Mergers and Acquisitions

Overview

"The firm is highly experienced in mergers, acquisitions and general corporate work. It is incredibly responsive, efficient, and provides practical along with legal advice."

– Chambers USA 2021

Counseling companies and financial sponsors in their domestic and cross-border merger and acquisition transactions (M&A) has been a cornerstone of strength for BakerHostetler since the firm's founding nearly a century ago. Today, more than 100 attorneys in our 17 offices concentrate their practice in M&A, supported by attorneys who concentrate on tax, antitrust, ERISA, labor and employment, real estate, environmental, intellectual property and other disciplines.

Long recognized for our strength in the middle market, we have the experience and sophistication to handle large transactions, with a rate structure and staffing approach that allows us to work on a cost-efficient basis. Learn more about our recent work in the middle market.

We handle a wide range of negotiated and contested transactions for companies of all sizes across a variety of industries including energy, media, technology, manufacturing, technology, healthcare, private equity, banking and finance. We represent U.S. companies investing abroad, as well as non-U.S. companies investing in the U.S. Our international reach is extended by our use of a global network of foreign firms, ensuring our clients are well represented domestically and internationally in multi-jurisdictional transactions. Learn more about our experience in international transactions.

As primary M&A counsel to many of our clients, we bring a unique understanding of their industry and business goals to each and every transaction. Companies we have represented in multiple transactions in recent years include Cardinal Health, Inc., General Electric, CBIZ, Inc., Morgenthaler Private Equity, The Würth Group, FTI Consulting, Inc., The E.W. Scripps Company, Schlumberger, Ltd., Dassault Systemes S.A. and TransDigm Group, Inc., to name a few.

Select Experience

  • Represented The E.W. Scripps Company in its acquisition of two television stations from Granite Broadcasting. This transaction received The 2014 M&A Advisors honor of “Middle Market Deal of the Year (over $100 million to $250 million).”
  • Represented Toronto Stock Exchange listed Cangene Corporation (TO: CANG), the Canadian life sciences heavyweight, in its cross border takeover through arrangement by New York Stock Exchange listed Emergent Biosolutions (NYSE:EMS) for approximately $300 million U.S.
  • Represented The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE:EWS) in connection with its asset purchase of two large key television stations and related market assets from private equity-backed Granite Broadcasting for $110 million and in its all-stock deal in which it acquired private equity-backed Newsy, a digital news platform, for $35 million cash.
  • Represent CBI-MMEER Accommodations Ltd. in its acquisition and financing of two additional multi-use accommodation and construction support jack-up rigs being built by Chinese shipbuilding company Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Offshore, Inc. The transaction, which had an aggregate value close to $500 million, was the second such deal that CBI-MMEER has hired BakerHostetler to represent it on in the past twelve months.
  • Represented TransDigm Group, Inc. in more than 25 acquisitions and dispositions, including the acquisitions of Arkwin Industries for $268 million, of Aerosconic Corporation via tender offer and merger, of AmSafe Global Holdings, Inc. for $750 million, of Schneller Holdings LLC for $288 million, of Harco Laboratories, Inc. for $84 million, and of McKechnie Aerospace for more than $1 billion.
  • Represented The E.W. Scripps Company in its $212 million acquisition of McGraw-Hill Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies. We navigated a competitive bidding process, a 72-hour window in which to conduct negotiations and a strict 90-day deadline to close the deal, which made Scripps the second largest owner of independent ABC television affiliates. This transaction resulted in winning honors as “Sector Deal of the Year (from $100 million to $1 billion)” in the Technology, Media and Telecom category at the 11th annual M&A Advisor Awards.
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Professionals

