Private Equity

  • December 18, 2024

    EY Accused Of Aiding Energy Firm's SPAC Fraud

    Big Four accounting firm EY faces a suit alleging that its "unqualified" audit opinions for a United Arab Emirates-based oil storage leasing company enabled the company to defraud investors in its $1 billion 2019 merger with a special purpose acquisition company.

  • December 18, 2024

    Bain Seeks Controlling Stake Despite Fuji Soft Rejection

    Bain Capital is seeking to execute a tender offer for a controlling stake in Fuji Soft despite the Japanese company's decision to proceed with an alternative buyout offer from KKR, stating in a Wednesday presentation that it has "significant concerns" about a Fuji Soft special committee's independence.  

  • December 18, 2024

    Energy Co. Orsted Sells 50% Solar Farm Stake In $572M Deal

    Danish multinational energy company Orsted, advised by Sidley Austin LLP, on Wednesday announced plans to sell a 50% equity stake in three U.S. onshore projects to energy transition-focused investor Energy Capital Partners in a $572 million deal.

  • December 18, 2024

    Insignia Financial Rejects $1.7B Buyout Bid From Bain

    Australia's Insignia Financial said Wednesday it has rejected a nonbinding Bain Capital buyout bid valued at roughly $1.7 billion, stating it does not "adequately represent fair value" for its shareholders. 

  • December 18, 2024

    SiteOne Gets $100M To Advance Non-Opioid Pain Treatments

    SiteOne Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focusing on pain treatment, on Wednesday announced that it clinched a Series C funding round after securing $100 million from investors.

  • December 18, 2024

    Guardian Owner Inks Deal To Sell Observer To Tortoise Media

    The owner of Guardian Media Group said Wednesday that it has formally signed a deal to sell The Observer to online U.K. startup Tortoise Media, in a cash and shares transaction.

  • December 17, 2024

    Del. Justices Won't Revive Investors' $2.4B EV SPAC Deal Suit

    The Delaware Supreme Court has declined to reinstate a proposed class action in the state's Chancery Court that accused a blank-check company of withholding key information from investors ahead of its $2.4 billion go-public deal with electric-vehicle maker Canoo Holdings Ltd.

  • December 17, 2024

    SEC, CFTC Members Eye Crypto Coordination Under Trump

    Republican commissioners at the federal securities and futures regulators told crypto industry participants on Tuesday that they will urge their agencies to collaborate more closely on providing regulatory relief and clarity in the new year as they wait for lawmakers to get long-awaited crypto legislation across the finish line.

  • December 17, 2024

    Drug Co. Investor Sues In Del. Over $140M Insider Windfall

    A pension fund investor in Cerevel Therapeutics Holdings Inc. has sued Bain Capital Investors LLC and other alleged insiders of the company in Delaware's Court of Chancery, accusing them of lining up a secondary offering in the biopharmaceutical venture before disclosure of its planned sale to AbbVie.

  • December 17, 2024

    Fuji Soft Favors KKR Offer Over Higher Bain Bid

    Fuji Soft said in a statement Tuesday that it supports a buyout tender offer from U.S. private equity firm KKR that is worth about $4.15 billion and opposes a competing, higher bid from Bain Capital.

  • December 17, 2024

    Fenwick-Led AI Startup Databricks Nets $10B In Private Round

    Venture-backed Databricks Inc. said Tuesday it raised $10 billion through a private funding that valued the artificial intelligence startup at $62 billion, represented by Fenwick & West LLP, marking the latest sign of investor enthusiasm for AI technology.

  • December 17, 2024

    Slaughter And May, Forsters Steer £6B MoD Buy From PE Unit

    The U.K. government said Tuesday it has agreed to acquire 36,000 military homes from property manager Annington for almost £6 billion ($7.6 billion), to settle legal proceedings and make long-term savings for taxpayers.

  • December 16, 2024

    BNY Scores Exit In Mutual Fund Conflict Of Interest Suit

    A Pennsylvania federal magistrate judge on Monday granted The Bank of New York Mellon's bid to toss a proposed class action claiming that it failed to disclose conflicts of interest when funneling client assets into mutual funds and other investment vehicles that favored the bank, ruling that the claims are preempted by the Securities Litigation Uniform Standards Act.

  • December 16, 2024

    SEC Wants Out Of PE Firm's 'Fishing Expedition' Suit

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has asked a Texas federal judge to toss a suit brought by a real estate-focused private equity fund alleging the SEC subjected it to an unconstitutional "fishing expedition" outside its regulatory purview, arguing that sovereign immunity bars the firm's claims and that the court has no jurisdiction over the case.

  • December 16, 2024

    Honeywell May Split Aerospace Biz Amid Activist Pressure

    Honeywell International Inc. on Monday said it is mulling a separation of its aerospace business, after activist investment firm Elliott Investment Management LP in November pushed for the industrial conglomerate to separate itself into two independent companies.

