Margaret Isa Butler

Partner

New York
T +1.212.589.4668
F +1.212.589.4201

Overview

Margaret Isa Butler has more than 20 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and private equity, having represented private equity fund managers, institutional investors and family offices across the investment strategy spectrum. She has managed multimillion-dollar and billion-dollar deals, and her experience includes private placements, real estate development projects and limited partner investments, debt and equity co-investments and direct investments. Margaret's background as an investment banker enables her to view all sides of a transaction and develop multifaceted strategies to accomplish clients' goals.

Margaret engages her passion for blockchain and crypto as co-founder and general counsel of cmorq, the mission of which is to empower consumers by giving them easy access to decentralized finance for personal banking through the cmorq app and allowing them to exchange, send and lend crypto to earn passively.

Margaret has been named as a New York Super Lawyer "Rising Star", and she was recently honored by the Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project as a 2021 Dedication to Justice Award recipient.

Select Experience

Legal Practice Focus

  • Leads execution of private equity transactions (acquisitions, co-investments, restructurings).
  • Manages fund formation from start to finish, such as $10 billion Apollo VI and $8 billion Warburg Pincus IX.

Complementary Transactional Skills

  • Designs dynamic financial models
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Experience

Legal Practice Focus

  • Leads execution of private equity transactions (acquisitions, co-investments, restructurings).
  • Manages fund formation from start to finish, such as $10 billion Apollo VI and $8 billion Warburg Pincus IX.
  • Conducts public company M&A, including $1.8 billion sale of Gentiva Health Services Inc. to Kindred Healthcare Inc.
  • Oversees asset manager mergers and acquisitions, such as the sale of AREA Property Partners to Ares Management LLC.
  • Creates real estate joint ventures, including the JV to develop more than $20 billion Hudson Yards in NYC.
  • Negotiates financing transactions, as for KNIC, LLC, developer of the Kingsbridge National Ice Center.
  • Advises on conflicts and other governance issues for funds, corporations and other entities.
  • Counsels family offices and institutional LPs with respect to business and investments.

Complementary Transactional Skills

  • Designs dynamic financial models
  • Conducts valuations of investments, including for delivery of fairness opinions
  • Prepares PPMs, teasers, pitchbooks, market analyses and other marketing materials
  • Negotiates engagement letters and non-disclosure agreements

Recognitions and Memberships

Recognitions

  • Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project: 2021 Dedication to Justice Award Recipient
  • Chambers USA: Real Estate (2017)
  • New York Metro Super Lawyers "Rising Star" (2014)
  • The M&A Advisor "40 Under 40" Award (2013)

Memberships

  • Harvard Club of New York Mergers and Acquisitions Group: Leader
  • New York City Bar Association, Mergers and Acquisitions Committee

Community

  • Columbia Business School
    • Hispanic Business Alumni Club: Co-President
    • Alumni Club of South Florida
    • Private Equity Program: Advisory Board Member (2012 to 2016)

Prior Positions

  • cmorq: General Counsel
  • The Ellsworth Institute: Founder and CEO
  • Jefferies and Company, Technology, Media and Telecommunications Investment Banking

Admissions

  • New York
  • New Jersey

Education

  • J.D., Columbia Law School, 2002; Columbia Law Review, Editor
  • M.B.A., Columbia Law School, 2002
  • B.A., Harvard University, 1996, cum laude

Languages

  • Spanish