Name Title Office Email
Partner Cleveland
Associate Dallas
Partner Houston
Partner Cleveland
Corporate Practice Associate
Corporate Practice Associate Dallas
Partner Dallas
Associate Cleveland
Partner Los Angeles
Associate Houston
Partner Dallas
Partner Columbus
Partner Cleveland
Partner Orlando
Partner Houston
Partner Atlanta
Counsel Atlanta
Partner Cleveland
Partner New York
Partner Cleveland
Partner New York
Counsel Dallas
Associate Dallas
Partner Atlanta
Partner Atlanta
Associate Atlanta
Partner Washington, D.C.
Associate Dallas
Partner Orlando
Counsel Cleveland
Partner Atlanta
Associate Cleveland
Partner San Francisco
Associate Los Angeles
Partner Orlando
Counsel Cincinnati
Partner Atlanta
Partner Washington, D.C.
Counsel San Francisco
Partner New York
Associate Cleveland
Counsel Dallas
Counsel Atlanta
Associate New York
Partner Cleveland
Associate Chicago
Partner New York
Partner Dallas
Partner Cleveland
Partner New York
Associate Cleveland
Associate New York
Partner Atlanta
Partner Atlanta
Partner Columbus
Partner Washington, D.C.
Partner Cincinnati
Partner Washington, D.C.
Associate Los Angeles
Counsel Dallas
Partner Cleveland
Of Counsel Atlanta
Partner Chicago
Counsel Dallas
Counsel Houston
Associate Cleveland
Counsel Orlando
Counsel New York
Partner Cleveland
Partner Washington, D.C.
Associate Atlanta
Associate Atlanta
Associate Dallas
Associate Houston
Partner Cleveland
Partner Cleveland
Associate Dallas
Partner Washington, D.C.
Partner New York
Associate Atlanta
Partner Atlanta
Partner Orlando
Partner Columbus
Associate Orlando
Partner Columbus
Partner Cincinnati
Partner Seattle
Partner Chicago
Associate Houston
Partner Cleveland
Partner Cleveland
Associate Costa Mesa
Associate Columbus
Of Counsel Washington, D.C.
Associate Cincinnati
Associate Chicago
Associate Cleveland
Associate Atlanta
Partner Washington, D.C.
Counsel Denver
Corporate Practice Associate
Corporate Practice Associate Dallas
Associate Seattle
Associate New York
Partner Atlanta
Partner New York
Partner Dallas
Partner Washington, D.C.
Partner Columbus
Associate Cincinnati
Partner Los Angeles
Partner Orlando
Partner Washington, D.C.
Partner Dallas
Partner Columbus
Partner Costa Mesa
Partner Chicago
Counsel New York
Partner New York
Partner New York
Partner Cleveland
Associate Orlando
Partner Cleveland
Associate New York
Of Counsel Atlanta
Partner Cincinnati
Partner Cleveland
Partner Dallas
Associate Cleveland
Associate New York
Partner Cleveland
Corporate Practice Associate
Corporate Practice Associate Cincinnati
Associate Atlanta
Partner Columbus
Associate Houston
Associate Washington, D.C.
Partner Cleveland
Partner New York
Partner Houston
Counsel Dallas

Experience

"A strong relationship management approach offering not just legal advice, but business advice."– Chambers USA 2013

  • Represented The E.W. Scripps Company in its acquisition of two television stations from Granite Broadcasting. This transaction received The 2014 M&A Advisors honor of “Middle Market Deal of the Year (over $100 million to $250 million).”
  • Represented Toronto Stock Exchange listed Cangene Corporation (TO: CANG), the Canadian life sciences heavyweight, in its cross border takeover through arrangement by New York Stock Exchange listed Emergent Biosolutions (NYSE:EMS) for approximately $300 million U.S.
  • Represented The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE:EWS) in connection with its asset purchase of two large key television stations and related market assets from private equity-backed Granite Broadcasting for $110 million and in its all-stock deal in which it acquired private equity-backed Newsy, a digital news platform, for $35 million cash.
  • Represent CBI-MMEER Accommodations Ltd. in its acquisition and financing of two additional multi-use accommodation and construction support jack-up rigs being built by Chinese shipbuilding company Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Offshore, Inc. The transaction, which had an aggregate value close to $500 million, was the second such deal that CBI-MMEER has hired BakerHostetler to represent it on in the past twelve months.
  • Represented CBIZ, Inc., a business services company, in numerous transactions, including its sale of its Medical Management Professionals (MMP) unit to its competitor, Zotec Partners, for $202 million. The merger created one of the country’s largest revenue cycle management services companies serving the healthcare industry.
  • Represented the Conflicts Committee of the Board of Directors of Memorial Production Partners LP, a master limited partnership (MLP), in its acquisition of five entities plus additional oil and gas properties from affiliates of Natural Gas Partners for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $606 million, in its $200 million acquisition of properties in Texas and Louisiana between affiliated entities and its acquisition of offshore oil and gas producing properties in Southern California from Rise Energy Partners LP for $271 million.
  • Represented long-standing firm client Blue Point Capital Partners in several recent acquisitions and dispositions, including the sale of all outstanding membership interests in JTM Foods LLC to a newly formed entity controlled by Kainos Capital in a private-equity to private-equity transaction and in connection with its acquisition of a new portfolio company, Hilsinger Holdings, from PNC Equity Partners for approximately $120 million. 
  • Represented another long-time firm client Cardinal Health, Inc. in several confidential acquisitions in the first half of 2014 as well as its $320 million acquisition of AccessClosure, a manufacturer and distributor of extravascular closure devices. 
  • Represented Direct Energy in its acquisitions of Energetix and NYSEG Solutions, both wholly-owned subsidiaries of Iberdola USA, for $100 million and of Bounce Energy, a privately-held retail electricity provider based in Houston, for $46 million in cash plus additional working capital.
  • Represented TransDigm Group, Inc. in more than 25 acquisitions and dispositions, including the acquisitions of Arkwin Industries for $268 million, of Aerosconic Corporation via tender offer and merger, of AmSafe Global Holdings, Inc. for $750 million, of Schneller Holdings LLC for $288 million, of Harco Laboratories, Inc. for $84 million, and of McKechnie Aerospace for more than $1 billion.
  • Represented The E.W. Scripps Company in its $212 million acquisition of McGraw-Hill Broadcasting Company.
  • Represented American Greetings in its going private sale to the Weiss Family for $878 million.
  • Represented US Endoscopy in its sale to STERIS Corporation for $270 million.
  • Represented Sandusky Newspapers, Inc. in its sale of 10 radio stations to Hubbard Broadcasting for $85.5 million.

