Kenneth E. Young

Private Equity

• Court Square Capital Partners in a number of buyout and/or exit transactions, as well as advising multiple portfolio companies on add-on acquisition, disposition and dividend recapitalization transactions. Recent examples including advising:
  • Court Square Capital Partners in connection with its acquisition of Thrive, a provider of technology managed services, followed by the acquisition of Edge Technology Group by Thrive. Subsequently advised Court Square Capital Partners and Thrive in connection with the recapitalization of Thrive, bringing in Berkshire Partners and Court Square's latest fund.
  • Court Square Capital Partners in connection with the strategic investment in Velosio, a provider of digital transformation services, managed services and managed cloud subscriptions for the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem.
  • Ahead, LLC in connection with its sale to Centerbridge Partners and contemporaneous acquisitions of RoundTower Technologies and Kovarus. Previously advised Court Square Capital Partners in connection with its acquisitions of both Ahead and Data Blue and the subsequent merger of Data Blue with Ahead, both digital transformation service providers.
  • Conterra Networks in connection with Court Square’s initial acquisition and then sale to APG and Fiera Infrastructure.
  • GoEngineer in its acquisition of Computer Aided Technology, Inc.
  • Momentum Telecom in its acquisition of Altus Technology, a provider of cloud-based unified communications solutions.
  • Rocket Software in its US$2 billion sale of a majority stake in the company to Bain Capital Private Equity.
•  KKR on various private equity transactions, including its:
  • Take-private acquisition of mdf commerce, a SaaS leader in digital commerce technologies, in an all-cash transaction.
  • Acquisition of Industrial Physics, a manufacturer of testing and measurement instruments.
• Estancia Capital Partners on numerous transactions, including advising on its:
  • £108 million cross-border minority investment in Flagstone, a UK-based fintech company.
  • Recapitalization of R&T Deposit Solutions, a provider of tech-enabled liquidity management, deposit funding and securities-based lending programs, on a recapitalization, which included a significant investment from GTCR.
  • Acquisition, together with LLR Partners, of Soltis Investment Advisors, LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser with more than US$9 billion of client assets under management.
• Bain Capital on its strategic growth investment in Archwest Capital, a national residential lender specializing in non-owner-occupied residential real estate loan solutions.
  
• Blackstone Tactical Opportunities on a number of transactions including:
  • In its sale of Diamonds Direct USA to Signet Jewelers, the world's largest retailer of diamond jewelry.
  • As an investor in connection with Genstar Capital’s recapitalization of its portfolio company ConnectiveRx.
  • In connection with an equity investment in BTIG, LLC, a US-based financial services firm.
• Precisely, a portfolio company of Centerbridge Partners, in connection with the sale of Confirm to Dude Solutions.
• Acoustic, a portfolio company of Centerbridge Partners, in the sale of Acoustic's unified enterprise payments platform to Market Pay.
• Ahead, a portfolio company of Berkshire Partners, in the acquisition of CDI, LLC, combining two of the market’s fastest growing digital transformation specialists to create a US$3.7 billion global entity.

Financial Services/Asset Management M&A

• T. Rowe Price in its US$4.2 billion acquisition of Oak Hill Advisors, an alternative investment firm with US$53 billion of capital under management across its private, distressed, special situations, liquid, structured credit and real asset strategies.
• Barings, one of the world’s leading investment managers, in connection with its proposed acquisition of Artemis Real Estate Partners, a US$11+ billion real estate investment firm.
• JP Morgan in connection with the acquisitions of FROSCH International Travel, Inc., one of the oldest and most successful corporate and luxury travel agencies in the U.S.; OpenInvest, a leading financial technology company that helps financial professionals customize and report on values-based investments; and Campbell Global, a forest management and timberland investing company.
• abrdn in its acquisition of the U.S. closed-end funds sponsored by Macquarie/Delaware Investments.
• AIG in its acquisition of all the outstanding equity interests of Covenant Credit Partners, LP, an alternative credit manager with a focus on collateralized loan and subsequent sale to Blackstone.
• CoreVest American Finance Lender LLC, a leading nationwide originator and portfolio manager of business-purpose residential loans, in connection with the US$490 million sale of Corevest to Redwood Trust, Inc.
• Horizon Technology Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: HRZN) in the sale of Horizon Technology Finance Management LLC, the investment adviser to Horizon Technology Finance Corporation, to Monroe Capital LLC.
• KKR Credit Advisors, a leading global investment firm, and KKR Income Opportunities Fund (KIO) on KIO’s acquisition of the assets of Insight Select Income Fund.
• Mount Logan Capital Inc. (Cboe Canada: MLC) on its proposed merger with 180 Degree Capital Corp. (Nasdaq: TURN) in an all-stock transaction to establish a US exchange-listed, alternative asset management and insurance solutions platform with over US$2.4 billion in assets under management.
• OHA Investment Corporation (Nasdaq: OHAI), a publicly-traded BDC managed by Oak Hill Advisors, L.P., on its sale to Portman Ridge Finance Corporation (Nasdaq: PTMN), a publicly-traded BDC managed by an affiliate of BC Partners Advisors L.P.
• Business Development Corporation of America (BDCA), an affiliate of Benefit Street Partners LLC, in connection with its acquisition of a controlling interest in Siena Capital Finance LLC.
• Stifel Financial Corp. on various transactions, including in connection with its:
  • Formation of a substantial leveraged lending joint venture and strategic collaboration with Korea Investment & Securities Co., Ltd.
  • Strategic collaboration with and minority investment in LFE Capital, a growth equity firm dedicated to providing capital to women-owned and managed health and wellness businesses.
  • Acquisition of Eaton Partners, LLC, a global institutional placement agency, and in the subsequent launch of Twelve Degrees, a strategic collaboration with RCP Advisors focused on investing in and providing capital solutions to leading emerging and first-time alternative investment fund managers.
  • Acquisition of certain assets of George K. Baum & Company, an industry leader in the structuring, underwriting and marketing of taxable and tax-exempt municipal securities.
• StoneCastle Partners in several transactions, including the:
  • Sale of its subsidiary, StoneCastle Cash Insured Sweep, LLC (d/b/a interLINK), to Webster Financial Corporation’s principle bank subsidiary, Webster Bank, N.A.
  • Sale of the Bank Investment Platform of its affiliate StoneCastle Asset Management to ArrowMark Partners.

