New York, NY – May 29, 2012 - Morrison & Foerster is pleased to announce that Jonathan M. A. Melmed has joined the firm’s New York office as the head of the New York private equity practice. Mr. Melmed represents private equity funds and their portfolio companies, hedge funds, corporate clients and investment banking firms in M&A and complex corporate transactions. His addition continues the firm's strategic expansion of its Private Equity Investments & Buyouts practice, M&A capabilities, and cross-border transactional capabilities. Mr. Melmed’s broad sector experience in M&A and private equity is especially extensive in the alternative energy, infrastructure, media, telecommunications, and life sciences sectors.
According to Hendrik Jordaan, Global Chair of the firm's Private Equity Investments & Buyouts practice, Mr. Melmed is a significant addition to an area of the firm that continues to see significant expansion. “We expect Jonathan to be a strong leader in our practice,” Mr. Jordaan said. “He has an impressive deal list and a deep understanding of the dynamics of private investment funds. His practice aligns with our global M&A strengths and will also benefit our bankruptcy group’s distressed investing and loan-to-own transactional work for private equity and hedge funds.”
Added Spencer Klein, Co-Chair of the firm's Global M&A practice," Jonathan has built a remarkable M&A and private equity practice. He has a rare combination of technical skills, business acumen, and client service. We are delighted to welcome Jonathan to the firm."
Mr. Melmed’s significant clients have included, among others, Strategic Value Partners, OMERS Capital Partners, EnerTech Capital, BMO Capital, Morguard and Harbinger Capital Partners.
“I am excited to join Morrison & Foerster, which is a wonderful platform for my practice,” Mr. Melmed said. “With the firm's strong M&A practice, its geographic reach and its sector expertise in several of the industries in which I've focused, I will be able to deliver even greater capabilities and service to clients."
Prior to joining Morrison & Foerster, Mr. Melmed was a partner at Chadbourne & Parke LLP and head of the firm's Canada practice. Mr. Melmed received his LL.B. and B.C.L. law degrees and his B.A. from McGill University in Montreal. He is admitted to practice in New York and Quebec and speaks English and French. He is recognized by U.S. Legal 500 (2012 and 2011) for his M&A work.
Mr. Melmed's addition to Morrison & Foerster's private equity practice comes on the heels of the recent additions of Justin Stock, who joined the firm in London from O’Melveny & Myers, and Erik Knudsen, who joined the firm in Denver from Kirkland & Ellis. The firm also recently announced the addition in New York of longtime Dewey & LeBoeuf partner Domnick Bozzetti, an accomplished tax lawyer specializing in executive compensation and employee benefits who brings important capabilities to the firm's investment fund and public company clients.
Morrison & Foerster’s M&A group recently shepherded a series of seminal transactions to closing, including representing DaVita Inc. in its $4.42 billion acquisition of HealthCare Partners Holdings, representing Novellus in its $3.3 billion merger with Lam Research, the largest announced stock-for-stock tech deal in 2011, handling the $5 billion sale of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies to Western Digital, and continuing to represent Intel in a string of key strategic acquisitions such as its $7.7 billion acquisition of McAfee and its $1.4 billion acquisition of the Wireless Solutions Business of Infineon Technologies AG. M&A Advisor Named Morrison & Foerster Law Firm of the Year in 2012 for the Second Straight Year, and Chambers USA has shortlisted Morrison & Foerster for its 2012 Awards for Excellence in M&A.