Recognition

"They're great business lawyers and negotiators—I have tremendous confidence in them and in their legal and business acumen."– Chambers USA 2013

  • Chambers USA:
    • Corporate/M&A ‒ Ohio (2007 to 2020)
    • Corporate/M&A: Highly Regarded ‒ New York (2010 to 2020)
    • Corporate/M&A & Private Equity – Florida (2011 to 2019), North & Central Florida (2020)
  • The Legal 500 United States
    • M&A/Corporate and Commercial – M&A: Middle-Market ($500m-$999m)/(sub-$500m) (2010 to 2020)
  • The American Lawyer's Global Legal Awards
    • Global M&A Deal of the Year: Europe (2016)
    • Represented the Franchise Relationship Committee of the Board of Directors of Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. (CCE) in a highly complex transaction, valued at $18 billion, that combined CCE, Coca-Cola Iberian Partners SA and Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetränke AG to establish Coca-Cola European Partners Plc., a new Western European bottler that is the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottler, based on net revenue.
  • U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” Mergers & Acquisitions Law
    • National (2012 to 2020); Cincinnati (2017 to 2020); Cleveland (2011 to 2020); Columbus (2016 to 2020); Houston (2017 to 2019); Orlando (2016 to 2020)
  • The M&A Advisor
    • “Corporate/Strategic Deal of the Year ($500 million to $1 billion)” 2019 for The E.W. Scripps Company’s acquisition of 15 television stations in 10 U.S. markets from Cordillera Communications.
    • “M&A Deal of the Year ($200 million to $500 million)” 2017 for The E.W. Scripps Company’s simultaneous acquisitions of Katz Broadcasting Network and Bounce Media. This deal also earned the 2017 Consumer Discretionary (over $100 million) sector deal of the year.
    • “M&A Deal of the Year ($500 million to $1 billion)” 2015 for the creation of two separate public companies with The E.W. Scripps Company and Journal Media Group. This deal was also awarded the 2015 “Sector Deal of the Year (Media).”
    • “Middle Market Deal of the Year (over $100 million to $250 million)” 2014 for the acquisition of two television stations from Granite Broadcasting by The E.W. Scripps Company.
    • “Sector Deal of the Year” (from $100 million to $1 billion)” in the “Technology, Media and Telecom Category 2012” for representation of The E.W. Scripps Company’s purchase of McGraw-Hill’s Broadcasting Group.
    • “Middle Market Deal of the Year” (from $100 million to $250 million) from for the sale of Characters Licensing, a subsidiary of Scripps responsible for the licensing of the Peanuts characters, Dilbert, Fancy Nancy, and others to the Iconix Brand Group and family members of the late Charles Schulz.
  • Named in the 2012 edition of India Business Journal's list of leading U.S. law firms doing business in India.
  • Featured as a firm to watch in The Deal magazine.
  • Recognized as one of the top law firms for client service, BakerHostetler was named to the 2020 BTI Client Service 30 for the sixth consecutive year.

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