Our M&A practice is both international and domestic and centers around corporate acquisitions, mergers, leveraged buy-outs and related financing transactions; foreign investment in U.S. and non-U.S. businesses (either directly or through joint ventures); and privatization projects and commercial agreements, including distribution, franchise, and technology licensing agreements.  Our firm’s M&A practitioners are highly skilled in developing the optimal legal and investment structures for effecting an acquisition or divestiture, whether it be a stock or asset transaction in order to maximize client value.  We work closely with our tax and regulatory attorneys and colleagues in other specialized areas to mitigate client risk and protect acquired stock or assets, or sale proceeds.

Significant Representations include:

• a European group in its numerous acquisitions and joint ventures with broker-dealer and stock exchange specialist firms
• a European internet service provider in the acquisition of a New York-based internet merchandising company
• North and South American business ventures of a preeminent producer of Italian espresso coffee
• a European group’s acquisition and subsequent restructuring of a California telecommunications and electronics company
• an Argentine bank’s participation in the privatization of Argentina’s largest electric company
• Greenfields construction and acquisitions for a French-based global industrial starch and sweeteners producer
• a South American group in its acquisition of the Argentine and Spanish subsidiaries of a major U.S. pharmaceutical company
• the establishment of a joint venture among U.S., U.K., Spanish and Argentine firms for the creation, production, distribution and marketing of a 24-hour Spanish language television news channel
• participation by a Spanish chemical company in a joint venture with a Chinese government-owned company for the production and worldwide distribution of chemical products
• representation of European and Japanese steel companies in the acquisition of U.S. properties
• representation of a major European tire manufacturer in connection with its U.S. activities
• a French group’s development, construction, financing and operation of waste-to-energy facilities in the United States
• South American investors in their acquisition of a commodity trading group with operations on four continents
• acquisition by a South American pharmaceutical group of certain operations in South America of a major U.S. pharmaceutical and consumer products company
• representation of a Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund in a series of stock acquisitions, mergers, divestitures and a tender offer in the U.S., focused on the manufacturing and health care sectors
• representation of a leading Chinese automobile design company in its acquisition of the assets of two Detroit-based automobile design and engineering companies
• representation of a leading Japanese trading house in a series of stock and asset acquisitions in the U.S. of target businesses in the pulp and paper industry and financial leasing business
• representation of a leading Japanese technology company in its acquisition of a major IT consulting business in the U.S.
• representation of one of the world’s leading civil construction companies based in The Netherlands in the sale of a significant portion of its U.S. civil construction business to a German buyer, and related joint venture arrangements to re-organize the client’s remaining North American civil construction business
• representation of a national branded meat products company in the sale of its non-core baked goods business to a leading NYC-area bakery
• representation of an investor group in acquiring a 25% interest in the largest resort hotel and casino in the Southern Cone (in Punta del Este, Uruguay)
• representation of several national airline carriers in the acquisition of five-star hotels.

As part of our international practice, our firm has long-term relationships with major Brazilian entities which we represent in their activities in the United States and also in numerous foreign countries. We have substantial experience in government contract procurement, compliance and dispute resolution in the U.S. and abroad. In that regard, we have carried out a long-term representation of a leading systems integrator for bridge and lighting toll systems in public bids and government contracts throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Latin America. In the international context, we have represented U.S. and foreign firms in the telecommunications, broker-dealer, material handling, mining, aerospace, defense and other industries in government contracts and public bids throughout Latin America, Europe and Asia.