Mark E. Thierfelder, chair of the New York corporate and securities group, and a member of the Firm’s Policy Committee, concentrates his practice on private equity transactions and domestic and international mergers and acquisitions throughout the U.S., Europe, and Canada. In particular, Mr. Thierfelder represents leading private equity funds and their portfolio companies in a full range of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, leveraged financings, restructurings, and reorganizations. In addition, he negotiates, structures, and executes corporate transactions on behalf of strategic buyers and sellers, and has significant experience representing banks and other institutional lenders in leveraged financings and restructurings.
Mr. Thierfelder has been recognized as a leading corporate and mergers and acquisitions lawyer by the legal directory Chambers USA, where he has been described as “one of the most sophisticated lawyers” who “possesses a command of the entire deal process, has great commercial awareness and a good temperament for negotiating with the other side,” all while he “protects the client.” He has also been listed as a top private equity and mergers and acquisitions lawyer for the past six years by The Legal 500 (U.S.), which has stated that he does a “stellar job” with “very good commercial sense” and that clients “value his advice and his commitment greatly.” He is also a frequent speaker on mergers and acquisitions and other corporate and securities topics, and has been featured on CNBC as well as in The Deal Pipeline, Mergers & Acquisitions magazine, Investment Dealers' Digest, Private Equity Online and other prominent media outlets.
Mr. Thierfelder has extensive industry experience representing clients in sectors including consumer products, energy, infrastructure, retail, media and communications, healthcare, fishing, semiconductors, manufacturing, and food and beverage. As a result, he can anticipate and address industry-unique issues that often arise in the transaction process and structure the transactions efficiently.
Significant Representations
- Connors Bros., L.P., a portfolio company of Centre Partners Management, in its $980 million sale to affiliates of Lion Capital, of its operating subsidiaries comprising the largest branded seafood company in North America, including leading brands such as Bumble Bee® and Clover Leaf®, and affiliates of Centre Partners in the prior $600 million acquisition of Connors Bros. Income Fund.
- DSI Holding, Inc., a portfolio company of Centre Partners Management, in its $690 million sale to DaVita Inc., a publicly-traded company focused on kidney care. Previously represented DSI Holding Company, Inc. and certain of its subsidiaries in connection with a restructuring pursuant to which certain investors invested new capital and the pre-existing debt arrangements were modified including through partial paydown and conversion of debt into equity and equity equivalents of DSI.
- Affiliates of Quilvest in the acquisition of ST Products, LLC, a producer of precision redrawn, small diameter, thin wall copper, and specialty alloy tubes, and in an equity investment in Tiway Oil AS, a private Norwegian company engaged in exploration and production in oil and gas basins in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.
- Affiliates of HIG Capital as the stalking horse bidder in the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Alexander Gallo Holdings, LLC, a privately-owned court reporting and litigation support services company, in connection with the company's Chapter 11 cases.
- Affiliates of Versa Capital Management, Inc. in the acquisition of Canada-based Allen-Vanguard Corporation (TSX: VRS) and the acquisition of Ohio Community Media.
- Gray Energy Investors, LLC, a portfolio company of Centre Partners Management, in connection with the $157.5 million sale of Gray Wireline, a Texas-based energy services company, to Seawell Limited (OSE: SEAW), a Norwegian publicly traded company, and affiliates of Centre Partners in the prior acquisition and subsequent leveraged recapitalization of Gray Wireline Services, Inc.
- Affiliates of CVC Capital Partners in connection with certain aspects of the $4.4 billion bid for i-Shares Ltd. from Barclays Global Investors.
- Mood Media Corporation as US counsel in connection with its $305 million acquisition of Muzak Holdings LLC, a leading provider of “elevator music.”
- Affiliates of Centre Partners Management LLC on the sale of Hyco International Inc. to a subsidiary of German-based Weber-Hydraulik GmbH.
- A private investor in the $45 billion acquisition of TXU Corp. (NYSE: TXU) by Texas Energy Future Holdings Limited Partnership (TEF), a holding company formed by an investor consortium led by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Texas Pacific Group.
- ValueAct Capital in its $3.7 billion acquisition, along with Kelso & Co., GS Capital Partners, and Parthenon Capital, of ADESA, Inc.
- Affiliates of Capricorn Management in the sale of Whitestone Acquisition to Paul Hartmann Corp.
- Firearms Training Systems, Inc. and affiliates of Centre Partners in connection with the sale of Firearms Training Systems, Inc. to Meggitt Plc.
- Affiliates of Centre Partners in connection with their investment in Covenant Care LLC, an operator of 43 long-term care centers in seven states.
- Affiliates of Centre Partners in the acquisition of a controlling stake of Orion International Consulting, a recruiting and permanent placement organization specializing in individuals leaving the military, as well as in Orion’s add-on acquisitions of Cumberland Therapy Services, Inc. and Therapy Staff, Incorporated (TSI).
- Affiliates of Centre Partners in connection with the acquisition, and subsequent sale, of Nexus Gas Partners LLC, a Dallas-based midstream service provider of natural gas gathering, transportation, processing and related pipeline services to natural gas producers, to Regency Energy Partners LP.
- Affiliates of Capricorn Management and affiliates of Harvard Management in connection with the sale of CCC Information Services to affiliates of Investcorp.
- Affiliates of Centre Partners in the acquisition of Den-Mat Holdings, a leader in thin, porcelain veneer systems for smile enhancement.
- Affiliates of Centre Partners and Bumble Bee Seafoods in its business combination transaction with Connors Bros. Income Fund, which was named one of the top 15 Canadian/U.S. cross border deals of 2004.
- A significant investor in the buyout of West Corporation, a leading provider of outsourced communication solutions.
- Affiliates of Centre Partners in connection with the sale of Bravo Sports to affiliates of Swander Pace.
- Affiliates of Centre Partners in the acquisition of Dekko Technologies Inc. and Pent Technologies Inc.
Education
Duke University, B.A., 1986
Rutgers School of Law - Newark, J.D., 1992, With honors, Order of the Coif
Bar Admissions/Qualifications
New York
Memberships
Trustee, National Humanities Center, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
Trustee, Princeton Day School, Princeton, New Jersey