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Seward & Kissel’s Business Transactions Group (“BTG”) represents domestic and international companies (both private and public), private fund sponsors, investment management firms, financial institutions, business owners and management in connection with their mergers and acquisitions, joint venture, private equity and venture capital transactions.  The BTG also represents special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) and private operating companies in connection with mergers and acquisitions and other business combinations relating to the De-SPAC process.  The BTG is well-renowned for its transactional work in the investment management and maritime industries, and its reputation for excellence extends across a wide array of other industries and sectors, including those listed below.

Attorneys in the BTG regularly collaborate with attorneys from the Firm’s other specialty practice areas to address matters involving tax, securities laws, employment and benefits, antitrust, intellectual property, real estate, litigation and government regulation. Our integrated approach allows us to handle significant legal issues quickly, skillfully and effectively, while providing clients responsive, high-end service. The group is recognized for its ability to provide practical, business-minded solutions for even the most complex transactions, all while protecting our clients’ interests at every turn. Our team is consistently recognized by Chambers USA for Corporate/M&A and recommended by The Legal 500 in the middle-market M&A category.

We advise our clients on middle-market transactions in a wide variety of business sectors and industries, including, but not limited to:

  • Broker-Dealer
  • Business Services (click here to see our B2B Services M&A Deal Points Study)
  • Consumer Goods
  • Education
  • Financial Services
  • Fintech
  • Food and Agriculture
  • Investment Management (on which we publish the IM Deals® blog)
  • Maritime (including Shipping and Offshore Drilling)
  • Media
  • Medical Devices, Healthcare, Biotechnology and Life Sciences
  • Retail and Manufacturing
  • Software and Technology
  • Trade Publishing and Exhibitions
  • Veterinary

Set forth below is a representative list of some of our transactions in such industries.  For more representative deals, please visit the Business Transaction Group Experience page.