Alternative Asset Management Diversification/Capital Markets

• Centerbridge Partners in the formation of Overland Advisors, its strategic partnership with Wells Fargo to launch a private credit platform targeting a minimum of US$5 billion of investable capital, including US$2.5 billion in equity commitments.
• AB Private Credit Investors Corporation, a business development company advised by an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., in connection with capital markets transactions and general corporate matters, including the launch of AB Private Lending Fund (AB-LEND), a public, non-traded, perpetually offered business development company.
• CCT I, CCT II, KKR Credit (US), LLC and affiliated entities in connection with their application for exemption from certain sections of the 1940 Act related to co-investment transactions and various multi-billion dollar equity capital raising transactions.
• Corporate Capital Trust, Inc. (“CCT”), an unlisted BDC with approximately US$5 billion in total assets, as corporate counsel and in connection with its equity capital raise of approximately US$3.3 billion and subsequent listing on the NYSE. 
• CCT in connection with its joint venture with Conway Partners, Strategic Credit Opportunities Partners.
• Corporate Capital Trust II (“CCT II”) in connection with its formation and continuous public offering of up to 275 million shares of common stock for a proposed maximum offering price of approximately US$2.6 billion.
• CNL Financial Group in connection with the registration of an unlisted closed-end fund, The CNL Energy Total Return Fund, in partnership with Riverstone Holdings.
• GoldenTree in connection with its role as sub-adviser to the FS Credit Income Fund, the first investment company role for GoldenTree. 
• KKR in connection with the launch of the KKR Income Opportunity Fund (NYSE:KIO).
• Stifel Venture Corp. in its investment in CM Investment Partners and CM Finance in connection with the initial public offering of CM Finance.
• Stifel Financial Corp. in connection with Stifel Aviation Finance, a series of aircraft specialty finance vehicles.

• Private Equity Buyouts: Large Deals ($500M+) - The Legal 500 United States
• M&A: Large Deals ($1BN+) - The Legal 500 United States
• Highly Regarded: M&A - IFLR1000
• “Most Effective Dealmaker” - The Legal Intelligencer (2024)
• “Financial Services Deal of the Year” The Deal’s Middle Market Awards (2020)
• Rising Star: M&A - IFLR1000 (2016)
• Lawyer on the Fast Track - The Legal Intelligencer (2014)
• 40 Under 40 - M&A Advisor Recognition Awards (2013)
• Rising Star - Law360 (2013)

• Convergence Picks Up Steam - Traditional Asset Managers Join the Game, 2022 Permanent & Private Capital Summit, Dechert LLP – New York, NY (May 24 – 25, 2022)

• PE Heading into 2023: Watching for Pitfalls and Hunting for Opportunity, Dechert Distressed Investing Forum, Dechert LLP - New York, NY (October 27, 2022)

2021

• The Evolution of Private Credit: Strategies Driving Growth and Scale, 2021 Permanent & Private Capital Summit, Dechert LLP - Virtual Conference (June 2-3, 2021)

• Asset Management M&A: Themes & Strategies, Permanent and Private Capital in the Time of COVID-19: Where We've Been and Where We're Going, Dechert LLP - Virtual Conference (August 20, 2020)

• Private Credit Panel, NYU Stern Annual Private Equity & Venture Capital Conference - New York, NY (March 6, 2020)
  

2018

• Challenges of Bolting on a Credit Strategy to Existing Private Equity Platform, PDI's CFOs & COOs Forum - New York, NY (June 20-21, 2018)

• Beyond Traditional Private Equity Investments, NYU Stern Venture Capital & Private Equity Conference - New York, NY (March 2, 2018)

2017

• 3^rd Annual LPGP Connect Private Debt New York, LPGP Connect - New York, NY (May 16, 2017)
  
  
• Capital Raising for Permanent Capital Vehicles 2017 – Innovation in the Face of Change, 2017 Permanent Capital Summit, Dechert LLP - New York, NY (March 08, 2017)
  
  
• Diversifying a Fund Business: Implications of Managing Private Equity Funds, Hedge Funds and Other Alternative Investment Products Alongside Each Other, 18^th Annual International Conference on Private Investment Funds - London, UK (March 6, 2017)

• NYU Stern Venture Capital & Private Equity Conference - New York, NY (March 3, 2017)
  

2016

• Operational Value Creation, Harvard Business School Venture Capital & Private Equity 2016 Conference - Boston, MA (March 5, 2016)
  
  
• BDC Consolidation: The Beginning of a Trend? What’s Driving M&A Activity in the BDC Space?, 2016 Permanent Capital Summit, Dechert LLP - New York, NY (January 26, 2016)
  

2015

• Hot Topics: What Was New in Permanent Capital in 2014, and Why?, Current Trends in Permanent Capital: What Alternative Managers Need to Know Now, Dechert LLP - New York, NY (January 22, 2015)