Mergers and Acquisitions

As one of the foremost corporate law firms in North Carolina, we have a deep roster of accomplished mergers and acquisitions lawyers, with approximately half having come from national and international firms. But we offer far more than technical expertise executing deals; we are distinguished in the value we add through our informed judgment, strategic insight, innovation, creativity and complete commitment to your business success.

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The complexity of the issues involved in corporate transactions, and the significant outcomes hanging in the balance, require not only deep knowledge of the law, but also the sophistication to use that knowledge creatively to negotiate solutions that make the most practical business sense. As trusted advisors, we configure our teams to best suit your needs and are well-equipped to manage such diverse matters as private and public acquisitions of all sizes, leveraged buy-outs, divestitures, joint ventures, strategic alliances, licensing and defensive planning. We guide a wide range of clients at different stages in the business cycle with make-it-or-break-it mergers including start-ups, growing mid-size companies and large corporations. Click HERE to learn more about what strategic buyers can expect in the M&A life-cycle. 

Our Mergers and Acquisitions practice is the sole firm in Raleigh, Greensboro and the surrounding area recognized as "Band One" in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, the highly-regarded publication’s best ranking. Additionally, we have more lawyers individually ranked by this publication than any other practice in the state. Sources who were interviewed by Chambers commented: "It's a first-rate deal team" and "They are incredible. You get the quality of a big city London or New York type of lawyer at local North Carolina rates and with a lot of accessibility."

The Mergers and Acquisitions practice is more than 30-lawyers strong, enabling us to staff each deal with individuals who are hand-picked for the situation. Also on our team are former C-level executives and in-house counsel who add to our perspective and breadth of experience. Our proven expertise and demonstrated ability to seamlessly steer several matters at a time position our firm on par with our national and international competitors, as well as with firms much larger in size. We are proud to help shape the Research Triangle Park as a global marketplace with the characteristic commitment, service and astute capabilities of our firm. 

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Services

• Mergers and acquisitions 
• Product-line acquisitions and divestitures 
• Distressed mergers and acquisitions
• Leveraged buy-outs 
• Going-private transactions 
• Joint ventures 
• Strategic alliances
• Licensing
• International issues 
• Transaction planning and strategy
• Compliance with state and local regulatory requirements 
• Tax, benefits, environmental and other issues

Highlights of our experience include: 

• Advised a multinational Fortune 500 provider of product development and integrated healthcare services in its merger with a NYSE-listed global information and technology services company, creating a leading information and tech-enabled healthcare service provider. The equity market capitalization of the joined companies was more than $17.6 billion at closing.
• Represented privately held distributor and supplier of original automotive equipment and aftermarket replacement products in its merger with a publicly traded leading provider of automotive aftermarket parts and accessories in a transaction valued at $2.04 billion, making it one of the largest transactions in North Carolina history.
• Represented a leading clinical research organization in its divestiture of two lines of business to a leading private equity firm specializing in building market-leading, technology-rich healthcare companies, in the amount of $340 million.
• Represented a publicly traded biotechnology company in the sale of certain assets and license of certain rights related to certain cell therapy platforms, in the amount of up to $227 million of upfront cash and equity plus milestone payments.
• Represented a North Carolina mutual insurance holding company in its merger with a Minnesota mutual insurance holding company, combining two of the nation’s leading providers of medical professional liability insurance in the first-ever merger by a North Carolina-domiciled mutual insurance holding company, resulting in a combined company with over $2 billion in consolidated assets.
• Advised a global semiconductor company on the sale of its radio frequency (RF) product line for $75 million in cash plus stock valued at approximately $60 million.
• Represented a Nasdaq-listed bank holding company in its assumption of all customer deposits and certain other liabilities, and acquisition of substantially all loans and certain other assets, of a bridge bank, as successor to the failed bank subsidiary of a Nasdaq-listed bank holding company, from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, as receiver for the bridge bank.
• Represented the special committee of a publicly traded bank holding company in connection with its $645 million acquisition of another bank holding company.  The transaction was the largest bank holding company merger in the Southeast, and the third largest nationally, in 2014.
• Advised a publicly traded supplier of water and water dispensers in an agreement to acquire by merger a publicly traded competitor for $263 million in cash and stock.
• Advised the world’s largest provider of biopharmaceutical development and commercial outsourcing services in its acquisition of a health-information analytics and technology services company focused on healthcare providers.
• Represented a venture capital funded agricultural biotechnology company in its $400 million acquisition by a European based ag-chemical company.
• Represented a global solid state LED lighting and semiconductor manufacturing company in its $525 million acquisition of an outdoor LED lighting company.
• Represented a publicly traded company and leading provider of end-to-end spend management solutions in its sale of the company to a leading technology-focused private equity firm for approximately $509 million.
• Represented a national multimedia advertising company in its $350 million acquisition of an online advertising company.
• Represented a public specialty pharmaceutical company in its $150 million acquisition of a private specialty pharmaceutical company.

Learn how our firm's Innovation department benefits our M&A clients. Innovation’s core areas of focus include 1) Knowledge Management, 2) directional budgets and cost management and 3) project management, automation and process improvement.