Representative Transactions
  • Represented AlTi Global, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTI) in connection with its acquisition of East End Advisors, an OCIO with AUM of approximately $5.6 billion offering customized portfolio management and investment services to UHNW families and foundations.
  • Represented Kennedy Lewis Investment Management LLC, a leading opportunistic credit manager, in connection with its strategic investment from Petershill at Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
  • Represented Dyson Capital Advisors (“Dyson”) in connection with Pathstone’s acquisition of Dyson.
  • Represented GenTrust, LLC, an employee owned SEC-registered investment adviser in connection with the sale of a minority passive interest to Kudu Investment Management, LLC, a provider of permanent capital solutions to independent asset and wealth managers.
  • Represented private equity firm Growth Catalyst Partners in connection with the formation of SilverAssist, a comprehensive senior assistance platform incorporating market-leading information, tech-enabled services, and lead generation serving the elder care market, and the initial acquisitions of Elderlife Financial Services, a financial concierge service helping identify the best way to pay for senior living, Care Changes, a complementary advisory service helping families find senior communities and customized care, and FamilyAssets, an information platform providing education, resources and community listings to help match families with senior living options.
  • Represented private equity firm Growth Catalyst Partners in connection with the launch of Sigma7, a risk services company founded to support large organizations facing today’s dynamic environment of complex risks, and the initial acquisitions of Strategia Worldwide, focused on risk strategy, Paragon, a market leader in risk engineering services, and RWH Myers, forensic accounting and loss recovery experts.
  • Represented USEReady, a strategic data and analytics partner, in connection with its receipt of a growth capital investment from Abry Partners, a Boston based private equity investment firm.
  • Represented The Equine Network, the market leading tech-enabled membership services platform to the U.S. equine industry, in connection with its acquisition of The Horse, a provider of up-to-date, understandable and practical information on equine health, care, management and welfare.
  • Represented Marblegate Asset Management in connection with its strategic partnership with Investcorp.
  • Represented Tiedemann Advisors and TIG Advisors in connection with their business combination with Alvarium Investments Limited and Cartesian Growth Corporation (NASDAQ: GLBL).
  • Represented Global Ship Lease, Inc. (NYSE:GSL), a leading independent owner of containerships, in connection with its acquisition of 12 containerships from Borealis Finance LLC for an aggregate purchase price of $233.9, to be funded with cash on hand, the proceeds of new bank debt, and the issuance of $35.0 million of its existing 8.00% Senior Unsecured Notes.
  • Represented S7 Technology Group, an SSAE 18- audited, value-driven technology firm that provides turnkey, full-service IT solutions and ongoing support to financial institutions, in connection with its sale to Thrive, a premier provider of NextGen Managed Services.
  • Represented Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, a leading opportunistic credit manager, in connection with its strategic partnership with York Capital Management, a global private investment firm, to form a new entity to be called Generate Advisors, LLC that will manage York Capital’s approximately $4 billion Collateral Loan Obligation business and team.
  • Represented FWM Holdings, the parent company of Forbes Family Trust, LGL Partners and Optima Fund Management, in connection with its merger with Stanhope Capital Group, creating one of the world’s largest independent wealth management and advisory firms.
  • Represented Growth Catalyst Partners, a leading middle market private equity firm, and The Equine Network, the market leading tech-enabled membership services platform to the U.S. equine industry, in connection with the acquisition by The Equine Network of Spalding Laboratories, a leading provider of all-natural insect control services.
  • Represented Growth Catalyst Partners, a leading middle market private equity firm, in connection with its acquisition of The Equine Network, the leading provider of proprietary sports content, information, and tech-enabled services to the U.S. equine industry.
  • Represented TIG Advisors in connection with its acquisition from Blackstone of a minority revenue share interest in Arkkan Capital, a Hong Kong-based alternative asset manager with approximately $1 billion of assets under management that focuses on credit and special situations investments across Asia Pacific markets.
  • Represented the co-founders of Constellation Advisers, an industry leading U.S. co-sourced and outsourced investment management services provider, in connection with the sale of Constellation Advisers to investor services group IQ-EQ, a portfolio company of private equity firm Astorg.
  • Represented City of London Investment Group PLC (LSE:CLIG), a London-based global fund manager, in connection with its $99,700,000 share-for-share merger with Pittsford New York-based investment manager Karpus Management, Inc.
  • Represented Tri Print, LLC, a provider of turnkey packaging solutions specializing in premium pressure sensitive labels, shrink sleeves and flexible packaging, serving the personal care, health and beauty, natural products, nutraceuticals, and celebrity branding industries in connection with the sale of the business to Brook & Whittle, a leading provider of sustainable pressure sensitive and shrink sleeve prime labels.
