Robert F. Morwood

Partner

Cincinnati
T +1.513.852.2603
F +1.513.929.0303
New York
T +1.212.847.7038
F +1.212.589.4201

Overview

Rob Morwood is a business attorney who advises publicly traded and privately held companies on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate finance and corporate governance matters. Rob brings a thoughtful and results-oriented approach to helping businesses negotiate and close important transactions, avoid surprises and achieve strategic growth.

Select Experience

  • Represented a media company in its simultaneous, dual-tracked acquisitions of two companies owning four nationally distributed television broadcast networks for $302 million.
  • Represented a media company in its acquisition of majority control of a business research company for an undisclosed amount.
  • Represented a media company in its joint venture with a Japan-based company for the aggregation and curation of news, information and analysis from news entities.
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Experience

  • Represented a media company in its simultaneous, dual-tracked acquisitions of two companies owning four nationally distributed television broadcast networks for $302 million.
  • Represented a media company in its acquisition of majority control of a business research company for an undisclosed amount.
  • Represented a media company in its joint venture with a Japan-based company for the aggregation and curation of news, information and analysis from news entities.
  • Represented a diversifying company in its acquisition of a tracking device manufacturer for an undisclosed amount.
  • Represented a diversified holding company in its acquisition of an entertainment retailer for $60 million.
  • Represented a media company in its acquisition of a multi-platform humor and satire brand for $39 million.
  • Represented a diversified holding company in its acquisition of a carpet manufacturer for $30 million.
  • Represented a hospitality company in its purchase of substantially all of the master license franchise and development rights to certain Wyndham flag brands in Canada for an undisclosed amount.
  • Represented a media company in its acquisition of a leading podcast company for an undisclosed amount.
  • Represented a publicly traded pharmaceutical company in its sale for a total enterprise value of approximately $28 million.
  • Represented a media company in its sale of trade publishing assets for an undisclosed amount.
  • Represented a media company in a complex transaction that transformed two media companies and involved the spin-off and combination/merger of their newspaper businesses to form a new public company, and a combination/merger of their broadcasting businesses (resulting in two separately traded public companies, one focused on broadcast and digital media and the other on newspaper publishing and digital media).
  • Represented a publicly traded utility company in its acquisition of a natural gas infrastructure company for cash and stock valued at $59.2 million.
  • Represented a packaging company in its sale for an undisclosed amount.
  • Represented a media company in its acquisition of two television stations for $110 million.
  • Represented a media company in its acquisition of a digital multisource video news provider for $35 million.
  • Represented a large multispecialty academic physician group in the integration/acquisition of 24 medical/clinical practices.
  • Represented a utility company in the acquisition of propane distribution assets for $24.5 million.
  • Represented a power generation company in going public.
  • Represented a publicly traded oil and gas exploration and production company in public/registered offerings and private placements of common stock for aggregate proceeds of approximately $40 million.
  • Represented an oil and gas exploration and production company in obtaining a senior credit facility for $200 million.
  • Represented an oil and gas exploration and production company in the merger of two public companies.
  • Represented a media company in the sale of its online shopping company for $165 million.
  • Represented a media company in the acquisition of a major broadcasting company (owner of nine television stations) for $212 million.
  • Represented a media company in the restructuring of certain U.S. lifestyle media cable television network subsidiaries and the restructuring of certain UK subsidiaries.
  • Represented a media company in the acquisition of a majority interest in a cable television network for $1.1 billion.
  • Represented a utilities company in the merger of two publicly traded companies.
  • Represented a broadcast television station owner in the sale of two broadcast television stations for $26 million.
  • Represented a media company in its spinoff as a new publicly traded company. 
  • Represented a dental insurance provider in its acquisitions, joint ventures, equity financings, Securities and Exchange Commission reporting/filing, corporate governance, shareholder proposals and strategic planning. 
  • Represented a software company in multiple rollup acquisitions of competitors and private placements of securities.
  • Represented a media company in the sale of a television shopping network for $17 million.
  • Represented a media company in its acquisition of an online shopping company for $525 million.
  • Represented a media company in its acquisition of a cable and satellite television network for $140 million. 
  • Represented a media company in its acquisitions, joint ventures and divestitures involving newspapers. 
  • Represented a media company in the acquisition of an online recipe site. 
  • Represented a media company in the acquisition of a video and photo sharing company. 
  • Represented banks and borrowers in commercial bank loans.
  • Represented issuers in public offerings of common stock and debt securities. 
  • Represented issuers in private placements of securities.
  • Represented underwriters and borrowers in municipal bond financings.
  • Represented issuers and minority holders in equity redemptions. 
  • Represented companies in business formations.

Recognitions and Memberships

Recognitions

  • The M&A Advisor:
    • M&A Deal of the Year (from $200 million to $500 million) (2017); Consumer Discretionary Sector Deal of the Year (over $100 million) (2017). Second Chair in representation of The E. W. Scripps Company’s simultaneous acquisitions of Katz Broadcasting Network and Bounce Media (including four national broadcast television networks: Bounce, Grit, Escape and Laff).
    • M&A Deal of the Year (from $500 million to $1 billion) (2015); Technology, Media and Telecom Sector Deal of the Year (2015). Second Chair in representation of The E. W. Scripps Company’s and Journal Communication Inc.’s spinoff, a combination of their newspaper businesses to form a new public company, and a combination of their broadcast businesses by merging Journal into a wholly owned subsidiary of Scripps.
    • M&A Sector Deal of the Year (from $100 million to $250 million) (2014). Second Chair in representation of The E. W. Scripps Company’s purchase of television station assets from Granite Broadcasting.
    • Sector Deal of the Year (from $100 million to $1 billion) in the Technology, Media and Telecom Category (2012). Member of the deal team in 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) (2010): Member of the deal team in 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.

Memberships

  • American Bar Association: Business Law Section
  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • Cincinnati Bar Association
  • United Way Roebling Society

Admissions

  • Ohio
  • [Not admitted in New York]

Education

  • J.D., The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law, 2003, with honors
  • B.A., The Ohio State University, 1998, summa cum laude