Private equity investors are among the most sophisticated clients in the business world. They operate in a rapidly changing, complex and highly competitive market. Godfrey & Kahn’s attorneys help the full range of participants – sponsors, investors, lenders, managers and portfolio companies – to navigate the host of legal complexities and provide guidance to reach solutions. Our depth of experience representing privately-held companies, from their founding through an array of potential liquidity events, gives us the business perspective to recommend creative solutions to both equity investors and the companies in which they invest.
We use a team approach so that our clients get the benefit of attorneys with broad transactional experience that will provide creative solutions to complex technical challenges. We draw upon our experience in the areas of finance, securities, real estate, environmental law, tax law, labor and ERISA law, intellectual property law and other specialized areas as appropriate to help our clients assess the value and properly structure their transactions. Our services include:
- Control, non-control and minority investments
- Investments structured as equity, debt and convertible debt
- Growth investments and buy-and-build strategies
- Initial public offerings, strategic dispositions, auction processes and other exit strategies
- Employee stock ownership (ESOP) transactions
- Investments in publicly held vehicles (including SPACs)
- Distressed transactions involving bankruptcy proceedings, out-of-court restructuring and workouts
- Capital raises
- Analyzing the impact of new legislation and market trends on transactions
- Management employment and incentive packages
In addition, Godfrey & Kahn advises private equity investment clients in the creation, structuring and negotiation of a variety of investment vehicles. We address the full spectrum of securities, tax and regulatory issues typically associated with fund formation as well as more specialized matters such as the tax and regulatory concerns associated with foreign investors, pension funds, executive compensation, affiliates of bank holding companies and other regulated investors.
Our broad transactional experience and understanding of the diverse legal, accounting and regulatory issues that investors and funds encounter make us a valuable partner for our clients. Our depth of experience in the transactional area and ability to discern what often drives (positive or negative) value in transactions allow us to provide assistance in designing and implementing our clients' preferred exit strategies, whether by means of a sale, recapitalization, refinancing or an initial public offering. And our Wisconsin footprint allows us to deliver national expertise at smaller market rates.