Ashlie Lawton

H.I.G. Capital (H.I.G.), a leading global alternative investment firm with US$58 billion of capital under management, has announced that one of its affiliates has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Ascent Global Logistics (Ascent or the Company), a leading provider of technology-enabled, expedited logistics, and supply chain solution services from affiliates controlled by Elliott Investment Management L.P. Ascent’s management team will remain shareholders in the Company. Elliott has also agreed to retain a minority stake in the Company. Latham & Watkins LLP represents H.I.G. in the transaction with a corporate deal team led by Los Angeles partner Tana Ryan and Bay Area partner Navneeta Rekhi, with associates Brianna Dollinger and Eirene Kim. Advice was also provided on tax matters by Bay Area partner Katharine Moir, with associate Michael Zucker; on benefits and compensation matters by New York partner Erin Murphy, with associate Ashlie Lawton; on labor matters by Los Angeles partner Joe Farrell; on data privacy matters by Houston/Austin counsel Robert Brown; on real estate matters by San Diego partner Robert Frances and San Diego counsel Aaron Friberg, with associate David Rao; on environmental matters by Washington, D.C. partner James Barrett, with associate Jacqueline Zhang; on intellectual property matters by Bay Area partner Michelle Gross, with associates Caroline Omotayo and Julian Savelski; on antitrust matters by Washington, D.C. partner Ian Conner and Brussels counsel Wesley Lepla, with associate Evan Omi; on export controls matters by Washington, D.C. counsel Andrew Galdes, with associate Allison Hugi; on anti-corruption matters by Washington, D.C. partner Joseph Bargnesi, with associate Ryan Malo; on private equity finance matters by New York partners Stephanie Teicher and Kendra Kocovsky, with associate Michael Wright; and on litigation matters by San Diego partner Colleen Smith, with associate Savannah Reed-Plouffe.~~

Aug 22

1 min

Watts Water Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: WTS) (Watts) – through its subsidiaries, one of the world’s leading manufacturers and providers of plumbing, heating, and water quality products and solutions – has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Josam Company, a leading provider and manufacturer of drainage and plumbing products for over 100 years. Latham & Watkins LLP represents Watts in the transaction with a corporate deal team led by Chicago partner Owen Alexander and Boston partner Stephen Ranere, with associates Alice Bradshaw, Jack DeMeulenaere, and Cyrie Wilson. Advice was also provided on real estate matters by Chicago partner Robert Buday, with associate Karen Ritter; on tax matters by Washington, D.C. partner Nicholas DeNovio, with associates Abigail Friedman and Emmanuel Kassim; on environmental matters by Washington, D.C. partner James Barrett, with associate Brittany Curcuru; on benefits and compensation matters by Washington, D.C. partner Matthew Conway, with associates Ashlie Lawton and Bryce Williamson; on labor and employment matters by Chicago partner Nineveh Alkhas, with associate Jocelyn Wexler; on intellectual property and data privacy matters by Washington, D.C. partner Morgan Brubaker, with associate Lyle Stewart; on insurance matters by Los Angeles partner Drew Levin, with associates Harrison White and Gabby Tavarez; on anticorruption matters by Washington, D.C. partner Kevin Chambers; on export control matters by Washington, D.C. counsel Ruchi Gill, with associate C.J. Rydberg; on government contracts matters by Washington, D.C. partners Dean Baxtresser and Kyle Jefcoat; and on finance matters by New York partner Nicole Fanjul, with associates Tulika Sinha and Amishi Magdani.~~

