Gary M. Epstein

Gary M. Epstein

Gary heads the global corporate and securities practice of the firm and counsels corporations in all phases of their transactional and financing activities.

He is consistently recognized as a leader in the legal profession by both business and legal industry publications, including Corporate Board Member, Business Leader, The Legal 500 and Practical Law Company's "Which Lawyer?"

Highly ranked by well-known independent legal industry directory Chambers & Partners Guide, (recognized as a "star performer," a category that surpasses a #1 ranking for individual lawyers), clients and peers called him "an extraordinary lawyer who has made his name through hard work, not through marketing" and stated "there is virtually no one like him for big-ticket M&A." (2008 edition of the Chambers USA Guide.) He has also been included in The Best Lawyers in America for the past 24 years.

Named the leader of the firm's corporate and securities practice in 1996, Gary also co-chairs Greenberg Traurig's Israel Practice and often serves as a speaker at conferences and seminars in both the U.S. and Israel.

Areas of Concentration

· Public and private offerings of securities

· Mergers and acquisitions

· Corporate planning

· Financing transactions

· Corporate governance

· Regulatory investigations

Significant Representations

· Represented The Seminole Tribe of Florida and its subsidiary, Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc., in the $1 billion acquisition of Hard Rock International, Inc. and other related entities from The Rank Group Plc, the first purchase of any major international corporation by a Native American tribe.

· Represented IVAX Corporation in its merger with TEVA Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., which created the largest generic drug company in the world.

· Served as issuer's and underwriters' counsel in numerous public offerings.

· Represented issuers and placement agents in numerous private financings and syndicated loans.

· Represented numerous public companies in merger transactions.

· Served as counsel to special committees in acquisition contests.

· Represented RailAmerica in acquisitions and financings that have made it the largest short-line railroad in the world.

· Represented Equity One in its initial public offering, follow-on offerings and acquisitions of other public companies.

· Represented Raymond James and Ryan Beck in numerous public offerings.

· Represented the owner of a professional sports franchise in connection with its sale for the highest cash price ever paid for a sports team.

· Served as lead counsel to the team which represented Broward County, Florida in its negotiation of a $500 million resource recovery project, and in similar capacities for resource recovery projects in other areas, including Puerto Rico.

· Assisted a number of private and public companies through the capital formation process, as well as in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, tender offers and going private transactions.

· Represented Florida East Coast Industries, Inc. in its $3.5 billion merger agreement with Fortress Investment Group LLC.

Professional & Community Involvement

· Former Chairman of the Board, American Israel Chamber of Commerce, Florida

· Former President, Miami Beach Jewish Community Center

Awards & Recognition

· Chairman, team ranked as the No.1 corporate law firm in Miami as selected by corporate directors, in the annual "Legal Industry Research Study" by Corporate Board Member magazine (eighth consecutive year), 2002-2009

· Listed, Legal 500 US, 2008 and 2009

· Ranked, Chambers Global, a directory of the most highly recommended lawyers world-wide, Chambers and Partners, 2008 and 2009

· Ranked in Chambers & Partners USA Guide listing of Florida corporate and securities attorneys in its annual listing of the leading business lawyers and law firms in the world, every edition, 2003-2009, including being named a "Star performer" in 2008

· Listed, Best Lawyers in America, 1985-2009

· Selected by Super Lawyers magazine, 2006-2009

· Recognized as one of "South Florida's Top Dealmakers of the Year in Mergers & Acquisitions," Daily Business Review, 2005

· Listed, "Top Lawyer," South Florida Legal Guide, 2005

· Listed, 2004 - 2009 Legal Elite, Florida Trend magazine, listing of Florida's top attorneys as selected by their peers

· Listed as one of "South Florida's Top Lawyers" by the South Florida Legal Guide, 2002

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