Private Equity Transactions

The Paul, Weiss Private Equity Transactions Group provides trusted counsel derived from deep industry knowledge to established as well as up-and-coming private equity firms. We represent firms of every size across the spectrum of investment strategies, and we build longstanding relationships with our clients. As active participants in the private equity industry, we are able to advise our clients on the latest innovations, as well as current market practices and trends.

Why Paul, Weiss?

Our Private Equity Transactions Group ranks among the country’s most active and highly regarded private equity practices. Our lawyers have been working on investor transactions since the birth of the leveraged buyout. We regularly represent buyout and investment firms, including general partners, limited partners, co-investors and other equity stakeholders, as well as portfolio companies, lenders and financial sponsor groups. As a result, we thoroughly understand the interests, concerns and ambitions of today’s private equity firms. Our Private Equity Transactions Practice works on a full range of M&A transactions for private equity firms and their portfolio companies, including: leveraged buyouts, majority and minority stakes investments and, sales and divestitures.

Our client list is impressive, both for the prominence of our clientele and the variety of firms we represent. Our work is not dominated by one type of firm, or restricted to institutions of any given size or maturity. This gives us a rich spectrum of experience upon which to draw.

We work closely with Paul, Weiss’s leading Tax, Financing, Capital Markets and Investment Management Groups to develop sophisticated innovative approaches to every transaction. We also draw upon the resources of our market-leading Litigation and Restructuring Departments. Our dedication to teamwork and continuity of personnel throughout the investment cycle provides efficient services from professionals who understand the client’s objectives.

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Our Practice

Our Private Equity Transactions Group is focused on providing a full range of services to our clients engaged in investment and exit transactions of all kinds, including leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, minority investments, “club” deals with multiple sponsors, venture capital deals, PIPEs transactions, joint ventures and securities offerings.

We are active participants in the private equity market. As a result, we have extensive familiarity with the full range of acquisition techniques and we are able to advise our clients on the latest innovations, as well as current market practices and trends. We have more than 20 partners with significant experience in private equity transactions and a large group of talented counsel and associates who support our practice.

Clients

We represent a wide array of the leading private equity firms in the U.S. and abroad, including:

Apollo Global Management
The Carlyle Group
Centerview Partners
CI Capital Partners
Diamond Castle
Exor
Elliott Associates
General Atlantic
Harbinger Capital Partners
J.C. Flowers & Co.

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
Kohlberg & Co.
KPS Capital Partners
MacAndrews & Forbes
Morgan Stanley Private Equity
Oak Hill Capital Partners
Oaktree Capital Management
TowerBrook Capital Partners
Wellspring Capital Management
Vision Capital
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Industries

Some of the industries in which we regularly engage in transactions include:

Asset Management
Business Services and Outsourcing
Consumer Products and Retail
Energy
Financial Services
Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
Hospitality and Gaming
Industrials and Manufacturing

Infrastructure
Insurance
Media and Entertainment
Natural Resources
Real Estate
Software and Technology
Telecommunications
Transportation and Logistics
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Recognitions

Our Private Equity Group has built a stellar reputation in the industry. Some of our recent honors have included:

Legal 500
- Leading firm – “Private Equity Buyouts” (2011).
- Six recognized practitioners – “Private Equity Buyouts” (2011).
- “M&A – Mega-Deals” – Leading lawyer (Robert B. Schumer) and recognized practitioner (Paul D. Ginsberg) (2010).
Chambers USA
- Leading firm – “(National) Private Equity: Buyouts” (2011).
- Recognized practitioner – “(National) Private Equity: Buyouts” (2011).
American Lawyer
- Robert B. Schumer selected as "Dealmaker of the Year" in connection with the $3.3 billion sale of Warner Music to Access Industries.
- Paul D. Ginsberg selected as “Dealmaker of the Week” in connection with the General Atlantic/First Republic transaction.
Chambers Asia
- “Band 1” leading firm for private equity in Asia and China/Hong Kong (2011).
IFLR 1000
- Recognized – “Private Equity Transactions” (2011).
- “Tier 1” recommended firm for private equity in Asia-Pacific and Hong Kong (2011).
- “PE Deal of the Year” at IFLR India Awards for the General Atlantic/Asian Genco transaction (2011).
Asia Pacific Legal 500
- “Tier 1” foreign firm for private equity in China and Hong Kong (2010/2011).
Asian Legal Business
- “Taiwan Deal of the Year” at Asian Legal Business Awards for Carlyle -Taiwan Cable TV Business Sale (2011).
- “Leading Private Equity & Venture Capital Firm across Asia” (2010).
China Business Law Journal
- “Deal of the Year – Private Equity & Venture Capital” for Morgan Stanley/Yongye International PIPE Investment (2011).
China Law & Practice
- “International Private Equity Team of the Year” at China Law & Practice Awards (2011).
- “Private Equity Deal of the Year” for General Atlantic/Soufun Holdings Investment (2011).

