Bissie K. Bonner

Willkie advised Cerity Partners, a leading independent wealth management firm in the U.S., in its combination with Agility, a provider of outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) solutions for endowments, foundations, family offices, corporations, healthcare organizations, and other clientele. On April 8, Cerity Partners announced that it is combining with Denver-based Agility to form Cerity Partners OCIO. The addition of Agility will expand Cerity Partners' capabilities through outsourced chief investment officer services to non-profit organizations, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and family offices. Cerity Partners will manage approximately $100 billion in client assets. Founded in 2009, Cerity Partners is a nationally recognized financial and wealth advisory firm serving high-net-worth individuals and their families, businesses and their leadership teams, and nonprofit organizations. The Willkie team was led by partners Jeffrey Poss and Manuel Miranda and associate Augustine Donati, and included partners Jordan Messinger, Elliot Gluck and Bissie Bonner.

Apr 9

1 min

Simpson Thacher advised KKR, a leading global investment firm, and Global Technical Realty (“GTR”), a multi-billion dollar European built-to-suit data center platform, in connection with KKR’s additional $1.5 billion equity commitment into GTR. In connection with this investment, Oak Hill Capital (“Oak Hill”), a thematic, middle-market private equity firm, will join as an investor in the company, committing approximately $400 million. The new commitments from KKR and Oak Hill will support GTR’s substantial development pipeline, including additional greenfield capacity and new market entries across Europe to meet rising demand for high-performance and power-dense compute and cloud infrastructure. With a growing operating team and multiple projects already in execution, GTR is positioned to scale rapidly across Europe as demand for AI-ready data center capacity continues to accelerate. The Simpson Thacher team consisted of Breen Haire, Katy Lukaszewski, David Bumgardner, Eric Zhi, George Smith and Matt Warren (M&A), David Rubinsky, Caitlin Lucey and Josh Goldman (ECEB); Nancy Mehlman, Yash Rupal and Matthew Lester (Tax); Ron Ben-Yehuda (Intellectual Property); and Dennis Loiacono (Real Estate).

Aug 1

1 min

Private equity shop American Securities on Tuesday announced that it has agreed to sell two of its portfolio companies to U.K.-based Rosebank Industries Plc in a deal that boasts an enterprise value of $3.25 billion and was built by three firms. American Securities is selling CPM Holdings Inc. and ASP MWI Holdings Inc. with its subsidiaries operating under the MW Components brand for $3.05 billion, with a potential earnout payment of up to an additional $200 million, according to a Tuesday statement. American Securities is selling CPM Holdings Inc. and ASP MWI Holdings Inc. with its subsidiaries operating under the MW Components brand for $3.05 billion, with a potential earnout payment of up to an additional $200 million, according to a Tuesday statement. Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP advised CPM, MW Components and American Securities; Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP also advised MW Components, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP advised Rosebank Industries. Headquartered in Blaine, Minnesota, CPM designs and makes highly engineered process equipment and automation systems. It serves a global customer base operating through three main segments: industrial solutions, engineered solutions, and process solutions mainly serving the animal feed, oilseed processing, renewable energy, food, and other industrial markets, according to Tuesday's statement. American Securities first invested in CPM in November 2018. "American Securities has been an outstanding partner," said CPM CEO Dave Webster. "Their deep industrial expertise and active operational engagement enabled us to elevate our customer offering, broaden our capabilities, and further strengthen our organization. We are excited to carry that progress forward as we embark on this new chapter with Rosebank." Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, MW Components makes highly engineered bespoke fasteners, springs, and precision metal components. American Securities first invested in MW Components in 2017, the statement said. "American Securities has played an instrumental role in MW Components' evolution," said MW Components CEO Thomas Amato. "Over the years, American Securities has brought thoughtful guidance and operational rigor to support the company's key growth and strategic repositioning initiatives. Their partnership has positioned MW Components well for continued success in the years ahead." American Securities said it has partnered with both companies to speed up growth, improve operational effectiveness, and strengthen its competitive positioning. "It has been a true privilege to partner with these exceptional management teams," said American Securities Founder and CEO Michael Fisch. "With Dave Webster's leadership at CPM and Tom Amato's leadership at MW Components, both businesses have built durable platforms for sustained success. We are confident that CPM and MW Components are well positioned to build on their momentum and pursue their next phase of growth with Rosebank." For Rosebank, the company said the deal represents the next step in its "buy, improve, sell" strategy for creating shareholder value. "This transaction represents the next step of the Rosebank journey … MW Components and CPM are high-quality businesses with much unrealised potential, and we are confident that our proven approach will unlock substantial value for shareholders," said Rosebank CEO Simon Peckham. "We are grateful for the strong and continued support from our shareholders and look forward to delivering." The Simpson Thacher team advising Rosebank was led by partners Keegan Lopez and Lucy Gillett. The Weil team advising American Securities, MW Components, and CPM was led by partners Ryan Taylor and Michael Lubowitz and included David Avery-Gee and Sarah Flaherty. The Hunton team advising MW Components was led by M&A partners Austin Maloney and Doug Granger.

