Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy has added two new partners to the firm’s Global Corporate practice with the arrival of Robert Kennedy and Brien Wassner in the New York office.
Both were previously partners in the New York office of Jones Day.
Kennedy’s practice consists primarily of public and private M&A work, with a focus on private equity transactions, including portfolio company acquisitions and joint ventures. His industry experience is extensive, with a long deal list spanning healthcare, communications, energy, commodities, and financial services. He also advises on corporate governance matters.
Across a 22-year legal career, including 14 as a partner, he has regularly been ranked in the Chambers USA and Best Lawyers in America guides. Kennedy counsels public and private entities on leveraged buyouts, private equity investments, and general corporate matters. Representing funds as well as strategic buyers and sellers, he has advised on leveraged recapitalisations, stock and asset acquisitions and dispositions, and private investments across a variety of industries, including energy, commodities, media, manufacturing, and financial services.
Wassner also works on private equity and public and private M&A, as well as energy and infrastructure deals. His transactional experience is likewise broad, covering consumer products, retail, conventional and renewable energy, utilities, transportation, commodities, life sciences and pharmaceuticals, healthcare, technology, financial services, and media and entertainment. He advises US and international hedge fund, private equity and venture capital investors, as well as financial institutions, start-ups and entrepreneurs in transactions and business combinations including tender offers, auctions, private equity financing, and corporate and securities matters.
The new partners arrive in the midst of a busy season for Milbank’s corporate group, which has recently advised on a number of major M&A and private equity transactions in the US, Europe and elsewhere. The firm recently advised leading commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield Inc. in its stock purchase agreement and merger with DTZ, creating a USD5.5 billion global real estate powerhouse. Milbank also represented German pharmaceutical company Naturwohl Pharma GmbH on the sale of all of its shares to Ireland’s Perrigo; and advised investment banks in the complex USUSD1.4 billion restructuring and merger of Danish shipping concern TORM A/S.
“Our corporate group has been playing its part in the surging M&A market this past year, with large transactions in energy, transportation, hospitality, real estate and other sectors, and we continue to work with many major private equity sponsors and lenders in helping structure financing for large acquisitions and other transactions,” says Milbank Chair Scott Edelman (pictured).
“We are excited to add Bob Kennedy and Brien Wassner to our deal team – they bring outstanding M&A skills and particular prowess in the private equity space, and their combined range across industry segments is stellar,” Edelman adds. “They will enhance and complement our global corporate work, which draws on so many areas of the firm’s strengths, from financial restructurings to leveraged finance, tax, and antitrust expertise.”
Alexander Kaye, New York-based practice group leader of Milbank’s Global Corporate Group, said, “Bob and Brien are accomplished deal advisors with exceptional breadth of transactional experience. They both have excellent backgrounds in cross-border and energy and infrastructure work, which play to Milbank strengths as well. Their talents are perfect for our needs right now and in helping further expand our corporate platform.”
“I have long been aware of Milbank’s eminence in sophisticated financing transactions and the firm’s deep relationships across Wall Street,” Kennedy says. “I have also seen Milbank’s steady growth in M&A and its work on cutting-edge transactions in space and satellite deals, renewable energy, aviation, and other sectors. I am excited by the prospect of harnessing my practice to Milbank for the benefit of our clients and the opportunity to help the firm continue growing on the M&A and private equity front.”
Wassner adds: “Milbank’s financial practices are best in class, while the pace and quality of its transactional work is matched only by the caliber of the firm’s clients, whether on the corporate side or among financial institutions. I see my skill set matching up well at Milbank and am looking forward to helping advance the corporate group in both its domestic and international deal set.”