  • Represented Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, a leading opportunistic private credit investment management firm headquartered in New York City, in connection with a sale of a minority equity stake to Azimut Group, one of Europe’s largest independent asset managers, via its U.S. subsidiary Azimut Alternative Capital Partners.
  • Represented Amblyotech, Inc., a US-based digital therapeutics company with a novel digital technology for the treatment of amblyopia, also known as “lazy eye,” in connection with the sale to Novartis, a leading global healthcare company.
  • Represented Belgian-organized oil tanker operator Euronav NV (NYSE:EURN) in connection with its $2 billion merger with New York-based Gener8 Maritime (NYSE:GNRT), creating the leading independent large crude tanker operator in the world with a fleet of 76 operating vessels.
  • Represented Emerging Global Advisors, a New York-based registered investment adviser and a leading provider of smart beta portfolios focused on emerging markets, in connection with its merger with Columbia Threadneedle Investments, the global asset management group of Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE:AMP).
  • Represented Constellation Advisers, LLC, a leading co-sourced and outsourced investment management service provider, in connection with its recapitalization led by private equity sponsor TZP Group.
  • Represented private equity firm Kudu Investment Management, in connection with its minority equity investments in investment management firms Creation Investments Capital Management, Versus Capital Advisors, TIG Advisors, Pennybacker Capital, Warwick Capital, Fair Oaks Capital, Champlain Investment Partners, West End Advisors, EJF Capital and Bingham, Osborn & Scarborough.
  • Represented TOPO Research LLC, a California-based marketing research and advisory firm, in connection with its sale to Gartner, Inc. (NYSE:IT).
  • Represented Scorpio Tankers Inc. (NYSE:STNG), a provider of marine transportation of petroleum products worldwide, in connection with its merger with Navig8 Product Tankers Inc (NOTC: EIGHT), creating the largest U.S.-listed owner of petroleum product tankers with a fully delivered fleet of 105 vessels.
  • Represented UBM plc (LSE:UBM.L), a leading global marketing services and communications company, in connection with dozens of transactions, including its acquisition of trade event producer Content Marketing Institute, and the carveout sale of its electronics media portfolio to an affiliate of Arrow Electronics Inc. (NYSE: ARW).
  • Represented private equity firm iM Global Partner, in connection with its minority stake investments in Dolan McEniry, Dynamic Beta Investments, Polen Capital, Scharf Investments and Sirios Capital Management.
  • Represented Agrifos Partners LLC, a privately-owned development company with expertise in the fertilizer and agriculture sectors, in connection with the sale of its interests in Gulf Coast Ammonia LLC, an agricultural chemical manufacturing company, to a joint venture of Starwood Energy Group Global LLC and Mabanaft GmbH & Co. KG.
  • Represented Ocean Rig UDW Inc. (NASDAQ:ORIG) in connection with its $2.7 billion merger with offshore drilling contractor Transocean Ltd. (NYSE:RIG), creating one of the world’s largest fleets of offshore drilling rigs.
  • Represented Concept Capital Markets, LLC, a leading independent provider of prime brokerage services, in connection with its sale to Cowen Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:COWN).
  • Represented private equity firm BBRC Private Equity in connection with its investments in wellness brand Plant Therapy and in yoga studio operator Hot 8 Yoga.
  • Represented healthcare focused private investment firm Casdin Capital in connection with its investments in dozens of healthcare companies, including as lead investor in equity financings for BioLife Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:BLFS), Codexis, Inc. (NASDAQ:CDXS), Genomatica, Inc., Tenaya Therapeutics, and Magenta Therapeutics, Inc.
  • Represented Emigrant Partners, a subsidiary of New York Private Bank & Trust, in connection with its minority investments in Stratos Wealth Holdings, NorthRock Partners and Autus Asset Management.
  • Represented the GreatVet Group of veterinary hospitals in connection with their sale to Compassion-First Pet Hospitals.
  • Represented London-based Marex Spectron, one of the world’s largest commodities brokers, in connection with its acquisition of the consumer business of Chicago-based broker Rosenthal Collins Group.
  • Represented Precious metals e-retailer APMEX Inc. and alternative asset manager Sprott Inc. (TSX: SII) in connection with the launch of OneGold.com, an online marketplace to buy, sell and redeem digital gold and other precious metals using blockchain technology.
  • Represented Work-Loss Data Institute, a leading provider of health care data and guidelines to the workers’ compensation industry, in connection with its sale to Hearst.
  • Represented PESCM, Inc. in connection with the sale of its California-based veterinary hospital business to Ethos Veterinary Health.
  • Represented Sodali S.p.A., a global leader in shareholder services, in connection with its acquisition of proxy solicitation firm Morrow & Co.
  • Represented Hudson Structured Capital Management in connection with its joint venture with Pangea Logistic Solutions (NASDAQ:PANL) to acquire four newbuilding bulk carriers.
  • Represented ILSC Education Group, a leading provider of location-based English language training for international students, in connection with the recapitalization of ILSC by private equity firm Quad Partners.
  • Represented toy maker ALEX Toys in connection with the sale of its business in a buyout sponsored by private equity firm Propel Equity Partners.