Private Equity

Our Practice
Individual entrepreneurs and owners, investors, partnerships, joint ventures and corporations, as well as the private equity firms with whom they are engaged, rely on our counsel to facilitate the growth of equity value. We provide timely, pragmatic, and commercial guidance to private equity firms looking to capitalize on market opportunities, strategic buyers seeking to expand their presence, and mid-sized businesses looking for experienced counsel to guide them through the complexities of a transaction.

We handle the full range of transactions related to or flowing from private equity investments, such as acquisitions, asset sales, stock purchases, leverage buyouts, roll-ups consolidating acquisitions within one industry, going private transactions, exchanges of securities, and Private Investment Public Equity deals (“PIPEs”) involving, among other things, private placements with subsequent registration rights.

Our attorneys are involved in the entire deal process: planning tax efficient and strategic structures, managing diligence efficiently, and negotiating complex transaction documents, all while bringing generations of experience to best serve our clients' interests.

Representative Matters
A sampling of our representative transactions includes:

• Represented investor in LBO of packaging solution manufacturer.
• Advised on acquisition of publicly-traded bank by publicly-traded strategic buyer for $160 million in cash.
• Represented private equity sponsor in data storage management software investment.
• Represented private equity investor in product lifecycle management software company investment.
• Advised on sale of privately-held clinical service and technology company to private equity-sponsored strategic buyer.

Responsive, Business-Oriented Counsel
We are well acquainted with the private equity community and we understand its culture. We know the importance of maintaining working relationships among our clients and the professional providers they must work with to make their investments successful, and we know what it takes to make a deal work.

Our service teams bring to clients a collaborative approach and broad training in multiple disciplines that enables them to develop full-picture strategies that account for all the factors present in any business. In addition to our deep experience, clients engage us because we provide:

Superior Personalized Service: Nutter provides clients of all sizes with partner level attention on every project, which yields greater efficiency and value. We understand that speed is critical in commerce and in private equity transactions in particular.

A Pragmatic Approach to Providing Value: Our lawyers focus on delivering value for the investment made in our team. They do not over-lawyer or create extra work, but instead follow a lean, “right-size” staffing model which, with our consistent partner level attention, creates efficiency and controls costs for the client.

Smart Solutions: We care a lot about our clients. Thus, we will candidly tell a client that a deal does not make sense or puts them in jeopardy, even when we stand to gain by doing the legal work. Clients are paying for our best, independent judgment and that is what they get.

Technical Knowledge, Industry Strength
Many of the business lawyers at Nutter hold graduate degrees in technical fields and have worked in technology industries. We can often provide a client with a lawyer who understands the theory and practices of biochemistry, chemistry, electronics, mechanical systems, polymer engineering, molecular pharmacology, physics, or other technical disciplines pertinent to the client’s industry or private equity transaction.

Our attorneys handle significant transactions in every major sector, including manufacturing, high technology, life sciences, banking, insurance, professional services, real estate, energy, chemicals, medical devices and health care. In addition, we have extensive experience in the following fields:

• Analytics
• Biotechnology
• Clean technologies
• Computer hardware and software
• Consumer products
• E-commerce and the Internet
• Food and beverage
• Mobile technology and telecommunications
• New media
• Pharmaceuticals
• Real estate and development
• Robotics

For clients in technology industries, we offer the resources provided by TechLaw Group, Inc., an international network of law firms whose clients are among the world’s technology leaders.

Accolades and Thought Leadership
Active in the private equity community, our lawyers hold leadership roles in numerous organizations, including the Association for Corporate Growth and The Capital Network, publish authoritative pieces on corporate legal practices, and serve as panelists or presenters at continuing legal education programs for the bar.

Our lawyers and practices consistently receive national, state, and metropolitan top-tier rankings from preeminent industry surveys, including Chambers USA and U.S. News & World Report / Best Lawyers, and has been named a “go-to law firm” in The American Lawyer’s survey of Fortune 500 clients.