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Representative Engagements

Apollo Global Management, as part of a consortium which included Riverstone Holdings, Access Industries and others, in the $7.15 billion acquisition of the energy and power business of El Paso Corporation. (Pending)

Kohlberg & Co. in the sale of its portfolio company, Thomas Nelson, to HarperCollins Publishers. (Pending)

Oaktree Capital Management in the $1.09 billion sale of assets by its portfolio company, Mobilitie Investments, to wireless tower operator SBA Communications. (April 2012)

Oak Hill Capital Partners in its acquisition of an approximately 80 percent interest in Earth Fare, one of the largest natural and organic food retailers in the country, from Monitor Clipper Partners. (April 2012)

General Atlantic in its $3.8 billion acquisition of ING Group’s Latin American pension and wealth management business, as part of a consortium with Grupo Sura, Grupo Bolivar, Banco Columbia and IFC. (December 2011)

Harvest Partners in its acquisition of Document Technologies, a leading provider of outsourced litigation support services. (December 2011)

Emdeon, a portfolio company of General Atlantic, in its $3 billion sale to Blackstone Group. (November 2011)

Silver Lake, Temasek Holdings and a Hong Kong-based investment group in a $1.6 billion investment in Alibaba Group, the operator of China's leading online business marketplace and consumer shopping websites. (October 2011)

Citigroup in its $1.7 billion sale to Axa Private Equity of a portfolio of private equity investments that includes over 200 limited partnership interests in private equity funds as well as direct stakes in companies. (October 2011)

Vision Capital in its $188 million sale of Terphane Holding, a Brazilian packaging business, to Tredeger Corporation. (October 2011)

Crestview Partners in its $225 million investment in Cumulus Media, as part of Cumulus Media’s $2.4 billion acquisition of Citadel Broadcasting. (September 2011)

Wellspring Capital Management in its acquisition of Resco Group, a leading North American producer of value-added refractory solutions. (September 2011)

Oak Hill Capital Partners in the $900 million sale of its portfolio company, Primus International, to Precision Castparts. (August 2011)

KPS Capital Partners in the $315 million sale of its portfolio company, Attends Healthcare, to Domtar Corporation. (August 2011)

Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. in its $114 million investment in United Envirotech, a water treatment and recycling solution provider in China. (August 2011)

TPG Capital, Oaktree Capital Management and JH Investments in their $1.2 billion acquisition of Taylor Wimpey’s North American home building business. (July 2011)

Warner Music Group, a portfolio company of Thomas H. Lee Partners, Bain Capital and Providence Equity Partners, in its $3.3 billion sale to Access Industries. (July 2011)

Apollo Global Management in its $560 million acquisition of CKx, a Nasdaq-traded entertainment business that owns the rights to “American Idol” as well as the name and likeness rights of Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali. (June 2011)

General Atlantic in its sale of a majority equity interest in Patni Computer Systems, together with the company’s founders, to iGATE Corporation in a transaction valued at $1.2 billion. (May 2011)

Elliott Associates in its $1.8 billion unsolicited bid for Novell, in addition to its participation in the acquisition of Novell by a consortium. (April 2011)

Centerview Capital Partners in its $5.3 billion acquisition, together with Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Vestar Capital Partners, of Del Monte Foods. (March 2011)

Kohlberg & Co. in its $200 million acquisition of Bauer Hockey from Nike, its acquisition of Maverik Lacrosse and the initial public offering of the combined business. (March 2011)

The Carlyle Group in the sale of 80% of its interest in kbro, Taiwan’s largest cable TV operator, to Wealth Media in a transaction valued at approximately $2.4 billion. (January 2011)

TowerBrook Capital Partners in the $850 million sale of its portfolio company, The Broadlane Group, to MedAssets. (November 2010)

General Atlantic as co-lead investor with Colony Capital in a consortium of private equity investors, in their $1.86 billion acquisition of First Republic Bank from Bank of America. (July 2010)

Harbinger Capital Partners in the combination of Russell Hobbs and Spectrum Brands to form a new global consumer products company with an estimated $3 billion in annual revenues. (June 2010)

Oak Hill Capital Partners in its $1.1 billion sale of Duane Reade to Walgreens. (April 2010)

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