Mar 3

3 min

The Daily Business Review and Law.com editorial staff, with the help of distinguished members of the Florida legal community, are pleased to announce the shortlist for the 2026 Florida Legal Awards. All honorees will be recognized, and winners of finalist categories announced, at the awards ceremony to be held on April 29 at the JW Marriott Marquis in Miami. We hope to see you there. For tickets and sponsorships, please contact Andre Sutton at andre.sutton@alm.com for more information. While many awards recognize the contributions legal professionals or organizations have made over the past year, our Lifetime Achievement award celebrates the long-term impact that Florida lawyers have made. Congratulations to everyone on the shortlist, and we look forward to celebrating you in April. Lifetime Achievement Winners David Bianchi, Stewart Tilghman Fox Bianchi & Cain Michael A. Haggard, The Haggard Law Firm Joseph Serota, Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman William R. Scherer, Conrad & Scherer Trial Lawyers Attorney of the Year Finalists Jeffrey Bass, Bass Law Kimberly L. Wald, The Haggard Law Firm John Yanchunis, Morgan & Morgan Best Mentors Finalists Lori Adelson, Approved Dispute Resolution Arturo Arca and Christian Rodriguez, Trembly Law Firm Jeffrey Hearne, Legal Services of Greater Miami Pedro E. Hernandez, Hinshaw & Culbertson Marck K. Joseph, The Joseph Firm Kate Lashley, Sidley Austin Allen P. Pegg, Hogan Lovells Martha Rabbitt, Shutts & Bowen Miranda L. Soto, Buchanan Ingersoll and Rooney Construction Trailblazer Finalists Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod Trent Cotney, Adams & Reese Timothy D. Woodward, Shutts & Bowen Cross-Border Disputes Finalists King & Spalding Squire Patton Boggs White & Case Dealmakers of the Year Finalists Matthew Arenson and Eduardo M. Leal, Kirkland & Ellis Francisco Cerezo, DLA Piper David J. Cohen, Weil, Gotshal & Manges Esteban J. Elias, Leech Tishman Joshua B. Forman, Greenberg Traurig Jackson Hwu, Dentons Ira N. Rosner, Holland & Knight Distinguished Leaders Winners Andres Fernandez, Holland & Knight Brian L. Hayden, Jackson Lewis Harry Burnett, King & Spalding Joseph J. Lazzarotti, Jackson Lewis Alison Tanchyk, Morgan Lewis Rick Martin, Winston & Strawn Robin Bresky, Schwartz Sladkus Reich Greenberg Atlas Todd J. Michaels, The Haggard Law Firm In-House Counsel of the Year Finalists Lynn Carrillo, FIFA Gerald Del Amo, Broward Health Nefertari Rigsby, Kaplan North America Evian White De Leon, MIAMI Association of REALTORS Innovators Finalists Kaley Dreyer, Farah and Farah Carl Fornaris, Winston & Strawn Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici, SMB Law Group Marlon Hill, Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman Michael Platner, Lewis Brisbois Stuart Ratzan, Ratzan Weissman & Boldt Charles B. Jimerson, Jimerson Birr Law Firm of the Year Finalists Gastesi Lopez Mestre & Cobiella King & Spalding Morgan & Morgan Litigation Departments of the Year, Construction Finalists Cole, Scott & Kissane Duane Morris Litigation Departments of the Year, General Litigation Finalists Boies Schiller Flexner Greenberg Traurig Holland & Knight King & Spalding Levine Kellogg Lehman Schneider + Grossman Weil, Gotshal & Manges Morgan & Morgan (Personal Injury Department) Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan Ratzan, Weismann & Boldt Litigation Departments of the Year, Insurance Finalists Carlton Fields Hunton Andrews Kurth Litigation Departments of the Year, Products liability/Mass Torts Finalists King & Spalding Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd Managing Partner of the Year (Large and Midsize Firm) Finalists Abbye Alexander, Kaufman Dolowich Beatriz Azcuy, Sidley