Ariel J. Deckelbaum is a deputy chair of the Corporate Department and a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions Group, the Private Equity Transactions Group and the Canadian Practice Group. Mr. Deckelbaum’s practice is diverse with extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, alternative asset management and restructuring transactions. In each of his practice areas, Mr. Deckelbaum helps clients develop and protect their long-term interests and investment strategies.

Mr. Deckelbaum’s mergers and acquisitions work includes going-private transactions, special committee representations, merger proxies, tender offers and hostile proxy contests. His recent mergers and acquisitions experience includes the following representations:

• Time Warner Cable in:
  • its acquisition of Insight Communications Company, Inc;
  • its acquisition of Navisite Inc.;
  • its separation from Time Warner, Inc.; and
  • its joint bid with Comcast Corporation to acquire the assets of Adelphia Communications Corporation.
• Universal American in connection with the proposed sale of its Medicare Part D Business to CVS/Caremark for $1.25 billion.
• TowerBrook Capital Partners in:
  • its investment in Broadlane, Inc., and sale to MedAssets; and
  • its investment in Wilton Brands Inc.
• Oak Hill Capital Partners in:
  • its acquisition of ViaWest, Inc.; and
  • its investment in Duane Reade and sale to Walgreens.
• Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co. in its acquisition of Sepracor Inc. pursuant to a tender offer.
• Marc Ecko in his sale of a controlling interest in the Ecko portfolio brands to Iconix Brand Group, Inc.
• Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd. in:
  • along with Sumitomo Corporation in their $340 million acquisition of Pennsylvania-based steel company Standard Steel from private equity firm Trimaran Fund Management, LLC (Pending); and
  • as it partnered with Vallourec S.A. in the merger of two premium joint companies, VAM USA Company and V&M Atlas Bradford LLC, to establish a new premium joint threading joint venture, VAM USA LLC.
• Perella Weinberg, as financial advisor to the special committee of Sealy Corporation, in connection with a restructuring involving KKR.
• The Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Kerzner International Limited in connection with the $3.8 billion sale of Kerzner to an investment group that included management, Istithmar PJSC, Whitehall Street Global Real Estate Limited Partnership 2005, Colony Capital LLC, Providence Equity Partners, Inc. and The Related Companies, L.P.

Mr. Deckelbaum has a wide range of experience and a thorough understanding of the private equity and hedge fund marketplace. In addition to representing funds in exploring, structuring, negotiating and executing innovative acquisitions and dispositions, he has extensive experience representing clients in connection with investments in alternative asset managers, including:

• Perella Weinberg Partners as financial advisor to BlackRock, Inc. in its acquisition of Barclays Global Investors.
• Approximately 75 former Lehman Brothers professionals in the formation of their new hedge fund, R3 Capital Partners, and its subsequent acquisition by BlackRock Inc.
• Nomura Holdings, Inc. in its acquisition of a 15 percent, $888 million stake in Fortress Investment Group.
• Avenue Capital Group, a hedge fund manager with $12 billion in assets under management, in connection with the sale of a minority interest to Morgan Stanley for $280 million.

As a member of the Canadian Practice Group, Mr. Deckelbaum regularly represents Canadian clients in transactions with U.S. components as well as U.S. private equity firms and other companies seeking to invest in Canadian companies. Mr. Deckelbaum also represents clients in an array of international and cross-border deals, including Nomura Holdings, Inc. and Sumitomo Metal Industries, Ltd., which he recently represented in connection with the formation of a joint venture manufacturing company in Brazil with Vallourec Group.

Mr. Deckelbaum serves on the advisory board of DealLawyers.com, is a member of the American Bar Association and has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Lawyers Alliance for New York.

In 2010, he was recognized as one of Crain's “40 Under 40”, a list of a “dynamic group of New Yorkers who have excelled in their respective fields.”