Michael Weiner

Partner | Corporate

About

Michael is a member of the Pierson Ferdinand Corporate department. For more than 40 years, he has represented clients ranging from sole proprietorships to publicly held corporations in a wide variety of industries pursuing transactions including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and commercial arrangements.

  • With a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions, Michael has represented both buyers and sellers (strategic and financial, including independent sponsors) in many platform and add-on transactions. Michael also has advised a variety of early stage technology and life science oriented businesses on capital formation, where he has an extensive background handling private placements and venture capital transactions. Michael often fills the role of an “outside general counsel” for early stage and middle market companies, providing advice on business formation, shareholders, partnership and operating agreements, as well as employment agreements and a wide range of commercial agreements, including licensing, supply and distribution agreements.

    Michael has participated in a number of transactions relating to the growing field of on-line gaming, particularly internet access agreements between holders of casino licenses and providers of on-line gaming platforms.


Practices

  • Commercial Transactions

  • Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Private Equity and Venture Capital

  • Securities

  • Hospitality

Admissions

  • New Jersey


Education

  • Case Western Reserve University, J.D. 1980

  • Colgate University, A. B. 1977


Awards and Recognitions

  • Selected to the “Top Deal Maker” list by Business News New Jersey (2002)

Experience

  • FisherBroyles, LLP

  • Reed Smith LLP

  • Pepper Hamilton LLP (now known as Troutman Pepper)

  • Fox Rothschild LLP


Representative Transactions

  • Multiple strategic acquisitions by a publicly held human resources service provider of complementary businesses

  • Multiple strategic acquisitions of brokerage firms and investment advisors by publicly owned insurance industry conglomerates

  • Multiple strategic acquisitions by a privately owned highly regulated provider of certification services to the gaming industry as well as outside counsel regarding possible private equity based investment in the company

  • Multiple strategic acquisitions by a private equity backed provider of court-reporting and other litigation support services

  • Multiple transactions by an international private equity fund, including divestitures and recapitalizations

  • Multiple rounds of venture capital financings (both equity and debt), recapitalizations and multiple strategic acquisitions by a developer of network performance monitoring software

  • Multiple rounds of venture capital financings (both equity and debt) and multiple strategic acquisitions by, and sale through an auction process to a strategic acquirer of, a provider of recordkeeping and administrative services for retirement plans

  • Outside general counsel to a privately owned consumer products company following its emergence from bankruptcy and representation of the company in its sale to a private equity fund through an auction process

  • M&A transaction counsel to an animal health clinical research organization in its sale to an international strategic buyer seeking an entrance point to the United States markets

  • M&A transaction counsel to a specialty steel products manufacturer in its sale to a strategic buyer through an auction process

  • M&A transaction counsel to a specialty chemical manufacturer to a private equity backed strategic buyer

  • Counsel to a private equity fund in multiple control investment transactions

  • M&A counsel to a private equity fund in a platform acquisition of a commercial door manufacturer

  • Counsel to an independent sponsor in its formation and initial investment transaction

  • Organization of a commercial real estate joint venture and related refinancing

  • M&A transaction counsel to a multinational owner and operator of electrical supply houses in its purchase of a regional chain of electrical supply houses

  • M&A transaction counsel to a privately owned Internet-based pharmaceutical market research company in its sale to a publicly held multinational media, advertising and marketing conglomerate

  • Formation of a strategic alliance between a multinational pharmaceutical company and a privately owned developer of proprietary drug delivery systems and related licensing and equity investment transactions

  • Formation of a joint venture between a regional hospital system and a publicly owned owner and operator of health care facilities for the development of multiple ambulatory surgery facilities and related private placement

  • M&A transaction counsel to a manufacturer and distributor of specialty lubricants in its sale to a strategic buyer

  • M&A transaction counsel to a manufacturer and distributor of microscopy instruments and supplies to a private equity fund

  • M&A transaction counsel to a media production company in its sale to a publicly held strategic buyer shortly after the buyer’s completion of a “de-SPAC” transaction

  • M&A transaction counsel to a manufacturer and distributor of spices in its purchase of a strategic target

Presentations and Teaching Experience

  • Frequent participant in panel discussions relating to the mergers and acquisitions marketplace for organizations including the New Jersey Bar Association, Association for Corporate Growth and iGlobal Forum (focused on independent sponsor transactions).


Publications

  • E-book- The Nine Systems Corp. Shareholder Litigation: A Primer in Improper Corporate Governance

  • Practical Advice (pdf files)

  • Cybersecurity: A Concern for Every Business