  • December 16, 2024

    3 Firms Guide Goldman Sachs On Buying Synthon Stake

    The alternative investment arm of Goldman Sachs said Monday that it plans to buy a majority stake in the drugmaker Synthon from British investment firm BC Partners LLP, in a deal that values the Dutch company at a reported €2 billion ($2.1 billion).

  • December 16, 2024

    Gibson Dunn Guides Vera Wang In Sale Of IP To WHP Global

    New York-based brand management firm WHP Global, advised by Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Pryor Cashman LLP, on Monday announced that it has agreed to buy all the intellectual property of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP-advised luxury designer brand Vera Wang.

  • December 16, 2024

    Justices Won't Hear 3rd Circ. CFPB Student Loan Trust Case

    The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday that it would leave in place a lower court decision allowing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to sue securitization trusts over their servicers' treatment of borrowers, declining to take up a challenge to the scope of the agency's enforcement authority.

  • December 13, 2024

    OpenAI Slams Musk's 'Evidence-Free' Bid To Block For-Profit

    OpenAI urged a California federal judge Friday to reject Elon Musk's bid to block the artificial intelligence research organization from transitioning into a for-profit enterprise, scoffing at Musk's assertions of anticompetitive practices and arguing that the injunctive motion is "just another evidence-free effort to harass a competitor."

  • December 13, 2024

    SEC's Corporation Finance Director Gerding To Step Down

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Friday that the head of its Division of Corporation Finance, who oversaw the finalization of controversial new rules covering environmental disclosures and share repurchases, will leave the agency at the end of the year.

  • December 13, 2024

    $15M Deal To End Hemisphere Media Merger Suit OK'd In Del.

    Former public stockholders of Hemisphere Media Group Inc. secured a $15 million Delaware Court of Chancery settlement Friday for claims that former controlling investor Searchlight Capital Partners LP took the media business private in a two-step deal that undervalued the company's remaining shares.

  • December 13, 2024

    Auto Mogul Must Turn Over Note Info In $127M Collection Row

    An auto mogul, his living trust and one of his companies must turn over documents related to a $20 million payment on promissory notes as part of marathon litigation related to Alter Domus LLC's attempts to collect on a $127 million judgment, a Michigan federal judge has ruled.

  • December 13, 2024

    Retirees Say Lumber Co.'s $1.5B Pension Transfer Upped Risk

    A wood product manufacturer violated federal benefits law when it transferred $1.5 billion of pension obligations to a private equity-backed insurance company, substantially increasing the risk that retirees will see their benefits slashed, according to a proposed class action filed in federal court.

  • December 13, 2024

    Off The Bench: PE Buys In On NFL, WWE Abuse Suit Back On

    In this week's Off The Bench, two teams usher in a new era for the NFL by bringing in private equity investors, a suit accusing the WWE and Vince McMahon of sexual abuse and trafficking picks back up while a federal investigation continues, and a private equity giant and NHL owner passes away.

  • December 13, 2024

    Taxation With Representation: Kirkland, Davis Polk, Wachtell

    In this week's Taxation With Representation, Google and TPG Rise Climate partner with Intersect Power, Gen Digital Inc. acquires MoneyLion Inc., Patient Square Capital acquires Patterson Companies Inc., and the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins sell minority ownership shares to private equity firms.

Expert Analysis

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

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    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • 5 Areas Congress May Investigate After GOP Election Wins

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    With Republicans poised to take control of Congress in addition to the executive branch next year, private companies can expect an unprecedented uptick in congressional investigations focused on five key areas, including cryptocurrency and healthcare, say attorneys at Cahill Gordon.

  • Philly's Algorithmic Rent Ban Furthers Antitrust Policy Trends

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    A Philadelphia bill banning the use of algorithmic software to set rent prices and manage occupancy rates is indicative of growing scrutiny of this technology, and reflects broader policy trends of adapting traditional antitrust principles to respond to new technology, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • Predicting Shareholder Activism Trends In New Trump Admin

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    While President-elect Donald Trump has promised tax policies, deregulation and lax antitrust enforcement — which all fuel shareholder activism — a closer look at his first administration's track record suggests that his second presidency might be a mixed bag for activist investors and companies alike, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

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    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • The 3rd-Party Bankruptcy Release Landscape After Purdue

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    In its Purdue Pharma ruling prohibiting nonconsensual third-party releases, the U.S. Supreme Court did not comment on criteria to render a third-party release consensual, opening a debate in the bankruptcy courts on the permissibility of opt-out versus opt-in releases, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Parsing SEC's Emerging Trend Of Section 204A Enforcement

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    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission recently settled with Sound Point Capital Management for violating Section 204A of the Investment Advisers Act, adding to a slew of charges against investment advisers that allegedly failed to safeguard material nonpublic information, say attorneys at Cozen O'Connor.

  • A Look At Grewal's Record-Breaking Legacy After SEC Exit

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    Gurbir Grewal resigned as director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement last month after more than three years on the job, leaving behind a legacy marked by record numbers of penalties and enforcement actions, as well as mixed results in aggressive lawsuits against major crypto players, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

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    As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.

  • Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes

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    Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.

  • Series

    Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

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