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Jeff Katz is co-managing partner of the Boston office, a member of the firm’s private capital transactions practice and former head of the firm’s special situations practice. Jeff represents investment funds and family offices in a wide range of traditional and special situation transactions including dispositions, acquisitions, cross-border investments, and joint ventures. Clients rely on Jeff for strategic advice and to lead teams of lawyers and outside professionals to capitalize on complex opportunities. Clients also seek Jeff’s counsel on challenging corporate governance matters. Jeff regularly advises clients in times of crisis and other major events, helping those clients navigate and manage business risk. Jeff has also guided both activist shareholder and public company clients through private and public activist campaigns, including hard-fought proxy contests.
Experience
- Advised a creditor of SVB Financial Group in its diligence of certain estate assets and evaluation of a potential transaction.
- Represented a biotech investment fund in an offer to lead a carve-out of certain assets of a public pharmaceutical company.
- Represented an investment fund in an unwinding of a joint venture business in Mexico.
- Advised the largest equity holder and junior DIP Lender to Yellow Corporation and its affiliates, historically one of the largest less than truckload shipping providers in the United States, in Yellow Corporation’s pending Chapter 11 cases to address approximately $1.2 billion of funded debt obligations, multiemployer pension liabilities, liquidating sale transactions, and wind-down of all operations.
- Advised Silver Point Capital in connection with multiple special situations investments.
- Represented Fidelity Investments in collaboration with Vanguard, Alight Solutions and Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) in creating a consortium of workplace retirement plan recordkeepers, Portability Services Network, LLC, to accelerate the nationwide adoption of auto portability to help America’s under-served and under-saved workers improve their retirement outcomes.
- Represented Radius Health in connection with its proxy contest against Velan Capital and Repetoire Partners and subsequent $890 million sale to a consortium of investors consisting of Gurnet Point Capital and Patient Square Capital.
- Represented a private investment fund in connection with its investment in a joint-venture vehicle for the purpose of sourcing, acquiring, and recovering bundles of certain consumer-based claims.
- Advised Cathexis Investment Management across various private investments.
- Advised a public consumer service company in connection with an activist shareholder and lender, including on the company’s strategy for engaging with the investor.
- Represented HG Vora in connection with its debt and equity investment in a joint-venture vehicle with investments in real estate.
- Advised a significant shareholder, director, and founder of a technology company in connection with board governance matters and a de-SPAC transaction.
- Advised a significant shareholder, director, and founder of a clean technology company in connection with board governance matters.
- Represented Ironwood Pharmaceuticals in its engagement with activist shareholder Sarissa Capital Management.
- Represented a private investment fund in the evaluation and purchase of business interruption insurance claims against various insurance companies.
- Represented a private investment fund in connection with its evaluation and purchase of California wildfire subrogation claims against PG&E.
- Represented a private investment fund in its purchase of assets in connection with the bankruptcy of Westinghouse Electric Company, the U.S.-based nuclear unit of Toshiba.
- Advised TDM Growth Partners, an Australian fund, in connection with its investment in Allbirds, a consumer product and lifestyle company.
- Represented a private investment fund in providing emergency capital to RobinHood, an operator of a financial services app-based cloud platform.
- Advised a university endowment fund with respect to management, acquisitions, and dispositions of assets in a global natural resource portfolio.
- Represented a private investment fund in its investment in a private company serving businesses operating in the cannabis industry.
- Represented HG Vora in connection with its cooperation agreement with Tivity Health (NASDAQ: TVTY), a provider of fitness, nutrition, and social connection solutions.
- Advised HG Vora in connection with its engagement with public REIT LaSalle Hotel Properties on board governance matters.
- Represented OTK Associates, LLC in connection with its proxy contest and board takeover of public company Morgans Hotel Group.
- Represented HG Vora in connection with its engagement with public company Town Sports International on board governance matters.