Private Equity

Wilson Sonsini provides counsel to leading private equity and growth equity funds, as well as other financial sponsors, in buyout and investment transactions, including: 

• Public company "taking private" or "going private" deals
• Senior and mezzanine transaction financings
• Restructurings and recapitalizations
• Divisional spin-offs and carve outs
• Private investments in public equity (PIPEs)
• Private company buyouts
• Growth and later-stage financings
• Venture capital investments
• Various portfolio company transactions

Wilson Sonsini financial sponsor clients range from some of the world's largest diversified private equity firms to mid-market, industry-focused investment and buyout funds, as well as earlier-stage investment firms.

The firm's private equity clients are sophisticated deal makers who demand creativity, flexibility, differentiated insight, and disciplined and nimble execution from their legal counsel. Our interdisciplinary team of seasoned private equity attorneys in the U.S. and Greater China are experienced at working with financial sponsors in highly competitive markets and the team has consistently helped private equity clients complete successful transactions. The team also draws upon the firm's broad experience in capital markets and debt financing, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property and licensing, corporate governance, tax, employee benefits and compensation, and antitrust and other regulatory matters.

Our objective is to meet the sophisticated needs of financial sponsors involved in buyout and investment transactions, including actionable risk evaluation, downside protection strategies, tax-efficient structuring, and market intelligence. The firm's market-leading experience representing enterprises, also enables Wilson Sonsini to add value to our clients' investments after each deal is completed.

In addition to Wilson Sonsini's accomplished private equity team in the U.S., the firm has developed a strong and thriving practice in Greater China and neighboring regions. The firm's China-based attorneys are recognized experts in U.S. and Hong Kong private equity, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. The team has an outstanding record of advising on private equity-sponsored deals and going-private transactions, including, for example, the first private-equity-sponsored going-private transaction of a Hong Kong-listed company and the first successful private equity investor-led board and management reshuffling of a U.S.-listed Chinese company. 

Wilson Sonsini's established reputation for representing innovative companies in the technology, life sciences, and renewable energy industries puts us in an ideal position to share our insights into market practices and the key value drivers for transactions. The same foundation of experience also enables us to assist clients in the otherwise difficult process of separating technology, intellectual property, personnel, and other assets and liabilities in carve-out transactions. And finally, our experience conducting comprehensive due-diligence analysis facilitates decisive actions aimed at achieving business objectives.