Dec 13

1 min

Squarespace, Inc. (NYSE: SQSP), the design-driven platform helping entrepreneurs build brands and businesses online, has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to go private by Permira, the global private equity firm, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately US$6.9 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Squarespace stockholders will receive US$44 per share in cash representing a transaction valued at over US$6.6 billion on an equity value basis and approximately US$6.9 billion on an enterprise value basis. Upon completion of the transaction, Squarespace will become a privately held company. Latham & Watkins LLP represents Permira in the transaction with a corporate deal team led by Washington, D.C. partner Brian Mangino, New York partner Amber Banks, and Washington, D.C. partner Mariclaire Petty Brewer, with associates Ross Liemer, Lachlan Sievert, Alex Storozum, Alizah Charaniya, Emilie Cullen, and Kendall Krumme. Advice was also provided on private equity finance matters by Washington, D.C. partners Manu Gayatrinath, Katherine Putnam, and Melissa Frankel Fabian and Washington, D.C. counsel Jonathan Shih, with associate Jennifer Chemtob; on tax matters by Bay Area partner Katharine Moir, with associate Abigail Friedman; on benefits and compensation matters by Washington, D.C. partner David Della Rocca, with associates Ashlie Lawton and Bryce Williamson; on intellectual property matters by Washington, D.C. partner Morgan Brubaker, with associates Ryan Clore, Tyra Richmond, and Caroline Toman Lammon; on antitrust matters by Washington, D.C. partners Amanda Reeves and Katherine Rocco, Brussels partner Héctor Armengod, and Brussels counsel Philipp Studt, with associates Matthew Piehl, Daniel Baker, and Anne-Claire Théry; on anticorruption and trade controls matters by Washington, D.C. partners Kevin Chambers and Barrie VanBrackle and Washington, D.C. counsel Ruchi Gill, with associates Eric Green and Julie Shin; on data privacy matters by Bay Area partner Michael Rubin, London partner Fiona Maclean, and Houston counsel Robert Brown, with associates Dyllan Brown-Bramble and Victoria Wan; on real estate matters by New York partner Dara Denberg, with associate Thomas Ficchi; and on labor matters by New York counsel Sandra Benjamin, with associate Yoojin DeNiro.~~

May 13

1 min

Simpson Thacher is representing Israel Discount Bank Ltd. in its sale of an approximately 15% equity stake in Discount Bancorp, Inc., the parent entity of Israel Discount Bank of New York (IDBNY), to Gallatin Point Capital LLC, in exchange for a $150 million investment. The closing of this transaction is subject to receiving approval from the Bank of Israel and other customary closing conditions.~~IDBNY, the largest Israeli-owned bank operating outside of Israel, is a commercial bank providing a comprehensive range of banking services. It focuses on commercial banking, local private banking, and international private banking, and operates through branches in New York, Florida and California.~~The Simpson Thacher team includes Sven Mickisch, Brian Christiansen, Matthew Nemeroff, Tim Gaffney, Makala Kaupalolo, Humberto Romero Carrillo, Wang Chen and Joseph Pucciarelli (M&A—FIG); Pilar Laitano Ferreira, Yuru (Rita) Fu and Yiran Wang (M&A); Jonathan Goldstein, Eli Shalam and Mohanad Salaimi (Tax); Edgar Lewandowski (Capital Markets); Jamin Koslowe and Ashlie Lawton (Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits); and Lori Lesser (IP).

Aug 14

1 min

Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRTK), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapies for life-threatening diseases and other public health threats, has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Gurnet Point Capital and Novo Holdings A/S in a transaction valued at approximately US$462 million, including the assumption of debt and assuming full payment of a Contingent Value Right (CVR). Debt financing of US$175 million for this transaction will be provided by funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. Latham & Watkins LLP represents Gurnet Point Capital in the transaction with a corporate deal team led by partners Leah Sauter and Peter Handrinos, with associates William Tevlin, Ozden Samur-LaBruna, and Jesse Lake. Advice was also provided on intellectual property matters by partner Chris Hazuka, with associate Arun Mohan; on executive compensation and employee benefits matters by partner Matthew Conway, with associate Ashlie Lawton; on data privacy matters by partner Marissa Boynton, with associates Kiara Vaughn, and Priyanka Krishnamurthy; on equity derivatives by partner Reza Mojtabaee-Zamani, with associate Jack Neff; on tax matters by partner Katharine Moir, with associate Gregory Conyers; on financing matters by partners Haim Zaltzman and Jennifer Kent, on antitrust matters by counsels Patrick English and Wesley Lepla, with associate Denver Dunn; and on regulatory matters by counsel Ruchi Gill.~~

Jun 6

1 min