Michael is a partner in Reed Smith’s Global Corporate Group and the former chair of our Global M&A Team. He focuses his practice on acting as corporate counsel to businesses and investors. Michael’s practice includes mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financing transactions, complex joint ventures, recapitalizations and restructurings, licensing transactions, and general corporate counseling. His practice covers a wide range of industries, including health care, manufacturing, financial services, consumer products, food and beverage, telecommunications, and IT/software. He also applies his technical background (including a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University) in the representation of technology companies in intellectual property and information technology agreements. Michael currently acts as outside general counsel to numerous companies.
Michael is a former member of the firm’s Executive Committee.
Experience
Representative matters
Representative matters
Advised The Middleby Corporation (NASDAQ: MIDD) in its acquisition of Flavor Burst.
Represented Calera Capital, a middle market private equity fund, in its platform acquisition of F&I Sentinel, a compliance solutions provider for finance and insurance products.
Represented SPINS LLC, a leading wellness-focused data, analytics and technology provider in the U.S., in its transaction involving a strategic investment from Warburg Pincus.
Advised The Middleby Corporation (NASDAQ: MIDD) in its acquisition of Flavor Burst.
Represented Calera Capital, a middle market private equity fund, in its platform acquisition of F&I Sentinel, a compliance solutions provider for finance and insurance products.
Represented SPINS LLC, a leading wellness-focused data, analytics and technology provider in the U.S., in its transaction involving a strategic investment from Warburg Pincus.
Represented Intermedia.net, a portfolio company of Madison Dearborn Partners that is a provider of cloud-based email, provider and productivity solutions, in several strategic acquisitions.
Represented NaviSite, a portfolio company of Madison Dearborn Partners that is a managed cloud service provider, in its acquisition of PrivoIT, a Premier Consulting Partner in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Partner Network.
Represented Smith & Nephew, a major medical device company, in several strategic acquisitions relating to its development of a cloud-based health care application.
Represented Biomet, Inc., a major medical device company, in its acquisition of Lanx, Inc. (a spinal implant company), and in a corporate divestiture transaction.
Represented FARO Technologies, a manufacturer of high-precision 3-D measurement devices, in multiple strategic acquisitions.
Represented Nelson Global Products, a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners, in its platform acquisition and multiple subsequent acquisitions. Nelson Global Products manufactures exhaust and emissions components for various types of vehicles.
Represented Pacifica Foods, a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners, in its carveout acquisition of a division of Sabra Dipping Company and its acquisition of VanLaw Food Products. Pacifica Foods is a manufacturer of sauces, dressings and other food products.
Represented a private equity fund in the acquisition of a group of physical therapy/occupational therapy clinics and the subsequent disposition of those clinics.
Represented Austin Radiological Association, one of the largest radiology practices, in its sale to Radiology Partners, a portfolio company of New Enterprise Associates.
Represented Greensboro Radiology and Canopy Partners, a large radiology practice and a management services organization, in their sales to Radiology Partners, a portfolio company of New Enterprise Associates.
Represented Citadel Plastics Holdings, Inc., a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners, in multiple acquisitions and its subsequent sale to Huntsman Gay Global Capital. Citadel is a leading manufacturer of specialty plastic compounds.
Represented Ox Engineered Products, a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners, in its add-on acquisition of HomeGuard Products, Inc. Ox Engineered Products is a leading specialty manufacturer of structural sheathing and thermal insulation building products.
Represented Valence Health, Inc., a healthcare services company, in a venture capital financing and recapitalization transaction with North Bridge Growth Equity.
Represented Gehl Foods, a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners, in its initial platform acquisition and multiple add-on acquisitions. Gehl Foods is a manufacturer of aseptic dairy products and other food products.
Represented Hub Insurance, a major insurance broker, in its strategic acquisition of a large insurance brokerage located in the Southwestern United States.
Represented Petmate, a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners, in its platform acquisition and several subsequent acquisitions, and in its sale to a private equity fund. Petmate is a leading supplier of pet-related products to the consumer market.
Represented ExteNet Systems, Inc. in several major transactions, including multiple acquisitions, a large venture capital financing transaction, and a recapitalization transaction. ExteNet constructs and operates distributed antenna systems, which are an alternative to large cellular towers for the provision of wireless bandwidth.
Represented Wind Point Partners in its platform acquisition of Argotec, a manufacturer of polyurethane film and sheet for a variety of applications, including surface protection, medical applications and glass lamination.
Represented VICORP Restaurants, Inc., the operator of the Baker’s Square and Village Inn restaurant chains, in its 363 sale out of bankruptcy.
Represented Novarra, Inc., a developer of transcoding software for mobile devices, in several rounds of venture capital financing and its subsequent sale to Nokia.
Represented a major media company in several joint venture transactions relating to the licensing and commercialization of its brands.
Represented a medical device company in the sale of a portion of its proprietary blood testing technology to a strategic acquiror, and the subsequent licensing of other portions of its technology to the same party.
Represented numerous early stage companies in equity and convertible debt fund-raising transactions.
Represented technology companies in various industries (including software and healthcare) in licensing and technology transfer transactions.
Credentials
Education
Education
- University of Chicago Law School, 1998, J.D., high honors; Order of the Coif, Staff Member, University of Chicago Law Review
- Stanford University, 1991, Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering
- University of Washington, 1984, M.S., Mechanical Engineering
- University of Washington, 1983, B.S., Mechanical Engineering