Kevin Smith
Partner
Kevin is a highly regarded corporate lawyer with over 25 years of experience representing public and private companies, as well as private equity firms, independent sponsors and family offices, in domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, investments, joint ventures, and GP-led secondary transactions, across a range of industries. Kevin is also a trusted advisor to public companies and their boards of directors on securities law, corporate governance, and executive compensation matters.
Key Matters
Some of the experience represented below may have been handled at a previous firm.
U.S. MATTERS
- Represented Leonardo DRS, Inc., a leading defense contractor, in acquisition transactions, including:
- Sale of full ownership of joint venture Advanced Acoustic Concepts (ACC) to Thales Defense & Security, Inc.
- Acquisition of Ascendant Engineering Solutions (AES), a leader in the design, development, and manufacturing of gimbal systems for unmanned aerial systems.
- Strategic investment in Hoverfly Technologies, a designer and developer of tethered drones.
- Acquisition of Daylight Solutions, Inc., the world leader in quantum cascade laser based molecular detection and imaging systems.
- Represented Crowe LLP, a public accounting, consulting, and technology firm, in a carveout sale of its technology-enabled health care consulting business to TPG, a global alternative asset management firm.
- Represented SCM Connections, a leader in technology-enabled supply-chain planning and analytics, in the sale of the company to McKinsey & Company.
- Represented LAACO, Ltd., the owner of the Storage West brand of 59 self-storage facilities (as well as the Los Angeles Athletic Club and the California Yacht Club, in its sale to CubeSmart for approximately US$1.69B.
- Represented 123-year-old Thomas Publishing Company, a leader in product sourcing, supplier selection, and digital marketing solutions, in connection with its US$300M sale to Xometry, Inc.
- Represented a manufacturing conglomerate in M&A, joint venture, and capital markets transactions, including (i) the spin-offs to its shareholders of its automotive, avionics and semiconductor businesses into independent publicly traded companies, (ii) the divestiture of its aerospace and defense business, and (iii) a joint venture with a leading aerospace company for the operation of a major program for NASA.
- Represented a leading industrial automation company in M&A transactions, including the sales of its power systems business and its call center business.
- Represented a leading aerospace and avionics company in acquisition and sale transactions, including (i) the acquisition of an air-ground communications and systems engineering provider, (ii) the acquisition of a global leader in satellite-based communications networks, (iii) the acquisition of a military and commercial avionics simulation business, (iv) the acquisition of a military software application company, (v) the divestiture of its seamless alloy and stainless steel pipes business, and (vi) the divestiture of a research and development center.
- Represented a leading Nasdaq-listed enterprise software company in acquisitions of a virtualization and cloud infrastructure company and an IT consulting firm focused on government IT assets.
- Represented a leading international advertising company in a merger and joint venture transaction in the direct marketing space and its acquisition of a direct response TV agency.
- Represented a Fortune 50 aerospace company in the formation of a joint venture providing satellite and other launch services.
- Represented a leading energy financial services company in the acquisition from a global green energy company of a 49% ownership stake in a portfolio of approximately 50 wind, geothermal, hydropower, and solar energy projects with 1,200 MW of installed capacity in North America, and related joint venture arrangements.
- Represented a developer and a leading financial institution in the sale of a 150 MW development-stage solar photovoltaic electric generating project in California, to a leading solar development company.
- Represented the North American division of a leading global energy company in its acquisition of controlling interests in a 500 MW gas-fired power project in New York.
- Represented a leading automotive supplier in its “merger of equals” transaction with a leading light vehicle automotive supplier, as well as other acquisition and divestiture transactions.
- Represented an industrial manufacturer in the sale of its automotive businesses in several transactions under Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
CROSS-BORDER MATTERS
- Represented Southern Cross Group, a leading Latin American private equity firm, in acquisition and sale transactions in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Panama, including:
- Sale of S.I.N. Implant Systems, one of Brazil’s leading manufacturers of dental implants, to Henry Schein, Inc.
- Investment in Data Horizon Americas, a new Latin America-focused datacenter platform.
- Sale of its majority stake in Colombian port operator, Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Barranquilla, to I Squared Capital.
- GP-led secondary transaction for Southern Cross Latin America Private Equity Fund IV in which Intermediate Capital Group (ITG) was the lead investor.
- Acquisition of Getronics LATAM, an integrated ICT products and services provider for the large enterprise market with operations in Mexico and Colombia, from OpenGate Capital.
- Acquisition of a majority interest in Supermercados Xtra, a retail chain in Panama, and related shareholder arrangements.
- Acquisition of Pétrobras Chile Distribución Ltda., the third largest fuel distribution business in Chile, from Pétrobras.
- Transactions relating to its investment in Ultrapetrol (Bahamas) Limited, a Nasdaq-listed industrial transportation company serving marine transportation needs, and its river and offshore businesses, with operations in South America, including Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.
- Investment in Estrella International Energy Services Ltd., a TSX-listed provider of oil and gas field and geothermal services mainly to the E&P industry in Latin America.
- Sale of its 50% stake in Chilean gas transporter and energy generator GasAtacama to Endesa Chile.
- Represented Terold, a company owned by the Bemberg Family Group, a sixth-generation family business with deep experience in the wine and beverage industry, in its acquisition of a majority stake in California-based WX Brands, a leading global wine company.
- Represented Grupo Vilaseca, a multinational business group dedicated to developing products and services in the packaging, food, real estate, and supplies industries, in connection with its acquisition of Diana’s Bananas, a U.S.-based food company.
- Represented TV Azteca, S.A.B. de C.V., the second-largest media company in Mexico, and Azteca International Corporation in the sale of its U.S. television network to HC2 Network, Inc., a subsidiary of HC2 Holdings, Inc.
- Represented a private equity firm and its global infrastructure fund in its acquisition of a 2,300 MW portfolio of hydroelectric and natural gas generation plants, transmission infrastructure and natural gas processing facilities in Latin America (including Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Central America, and Argentina) from a leading power generation and transmission company.
- Represented a leading Latin American mining company in the sale of its Chilean copper mining operations.
- Represented a Central American packaging company in its acquisition of a U.S. based visual merchandising, packaging, and design company.
- Represented the shareholders of an Argentina-based provider of outsourced channel origination and transmission services in Latin America, in the sale of the company to a U.S.-based portfolio company of a private equity firm.
- Represented one of the largest energy companies in Spain in the sale by its U.S. subsidiary of its natural gas utility businesses in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
- Represented a Spanish infrastructure company in its acquisition of a toll road project in the U.S.
- Represented a leading automotive supplier in the acquisition of a U.K.-based heavy vehicle braking business from a leading U.K. automotive supplier.