Mark A. Cognetti

Willkie advised Warburg Pincus and its portfolio company Softeon, a leading provider of warehouse management system software, on the sale of Softeon to IFS, a leading provider of industrial AI software. IFS recently announced that it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Softeon. The strategic acquisition extends IFS's industrial AI capabilities into the warehouse management systems market, creating an integrated platform that connects manufacturing operations seamlessly with intelligent warehouse execution. The Willkie team was led by partner Dvir Oren with associate Jeffrey Lord and included partners Mark Cognetti, Timothy Sullivan and Daniel Lopez and associate Gillian Robbins.

Jan 6

1 min

Willkie advised Warburg Pincus on its acquisition of a minority stake in myKaarma, a leading provider of end-to-end service lane solutions for automotive dealerships, from H.I.G. Growth Partners. On January 14, myKaarma announced a strategic investment from Warburg Pincus. The transaction includes a partial sale by H.I.G. Growth to Warburg Pincus, which will join myKaarma’s Board of Directors, bringing extensive experience scaling middle-market software companies. Warburg Pincus LLC is the pioneer of global growth investing. The firm has more than $100 billion in assets under management, and more than 215 companies in its active portfolio, diversified across stages, sectors, and geographies. The Willkie team was led by partners Mark Cognetti, Dvir Oren and Timothy Sullivan and included associates Nidhi Modani and Maria Clara Castro do Egito Coelho.

Jan 20

1 min

On June 1, Willkie client Lakeside Book Company announced that it acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of Marquis Book Printing, Inc. Marquis is a premier book manufacturer in Canada providing high-quality print services to the publishing and communications industries in Canada, the United States and Europe. With this acquisition, Lakeside will enhance its service offering with access to the Canadian market, while improving lead time and overall service capabilities for small and large publishers alike. Willkie previously advised Atlas Holdings in its acquisition in 2020 of LSC Communications, the book division of which became Lakeside Book Company, and subsequently advised Lakeside Book Company in its acquisition of Phoenix Color Corp. in 2022. The Willkie team was led by partners Steven Seidman, Mark Cognetti and Laura Acker and included associates David Araoz and Ryan Chambers.

Jun 8

1 min

On September 7, Willkie client Warburg Pincus and Prudential Financial, Inc. announced the launch of Prismic Life Reinsurance, Ltd., a licensed Class E Bermuda-based life and annuity reinsurance company. Prudential and Warburg Pincus, together with a group of investors, have agreed to make equity investments in Prismic totaling $1 billion. Prudential and Warburg Pincus will initially own 20% and 15% of the equity in Prismic, respectively. Prudential plans to reinsure to Prismic a block of structured settlement annuity contracts with reserves of approximately $10 billion, subject to the receipt of required regulatory approvals. Prudential intends Prismic to be a strategic reinsurance partner going forward, with PGIM and Warburg Pincus providing asset management services to Prismic. Warburg Pincus is a leading global growth investor with more than $83 billion in assets under management. The Willkie team was led by partners Matthew Stern, Dvir Oren and Mark Cognetti and included partners David Luce, Mark Vandehaar, Arthur Lynch, Guy Inbar and Jordan Messinger.

Sep 13

1 min

On February 1, Axon (Nasdaq: AXON) announced that it acquired Willkie client Fusus, building on the success of the companies’ strategic partnership to provide enhanced real-time community policing solutions. Fusus, a global leader in real-time crime center (RTCC) technology, specializes in aggregating live video, data and sensor feeds from virtually any source, enhancing situational awareness and investigative capabilities for public safety, education and commercial customers. The deal combines Fusus' real-time situational awareness expertise with Axon's innovative public safety technology. The Willkie team representing Fusus and its sellers was led by partners Mark Cognetti and Dvir Oren, and included associates Timothy Sullivan and Ryan Peloquin.

Feb 5

1 min