As a core practice of Jones Walker LLP, our private equity and venture
capital team regularly represents private equity and venture capital funds,
investors, and their portfolio companies. We have deep roots and experience
representing clients across the southeastern United States and understand the
unique business, legal, and economic environment facing industries in this
region.
Local Knowledge, National, and International Services
We have an extensive network of connections in the international,
national and regional business, legislative and regulatory communities that can
help clients bridge the gap between stakeholders, investors, and agency
officials.
- To help clients achieve
desired business outcomes across the Southeast, we draw on our
substantial, long-term presence in major cities such as Atlanta, Baton
Rouge, Birmingham, Houston, Lafayette, Mobile, and New Orleans
- To help clients exploit
opportunities across the country and worldwide, we also leverage the full
resources of our offices and attorneys practicing in Florida, New York,
Ohio, and Washington, DC
Experience in Established and Growth Industries
In addition to sophisticated legal counsel, private equity groups and their
portfolio companies need advisors with in-depth understanding of the industries
in which they operate and the unique regulatory challenges and market
conditions they confront. While we handle transactions for a wide variety of industries,
we have developed critical experience in the following capital-intensive
industries:
- Oil and gas
- Maritime transportation
- Energy and energy services
- Marine construction
- Financial services
- Healthcare
- Gaming and hospitality
- Real estate
Our firm's developed experience in these growing and highly regulated
industries value far beyond our considerable transactional experience.
Recognized for Excellence and Quality Client Service
In business, reputation is paramount. Similarly, to help open doors that might
otherwise be closed and negotiate the best possible transaction terms,
businesses require legal advisors known for their skill, high-quality service,
and relentless pursuit of client goals. At Jones Walker, our attorneys are
recognized among the most trusted practitioners in the Southeast.
- Members of our team have
been named in The Best Lawyers in America 2013 as
"Lawyer of the Year" in Venture Capital Law and related
disciplines
- Our private equity, venture
capital, securities, and other practices have been ranked at the top in
markets across the Southeast and nationally by U.S. News &
World Report-Best Law Firms and Chambers USA
Effective Fund Representation at Every Step
We understand that each client pursues its goals within the context of
specific challenges, opportunities, and market forces. As an integral part of a
full-service law firm, our private equity and venture capital team has the core
resources and experience needed to represent private funds and their investors
in meeting challenges and pursuing opportunities at every step, including:
- Portfolio company
acquisitions, capitalization, and financing
- Operational matters and
liquidity events
- Regulatory compliance
- Fund structure, formation,
and capitalization
- Investments in private funds
Portfolio Company Services
Our attorneys are known for their effective representation of companies in
connection with private equity investments. To help them make the most of their
investments, our private equity fund clients also retain Jones Walker to handle
portfolio company matters, including the following:
- Structuring, negotiating,
and financing acquisitions, including roll-ups of fragmented industries
- Formulating and implementing
executive compensation and employee incentive arrangements
- Addressing tax, labor,
antitrust, litigation, and industry-specific operational issues
- Structuring and negotiating
private sales or alternative transactions offering liquidity to investors
- Resolving conflicts of
interest between the fund and portfolio company
- Managing litigation and
other disputes
We advise clients on structuring and financings for portfolio companies:
- Public and private
placements of common and preferred stock
- Senior and mezzanine debt
placements
- 144A offerings, bond
offerings, securitizations, and high-yield debt offerings
- Leveraged buyouts
- Non-control, passive
investments
- Leveraged recapitalizations
- Transactions in conjunction
with distressed situations and bankruptcy proceedings
Regulatory Compliance
In a post-Dodd-Frank world featuring heightened regulatory scrutiny, compliance
is a paramount concern for private funds. Our team of investment management
legal services and securities lawyers add critical structural and regulatory
experience to our private funds practice:
- Federal and state securities
laws, including evolving JOBS Act rules and interpretations
- The Dodd-Frank Act and its
evolving rules and interpretations
- The Investment Company Act
of 1940
- The Investment Advisers Act
of 1940
- Investment advisor and
broker-dealer registration
- Bank regulation
Fund Formation
Effective fund formation can often make the difference between success and
failure. Our team counsels clients on the creation and establishment of a full
range of on- and off-shore, venture, accelerator, growth, leveraged buy-out,
distressed debt and vulture, mezzanine, and industry-specific funds. We
represent primarily middle-market investment funds in all aspects of fund
formation:
- Preparing private offering
documents
- Developing fund structures
that are tax efficient and facilitate investments by foreign investors,
funds of funds, ERISA plans, government plans, and other specialized
investors
- Negotiating with investors
and advising sponsors with ongoing investor relations issues
- Structuring general partner
relationships
- Developing and structuring
side-car funds, alternate investment vehicles, parallel funds, blocker
entities, and other similar affiliated entities
Investor Representation
In addition to representing private funds, we represent high-net worth
individuals, family offices, endowments, foundations, pensions funds, and other
institutional investors in connection with investments in private funds. For
institutional investors, the depth and breadth of our experience enables us to
proactively identify significant issues and to formulate practical solutions to
complex tax, ERISA, and other challenges.
Government Relations
Our government relations practice augments our capabilities by providing
insight and in depth industry specific intelligence on public policy issues in
Washington, DC and in state capitals. Clients value our sophisticated
understanding of public policy development at both state and federal levels and
our experience in:
- Congressional procedures and
state legislative matters dealing with key industries
- Guidance on how their transactions
are affected by the full range of the regulatory structure
- Development of public policy
and acting to support or oppose legislative initiatives
Cross-Disciplinary Approach
Private equity transactions are complex and involve a number of legal issues.
To ensure that these concerns are accounted for and managed, we draw on the
full-service capabilities of the entire firm and seasoned attorneys from all of
Jones Walker's core practice areas. We are a right-sized firm; that is, we have
personal knowledge of our colleagues' abundant professional capabilities. They
are not just names on a large organizational chart. Our internal relationships
enable us to provide seamless, coordinated counsel without the inconvenience
and occasional oversights that may occur when working with other, larger firms.
Value is More Than a Number
At Jones Walker, we understand that companies want value first and foremost. As
an emerging national law firm, we offer clients the best of all
worlds—top-quality service at reasonable fees—and we have a proven track record
helping clients meet their business objectives efficiently.
