ProfessionalsJeffrey D. Marell
Tel: +1-212-373-3105
Fax: +1-212-492-0105
jmarell@paulweiss.com
jmarell@paulweiss.com
1285 Avenue of the Americas
New York,
NY
10019-6064
Fax: +1-212-492-0105
A partner in the Corporate Department, Jeff is the Global Co-Head of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice, a member of the Private Equity Group and a former member of the firm’s Management Committee. Jeff is a nationally recognized transactional lawyer who focuses on a range of corporate matters. He has extensive experience representing strategic and private equity clients in the full spectrum of public and private merger and acquisition transactions, including negotiated and contested acquisitions and divestitures, minority investments and carve-out transactions. Jeff’s public company experience also includes numerous activist defense matters and special committee assignments.
EXPERIENCE
Jeff’s notable transactions include representing:
- AR Global in connection with the internalization of management as part of the merger agreement between Global Net Lease and The Necessity Retail REIT
- The special committee of independent directors of the board of directors of Avangrid Inc. in the $2.6 billion take private acquisition of the company by Iberdrola, Avangrid’s controlling stockholder
- Berkshire Partners in its acquisition of FoodChain ID from Paine Schwartz Partners; its acquisition of a majority stake in Harvey Performance Company from Summit Partners; and its investment in Mielle Organics
- Bioverativ in its $11.6 billion sale to Sanofi
- Catalent in the sale of its Blow-Fill-Seal (BFS) Sterile Contract Development and Manufacturing Business to SK Capital Partners
- Charlesbank Capital Partners and Neptune Retail Solutions in Neptune's all-cash take-private acquisition of Quotient Technologies
- CSRA in its $9.7 billion sale to General Dynamics
- The strategic review committee of the board of directors of Frontier Communications in its $20 billion sale to Verizon Communications
- Hemisphere Media Group in its acquisition of the remaining 75% stake in Pantaya from Lionsgate; and in its take-private sale to a subsidiary of Gato Investments, a portfolio investment of Searchlight Capital Partners, including the company's sale of Pantaya to TelevisaUnivision
- IG Group Holdings in its $1 billion acquisition of tastytrade
- The special committee of independent directors of the board of directors of Independence Holding Company in the sale of Independence Holding to Geneve Holdings
- Inspire Brands, a Roark Capital Group portfolio company, in its $11.3 billion acquisition of Dunkin’ Brands Group, the parent company of Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins; and in its acquisition of a majority interest in Jimmy John’s Sandwiches
- JACK Entertainment in transactions aggregating more than $2.5 billion in value, including the sale of various regional gaming assets in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit and Kentucky
- Kraft Heinz in the $3.2 billion sale of its natural, grated, cultured and specialty cheese businesses to Groupe Lactalis
- Magnachip Semiconductor Corporation in its $1.4 billion sale to investment vehicles established by Wise Road Capital and certain of its limited partners (terminated)
- The Medicines Company in its $9.7 billion sale to Novartis
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios in its $8.45 billion sale to Amazon
- National General Holdings in its $4 billion sale to The Allstate Corporation
- The board of directors of New York City REIT in its successful proxy contest against Comrit Investments 1, LP
- The special committee of the board of directors of QAD in its $2 billion sale to Thoma Bravo
- Roark Capital Group in numerous transactions, including:
- its acquisition of Subway Restaurants;
- its acquisitions of Fitness Connection, Great Expressions Dental Centers, Mathnasium and the $1.5 billion acquisition of ServiceMaster Brands businesses of ServiceMaster Global Holdings;
- its investments in The Cheesecake Factory, Divisions Maintenance Group and US Sports Camps; and
- its sale of Solterra Recycling Solutions to Interstate Waste Services;
- Driven Brands, a Roark portfolio company, in its acquisition of International Car Wash Group;
- Focus Brands, a Roark portfolio company, in its acquisition of Jamba Juice; and
- ServiceMaster Brands, a Roark portfolio company, in its acquisition of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK/International
- Rotech Healthcare Holdings in its $1.36 billion sale to Owens & Minor
- Top U.S. homebuilders Chesmar Group, Crescent Communities, Dominion Homes, The Holt Group, Hubble Homes, John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, Oakwood Homes, Orleans Homebuilders, PulteGroup, Stanley-Martin Communities and UCP in various M&A transactions
Jeff’s work has earned him recognition as a leading M&A lawyer in the United States by Chambers and The Legal 500. In 2022, Jeff was featured as one of Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” and in 2021, The American Lawyer named Jeff “Dealmaker of The Year” for his role advising Inspire Brands in its acquisition of Dunkin’ Donuts. Jeff was also featured in Variety's 2021 Dealmakers Impact Report as a "Top Negotiator Behind Mega Deals" for his role advising Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios in its sale to Amazon.
In 2022, Jeff published an article titled, “Dealmaking in Uncertain Times: Strategies for Success,” in NACD BoardTalk, the official blog of the National Association of Corporate Directors.
Jeff was a member of the George Washington Law Review.