Page 108 - NYLJ Professional Excellence 2021

DEALMAKERS OF THE YEAR

that can match Davis Polk’s technical department. Our team has advised on shareholders and PIPE investors in
SPAC knowledge and depth of expe- well over 100 SPAC transactions in the SPAC mergers, plus SPAC boards and
rience, that also has the backing of past year, and our work on behalf of placement agents—provides us with
both a corporate department that is the various parties involved—not only a unique 360-degree view of SPAC
preeminent across every one of its issuers and underwriters in SPAC IPOs, transactions that is invaluable to our
practices and a powerhouse litigation but SPACs, private companies, selling clients.

As the pandemic prompted compa-
nies to seek capital to shore up battered
balance sheets, the team advised on
PIPE deals to help companies boost
liquidity.
As markets stabilized and grew, we
advised sponsors on big-ticket invest-
ments, and as the SPAC market heated
up, we advised sponsors on new launch-
es and attractive exit vehicles.

A prospective client calls and asks why
you or your team should be retained.
What is your response? A hallmark of
SIMPSON THACHER & BARTLETT PRIVATE Simpson Thacher is our ability to blend
our collaborative nature and collective
EQUITY PRACTICE: ELIZABETH COOPER, expertise to the benefit of our clients.
Our Private Equity team is comprised
MARNI LERNER AND MICHAEL WOLITZER of world-class lawyers across practice
areas ranging from Fund Formation
Q&A What were some of your deep and varied experience, but also and M&A, to Capital Markets, Banking
truly understand their client’s business
& Finance, Tax, and many other disci-
most satisfying success-
es of the past year, and why? From and long-term goals. Dealmakers who plines, who join together in providing
advising on three of the top five-larg- take this approach to their clients are clients with smart, commercial, creative
est funds raised in the past 17 months best-positioned to anticipate issues, and goal-oriented advice.
and first-of-its-kind fund financings, to provide clients with holistic, commer- Sharing knowledge and collaborating
high-profile, multi-billion-dollar PE deals cially-minded, value-added advice and in creating innovative and pragmatic
and related financings, as well as block- ensure smooth and efficient execution. solutions to clients’ critical commercial
buster strategic exits, we are very proud challenges is natural for us, and extends
of the results we achieved for our PE What recent market factors have been to the way we engage with our clients.
clients. the most challenging in your practice We seek to build long-term rela-
Some of our marquee matters involve area? The pandemic highlighted the tionships with our clients in order to
transactions, fundraisings and ongo- importance of having nimble lawyers develop a deep understanding of their
ing guidance for some of the world’s with extensive, diversified experi- business and objectives and to operate
most sophisticated sponsors, such as ence, enabling them to create tailored, as partners in achieving their goals. The
Apax, Blackstone, Carlyle, CVC, EQT, bespoke solutions for clients to address longevity of our existing client relation-
First Reserve, Hellman & Friedman, evolving markets. We saw this across the ships is testament to the success of this
KKR and Silver Lake, and numerous PE lifecycle over the past year. approach.
middle-market funds and independent As sponsors shifted focus based on
boutique firms. changing markets, the team advised —Responses prepared by Elizabeth
clients seeking to pursue opportunis- Cooper and Marni Lerner, co-heads of
What qualities make a great deal- tic, special situations and distressed Simpson Thacher’s Private Equity M&A
maker? At Simpson Thacher, we believe debt funds and liquidity solutions on Practice, and Michael Wolitzer, head of
that the best dealmakers not only have an expedited basis. the firm’s Investment Funds Practice.

106 October 2021 | Photos: Simpson Thacher