John Lynch currently serves as the firm's managing partner and is a practicing member of the Business Transactions and Finance Practice Groups. He has developed a transaction-oriented corporate and commercial practice, regularly representing both buyers and sellers in structuring, negotiating, financing, and documenting sophisticated business acquisition and sale transactions. Mr. Lynch's practice involves working with investment banks, accounting firms, and other professional advisors to provide integrated professional services to the firm's clients engaging in merger and acquisition transactions. In addition to his corporate practice, he represents both lenders and borrowers in a variety of commercial finance transactions. These transactions regularly include the representation of lenders in structuring and documenting asset-based financings, the representation of agents and participants in both secured and unsecured syndicated credit facilities, and the representation of lenders and borrowers in a variety of leveraged buyout transactions. In addition to his transactional practice, Mr. Lynch regularly represents corporate clients on matters of governance, shareholder relations, employee matters, and general contracting issues. His clients have included public and large private corporations, financial institutions, sovereign tribal nations, health care providers, and small business ventures. Professional Associations - American Bar Association, Business Law Section, 1984 to present - Connecticut Bar Association, Business Law and Banking Sections, 1984 to present - Connecticut Business & Industry Association, 2010 to present, Board of Directors - Connecticut Bar Foundation, James W. Cooper Fellow, 2011 Community Involvement - Hartford Stage Company, Board of Directors - U.S. Law Firm Group, Trustee - MetroHartford Alliance - Leadership Greater Hartford Honors and Awards - Ranked in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business in the state of Connecticut in the area of Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions for 2011 - Listed in Connecticut Super Lawyers® in the area of Mergers & Acquisitions Law for 2006 and 2008 to 2011/2012 (Super Lawyers is a registered trademark of Key Professional Media, Inc.) - Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the area of Corporate Law since 2007, listed in the area of Mergers and Acquisitions for 2012 (Copyright 2011 by Woodward/White, Inc., Aiken, SC) Experience - Represented a fast-growing specialty food manufacturer in a bid auction sale process resulting in a sale to a subsidiary of the world's leading producer of cereal and convenience foods. Robinson & Cole worked closely with the client's investment bankers in advising the board of directors throughout the process. The transaction was successfully consummated as a forward triangular merger following Hart-Scott Rodino Act clearance. - Represented Stacy's Pita Chip Company (Stacy's) and its shareholders in connection with the sale to PepsiCo, Inc. of all of the stock of Stacy's and the real property of a related limited liability company. - Part of the team of Robinson & Cole lawyers serving as deal counsel to The Ensign-Bickford Company in the worldwide business combination of two commercial explosives industry leaders. The combination involved the negotiation and preparation of multiple agreements as well as negotiations with state and federal agencies for certain regulatory approvals and a full-scale legal due diligence investigation of over fifty related entities. The combined company will have sales in excess of $900 million. - Represented a large multi-industry holding company in the closing of a complex multiple step transaction involving the acquisition of four companies and other tangible and intangible assets from a Japanese-owned international conglomerate and the simultaneous spin-off of one the acquired companies to a strategic buyer. The firm provided representation in all aspects of the transaction, including participating in the bid process, performing a comprehensive due diligence investigation, and negotiating the transaction documents involved in both the acquisition and the subsequent spin-off. - Representation of a national bank concerning multilender senior secured credit facility involving revolving and mortgage term loans. - Representation of agent/lender in a multilender senior credit facility for a chain supermarket. - Representation of an aerospace and defense manufacturer in acquisition through reverse triangular merger of a company in the laboratory services industry. - Represented Ensign-Bickford Industries, Inc., in its acquisition of DanChem Technologies, Inc., a custom manufacturer of fine and specialty chemical products. The seller, American Capital, Ltd., is a publicly traded private equity firm and global asset manager. - Represented Internet company in sale of business and financial restructuring transaction with strategic acquiror. - Represented large waste hauling company in $200 million-sale of business and assets to Fortune 500 company. - Represented an international explosives company in the sale of the business and assets of its film fibers division. - Represented an international explosives company in the sale of a U.S. subsidiary's business and assets pursuant to a bid offer process. - Represented large international pharmaceutical company in connection with its divestiture of the intellectual property and tangible assets of an operating subsidiary. - Represented manufacturing facility in connection with the purchase of a 400-acre downhole munitions facility and office building. Federal Tax Representation - Represented a leading industrial packaged gas company in the sale of its business through a bid auction process. Our representation involved drafting the shareholder proxy materials (including tax disclosure). The transaction was structured as a taxable reverse triangular merger. Publications & Presentations Presentations - "The Art & Science of Buying & Selling an Oilheat Business," copresented with Gray, Gray & Gray LLP (2003) at the 2003 New England Fuel Institute Convention - "Creative Credit Lines for Dealers" (1999) presented at the 1999 Convention of the New England Fuel Institute - "How to Get a Good Deal: Buying, Selling or Financing an Oil Business" (1996) presented at the 14th Annual Oil Heat Conference News 10.20.11, Managing Partner Encourages Pro Bono Work at Summit 6.29.11, Three Robinson & Cole Attorneys Elected James W. Cooper Fellows 6.17.11, Chambers USA Ranks Robinson & Cole in Six Practices, Names 12 Attorneys as Leading Lawyers 10.28.10, Robinson & Cole Managing Partner Joins Board of Connecticut Business & Industry Association 12.18.09, Robinson & Cole Becomes New Business Partner of the New England Air Museum 12.03.09, Robinson & Cole Becomes a Business Partner of the New England Air Museum 3.30.09, John Lynch Named Managing Partner of Robinson & Cole 3.27.09, John Lynch Named Managing Partner of Robinson & Cole 9.15.08, Robinson & Cole Partner Elected to Hartford Stage Board of Directors |