- Stellex Capital
- Angeleno Group
- Diversis Capital
- QSC
- Dependable Highway Express
- CapitalSpring / Sizzling Platter
- VSS Capital Partners
- Fortress Credit Corp.
- Blue Owl Capital
- Cohere Capital
- JANA Partners
- Valsoft
- TCW
- Aranda Principal Strategies, STORY3 Capital Partners and Nexus Capital Management
- JANA Partners Management
- Church & Dwight Co., Inc.
- 180 Degree Capital Corp.
Lawyers
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Michael Ellis; Daniel Ganitsky; Sarah Stasny
Other key lawyers
Kristian Herrmann; Christopher Ahn; Lauren Boglivi; Ben Orlanski