Appleton Papers Inc. - $810 million ESOP buy-out of Arjo Wiggins Appleton P.L.C.; $335 million debt refinancing transaction
Cellular Dynamics International, Inc. - $46 million initial public offering
Duluth Holdings Inc. - $92 million initial public offering
Kohl's Corporation - $1.35 billion registered senior notes offerings; debt tender offer and redemption in 2015 ($1.1 billion) and 2018 ($500 million)
ManpowerGroup Inc. - Acquisition of COMSYS IT Partners, Inc.; Acquisition of Right Management Consultants, Inc.; Euronote offerings
Marshall & Ilsley Corporation - Acquisitions of Mississippi Valley Bancshares, Inc., Gold Banc Corporation, Inc., and First Indiana Corporation; $1.9 billion registered debt offering
Midwest Air Group, Inc. - Defense of hostile offer by AirTran Holdings, Inc.; Subsequent sale to TPG Capital, L.P. This transaction was named the 2008 Mid-Market Deal of the Year by Mergers & Acquisitions magazine.
Renaissance Learning, Inc. - $455 million sale to Permira Funds
NimbleGen Systems Inc. - Initial public offering (withdrawn upon sale of Company to Roche Holdings, Inc.)
Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated - Underwriter's counsel in secondary offering of common stock of Rosetta Stone Inc. and Douglas Dynamics, Inc.
School Specialty, Inc. - Sale to Bain Capital Partners, LLC (terminated); $200 million convertible subordinated debt offering; $517 million convertible subordinated debt exchange; $270 million credit facility refinancing
Shopko Stores, Inc. - Sale to Goldner Hawn Johnson & Morrison Inc. (terminated); Subsequent sale to Sun Capital Partners, Inc.