Austin Dean Cannon, GrayRobinson Albert Dotson, Jr., Bilzin Sumberg Manuel Garcia-Linares, Day Pitney William Lewis, Morgan & Morgan Rick Martin, Winston & Strawn Olga Vieira and Sam Williamson, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan Managing Partner of the Year (Small Firm) Finalists Raul Gastesi, Gastesi Lopez Mestre & Cobiella Patricia M. Hernandez, Avila Law John N. Lambros, Brinkley Morgan Eric Pacifici, SMB Law Group Spencer Payne, Moore Payne Law Maritime Attorney of the Year Winner Elisha Sullivan, Chartwell Law Most Promising Newcomer Finalists Caitlin Calvo, Winston & Strawn Mischaël Cetoute, Holland & Knight Evan Gilbert, Winston & Strawn Briana Harris, Kluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine Emma G. Refuveille, Shutts & Bowen On the Rise Winners (Large & Midsize Firms) Valeria Angelucci, Becker Sara A. Brubaker, Akerman Laura Ferguson, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan Alina M. Fernandez Portela, Hogan Lovells Giovanni Giarratana, Bradley Audrey Goldman, Robinson+Cole Elle Hayes, McDermott Will & Schulte Daniel McQuade, Kirkland & Ellis Axel Miranda, Sidley Austin Isel Perez, Jones Day Mark Pinkert, Holtzman Vogel Tom Schulte, Hunton Andrews Kurth Andrew Ingalls, Day Pitney Matthew R. Maranges, Jones Walker Brian Vaca, Hughes Hubbard & Reed Chanae L. Wood, Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman James R. Williams Jr., Gunster On the Rise Winners (Small Firms) Melissa Bryan, HAWM Law Marcelo Diaz-Cortes, Levine Kellogg Lehman Schneider + Grossman Zachary Gorwitz, Podhurst Orseck Nicole Kruegel, Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa Russell Monilla, Cruz Law Firm Daryl L. Saylor, LashGoldberg Jordan Shaw, Shaw Lewenz David Tarras, Tarras Defense Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Finalists Melanie Kalmanson, Quarles & Brady Ross Linzer, King & Spalding Real Estate Attorney of the Year Finalists Katherine Amador, Berger Singerman Daniel Kaskel, Sachs Sax Caplan Real Estate Firm of the Year Finalists Berger Singerman Bilzin Sumberg Foley Lardner Greenberg Traurig Government Law Group Perez Mayoral Talent Management Winner, Firm The Joseph Firm Talent Management Finalists, Individual Ravin Sahadeo, Morgan & Morgan Andrea DeField, Hunton Andrews Kurth Unsung Heroes Winners Juan Bauta, Simmons Hanly Conroy Carmen Manrara Cartaya, Continental Sharon Caserta, Morgan & Morgan Adam Finkel, The Haggard Law Firm Garrett S. Kamen, Fisher Phillips James Moon, Meland Budwick Elizabeth Somerstein, Greenspoon Marder We hope to see you at the awards ceremony on April 29 at the JW Marriott Marquis in Miami. For tickets and sponsorships, please contact Andre Sutton at andre.sutton@alm.com for more information.

Mar 3

4 min

Willkie is advising WMS Partners, a $6.4 billion multi-family office and registered investment adviser based in Towson, Maryland, in connection with its acquisition by Homrich Berg Wealth Management, a leading Atlanta-based fee-only wealth advisor with offices across the Southeast. On December 11, Homrich Berg Wealth Management announced that it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire WMS Partners. The acquisition will bring Homrich Berg’s total assets under management to over $24 billion and expand its footprint to include 10 offices across five states. Since 1993, WMS Partners has provided a suite of wealth management and family office solutions for high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families, including robust trust and estate planning capabilities and a sophisticated private investments platform. The Willkie team is led by partner Manuel Miranda and includes partners Bissie Bonner and Elliot Gluck and associate Erin Kaufman.

Dec 11

1 min