Ariel Deckelbaum is an M&A partner who advises clients on their most challenging, strategic and business-critical transactions. This includes mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, spin-offs, and cross-border and restructuring transactions, as well as other significant corporate matters.
With more than 20 years of experience, Ariel represents public and private companies, private equity and asset management firms, boards of directors, special committees, family offices and high-net-worth individuals and other strategic investors. Chambers USA notes his “diverse industry expertise,” which includes investment management, technology, media, private equity, industrials and manufacturing, consumer products, hospitality and sports.
Prior to joining Ropes & Gray, Ariel was a partner in the New York office of another international law firm.
Experience
Mergers & Acquisitions
Ariel’s recent mergers and acquisitions experience includes numerous high-profile representations, including advising:
- Nippon Steel, Japan’s largest steelmaker, in its $14.1 billion pending acquisition of U.S. Steel.
- TeraWulf Inc. in its business combination with IKONICS Corporation.*
- iStar Inc. in the sale of its net lease business to The Carlyle Group.*
- Advance, a founder and major shareholder of Discovery, in the Reverse Morris Trust transaction that will combine AT&T’s WarnerMedia business with Discovery.*
- Legendary Entertainment in its investment by Apollo.*
- Lehigh Hanson, the U.S. affiliate of HeidelbergCement, in the sale of its U.S. West region business to Martin Marietta Materials and its acquisition of Corliss Resources.*
- Conair Corporation in its sale to affiliates of American Securities and in the sale of its professional liquids division to Transom Capital Group.*
- Altimar Acquisition Corp. II in its combination agreement with Fathom Digital Manufacturing Corporation.*
- InnovaCare Health in its sale to a consortium of investors led by Summit Partners.*
- Xerox Corporation in its terminated combination with Fuji Xerox, a joint venture between Xerox and Fujifilm.*
- Holiday Retirement in its sale by Fortress to Atria Senior Living and Welltower.*
- Ply Gem Holdings in its acquisition by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice.*
- Time Warner Cable in its merger with Charter Communications, its terminated stock-for-stock merger with Comcast, its acquisitions of Insight Communications Company and Navisite, and its separation from Time Warner, among others.*
- Jeffrey Katzenberg in DreamWorks Animation's acquisition by Comcast.*
- TAO Group in the sale of a majority stake to The Madison Square Garden Company.*
- HCP in the spin-off of its HCR ManorCare portfolio into an independent, publicly-traded REIT.*
- HRG Group Inc. in connection with the acquisition of Fidelity & Guaranty Life by CF Corporation.*
- EXOR in its successful unsolicited cash bid for PartnerRe and in its sale of Cushman & Wakefield.*
- RSC Holdings in its merger with United Rentals.*
- Universal American in its acquisition of APS Healthcare, the sale of its Medicare Part D Business to CVS/Caremark and the sale of Universal American to WellCare Health Plans.*
Private Equity and Investment Management
Ariel’s private equity, investment management and other private company representations have included advising:
- General Atlantic in its acquisition of Iron Park Capital Partners, LP for the formation of General Atlantic Credit (GA Credit).*
- Baring Private Equity Asia in its sale to EQT.*
- Oak Hill Capital in connection with a minority investment by Stonyrock and a subsequent secondary investment by Wafra.*
- Oak Hill Advisors in its sale to T. Rowe Price.*
- Fortress in its acquisition of non-technology assets from Colony Capital.*
- Altimar Acquisition Corporation in its business combination with Owl Rock Capital Group and Dyal Capital Partners to create Blue Owl Capital.*
- EagleTree Capital in securing a structured financing investment from affiliates of AlpInvest Partners and Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund Board and minority equity investments from affiliates of Misland Capital and Bullingham Capital.*
- Imagine Entertainment in connection with an investment in the company by The Raine Group.*
- Oak Hill Capital Partners in its investments in Duane Reade and WaveDivision Holdings.*
- Wesley R. Edens and Marc Lasry in their purchase of the Milwaukee Bucks.*
- TowerBrook Capital Partners in its sale of Wilton Brands, its acquisition of J.Jill, and in its investment in Broadlane and subsequent sale to MedAssets.*
- The principals of Fortress in connection with the sale of Fortress Investment Group to SoftBank Group.*
- Avenue Capital Group in its sale of a minority interest to Morgan Stanley.*
- KPS Capital Partners in connection with an investment in KPS by Dyal Capital Partners.*
- Nomura in its minority investment in Fortress Investment Group.*
Cross-Border Representations
Ariel’s cross-border representations have included advising:
- Givaudan in its acquisitions of a portfolio of cosmetic ingredients from Amyris, Custom Essence, Ungerer Industries, the Spicetec Flavors & Seasonings business divested by ConAgra Foods and DDW, The Color House.*
- Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation in various strategic partnerships and investments, including several joint ventures with Vallourec S.A.*
- Itron in the sale of its global gas regulator and European C&I gas metering and stations business to Dresser Utility Solutions.*
- Transtelco in its acquisition of Maxcom Telecomunicaciones.*
- Shaw Communications in the sale of its subsidiary ViaWest to Peak 10 Holding Corporation.*
- Sunovion in its acquisition of Cynapsus Therapeutics.*
- Sky in its acquisition of a 60 percent stake in Jupiter Entertainment.*
- Grupo Salinas in its sale of Iusacell to AT&T.*
- Grupo Posadas in the sale of its South American hotel portfolio to Accor.*
Family Office and High Net Worth
Ariel’s experience advising high-net-worth individuals, families and family offices includes:
- Adam Neumann in the separation from WeWork, the BowX Acquisition Corp. merger with WeWork and the formation of Flow Living.*
- Daniel Humm, of Eleven Madison Park, in the separation from Will Guidara.*
- Richard Laver in the separation from Kate Farms.*
- Larry Gold in the separation from SomaLogic.*
*Prior to joining Ropes & Gray