Overview
Our firm's Private Equity & Portfolio Company Services group brings together a sizable, multidisciplinary team of attorneys dedicated to serving the full spectrum of private equity relationships. We advise both private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies across the entire investment lifecycle, from fund formation and deal sourcing through acquisition, operation, growth, and eventual exit. Our attorneys combine deep transactional experience with practical, business-oriented judgment, allowing us to serve as a single point of contact for clients navigating complex and fast-moving deals.
We understand that private equity work requires more than technical proficiency in mergers and acquisitions. It demands fluency across corporate, finance, tax, employee benefits, real estate, intellectual property, litigation, and regulatory disciplines, along with the ability to move quickly and decisively when transactions are on tight timelines. Our integrated approach ensures that private equity clients’ investment goals are reached and they receive coordinated, efficient service without having to manage multiple outside advisors or duplicate efforts across practice groups.
Services for Private Equity Sponsors
We represent private equity firms, family offices, and other financial sponsors in connection with:
- Fund formation, including limited partnership structuring, offering documents, and investor negotiations
- Buy-side and sell-side mergers and acquisitions, including platform acquisitions, add-on acquisitions, and divestitures
- Leveraged buyouts and recapitalizations
- Growth equity and minority investments
- Co-investment structuring and syndication
- Fund and portfolio-level financing arrangements
- Management equity plans and incentive compensation structuring at the fund and portfolio company level
- Investment strategies, including industry and market trends
- Exit transactions, including sales, initial public offerings, and secondary buyouts
Services for Portfolio Companies
Once an investment is made, our attorneys are often engaged to continue to support portfolio companies as trusted outside counsel on the full range of matters they encounter as growing businesses, including:
- Ongoing corporate governance and board advisory services
- Add-on acquisitions and integration matters
- Commercial contracting, vendor and customer agreements, and licensing arrangements
- Employment, executive compensation, and benefits matters
- Intellectual property protection and technology transactions
- Real estate leasing and property matters
- Regulatory compliance across applicable industries
- Litigation avoidance, dispute resolution, and risk management
Transactional Support
Our team is structured to support private equity clients at every stage of a transaction, including:
- Due diligence Comprehensive legal review of target companies, including corporate, financial, tax, employee benefits, intellectual property, environmental, and litigation diligence
- Deal structuring Advising on the optimal transaction structure to achieve tax efficiency, liability protection, and alignment with sponsor return objectives
- Negotiation and documentation Drafting and negotiating purchase agreements, credit and financing documents, equity rollover arrangements, and ancillary transaction documents
- Closing and post-closing integration Coordinating closing mechanics and supporting portfolio companies through post-acquisition integration, including harmonizing policies, contracts, and organizational structures
Financing and Capital Markets
We advise private equity clients and their portfolio companies on the financing arrangements that support acquisitions and ongoing operations, including senior and subordinated debt financing, mezzanine financing, unitranche facilities, and other structured finance arrangements. Our attorneys work closely with lenders, agents, and other capital providers to negotiate terms that support our clients' investment and operating objectives.
Regulatory, Tax, and Compliance Counsel
Private equity transactions and portfolio company operations frequently intersect with complex regulatory and tax considerations. Our attorneys advise on:
- Antitrust and regulatory approvals
- Tax-efficient deal structuring, including fund-level and portfolio-level tax planning
- Industry-specific regulatory compliance, including in healthcare, financial services, energy, and technology sectors
- Employee benefits and executive compensation compliance, including ERISA considerations
- Data privacy and cybersecurity matters affecting portfolio company operations
A Coordinated, Multidisciplinary Approach
What distinguishes our Private Equity & Portfolio Company Services group is the breadth and coordination of our team. Because our attorneys work with their colleagues across practice areas on a daily basis, clients benefit from seamless collaboration among corporate, finance, tax, labor and employment, intellectual property, real estate, and litigation attorneys, all working towards a shared understanding of the client's objectives. This collaboration allows us to anticipate issues before they arise, respond efficiently to time-sensitive deal demands, and deliver consistent, high-quality service whether we are advising on a single add-on acquisition or a complex, multi-jurisdictional platform transaction.
Whether you are a private equity sponsor evaluating a new investment or a portfolio company navigating growth, acquisitions, or operational challenges, our attorneys are prepared to serve as a dedicated, responsive, and knowledgeable partner throughout your investment journey.