Marni J. Lerner

Simpson Thacher represented Integrum and Program Productions in connection with financing for a partnership by Program Productions with Rhino Staging, a company that provides specialized stage crews and workforce management for concerts, festivals and sporting events throughout the United States. Rhino Staging is a leading provider of the safest, most proficient professional stage crews for the entertainment industry nationwide. The partnership will further Program Productions’ strategy to assemble best-in-class labor providers who put their employees and customers first.~~Simpson Thacher previously represented Integrum in connection with its partnership with Program Productions. Integrum’s investment will further help Program Productions build on its foundation as a national crewing platform. Program Productions is a leading provider of labor administration, payroll services, and workforce management software and services to sports media companies.~~The Simpson Thacher team for the transaction included: Eli Isak, Abdulyekinni Fasinro and Leandra Kede Yomo (Credit); Marni Lerner, Michael Chao and Quinn Cronan (M&A); Andrew Kofsky and Allison Sutherland (Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits); Marcy Geller, Michael Mann, Ed Grais and Zev Klein (Tax); Courtney Welshimer and Paige Brinton (Intellectual Property); and Dennis Loiacono (Real Estate).

Oct 6

1 min

Simpson Thacher is representing funds managed by KKR in connection with their agreement to acquire Simon & Schuster from Paramount Global for an aggregate purchase price of $1.62 billion in cash. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.~~Simon & Schuster is a global leader in general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for readers of all ages, and in all printed, digital and audio formats.~~The Simpson Thacher team includes Marni Lerner, Naveed Anwar, Jeff Levine, Julia Tory, Kelly Johnson, Luca Tomasi and Jacob Kornman (M&A); Marcy Geller, Sophie Staples, Lina Pan and Elizabeth Trask (Tax); David Rubinsky and Josh Stephens (Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits); Lori Lesser, Kate Mirino, Rachelle Broida and Mark Natividad (Intellectual Property); Patrick Wolff and Ashley Jaramillo (Credit); Krista McManus (Real Estate); and Sara Razi, Preston Miller and Nicholas Ingros (Antitrust).

Aug 8

1 min

Simpson Thacher is representing funds managed by KKR in connection with their agreement to acquire Broadcom Inc.’s End-User Computing Division, in a transaction valued at approximately $4 billion. The transaction, which is subject to receipt of required regulatory approvals and satisfying other customary closing conditions, is expected to close in 2024.~~End-User Computing Division (EUC) is the digital work platform leader, trusted by thousands of organizations worldwide as the former VMware EUC business. The EUC digital work platform unifies, automates, and efficiently scales the digital workspace. The intelligence-driven platform enables IT to deliver a secure and productive experience for all employees, across their devices, efficiently at scale.~~The Simpson Thacher team includes Marni Lerner, Naveed Anwar, Beini Chen, Omar Kanjwal, Si Sun, Ondrej Gaiser-Palecek, and Diana Yen (M&A); Marisa Geiger, Alysha Sekhon, Rachelle Broida, and Sarika Pandrangi (Intellectual Property); Marcy Geller, William Smolinski, and Lina Pan (Tax); David Rubinsky, Linda Barrett, and Matias Botto (Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits); Catherine Burns and Christopher Brown (Credit); Peter Guryan and Max Fischer-Zernin (Antitrust); and Krista McManus (Real Estate).

Feb 26

1 min

Marni Lerner, Co-Head of the Firm’s Private Equity Mergers and Acquisitions Practice, and Michael Wolitzer, Head of Simpson Thacher’s Investment Funds Practice, were quoted in a Law360 article titled, “PE Market Poised To 'Unclog' In 2024, Hopeful Attorneys Say,” which highlighted how private equity attorneys are optimistic that dealmaking and fundraising are poised to pick up in 2024. When discussing what specific sectors to watch in the new year, Michael noted that funds tend to be an indicator of which sectors remain healthy, and that healthcare is one at the forefront of fund and deal activity. He explained, “People seem to want to deploy into that sector in all environments.” Marni added that, if the market and debt financing stabilize, there will be a wave of exits from private equity firms that would foster more deal activity. “In my career, whenever there has been a little bit of a lull or a slowdown, the floodgates always open at some point,” she explained.~~To read the full article, please click here (subscription required).

Mar 1

1 min

Simpson Thacher is representing funds managed by Charlesbank Capital Partners (“Charlesbank”) in connection with its $250 million commitment to Rise Growth Partners (“Rise”) to acquire significant minority stakes in select registered investment advisory (RIA) firms.~~Once invested, Rise will provide these firms with growth capital, hands-on operational guidance and acquisition expertise to fuel their evolutions into the next generation of national wealth management platforms. Rise will focus on acquiring stakes in high-growth RIAs with assets under management ranging from approximately $1 billion to more than $5 billion. Rise intends to announce its select group of initial partner RIAs over the course of 2024.~~The Simpson Thacher team for the transaction includes Lou Argentieri, Marni Lerner and Simon Teich (M&A); David Rubinsky, Meredith Brenton and Guanxiong Xu (Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits); and Sophie Staples and Lina Pan (Tax).

Jan 2

1 min