David Lewis

David P. Lewis

Partner
Managing Partner, Phoenix office
'A first-rate lawyer' who is 'responsive, intelligent and pays attention to detail.'
Chambers USA
About

David Lewis is a corporate and securities lawyer who serves as a trusted advisor to publicly traded and privately held companies in mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, debt and equity financing transactions, and other complex corporate transactions. He also provides sophisticated counsel on corporate governance and related matters.

David operates as outside general counsel to his corporate clients. In this role, he advises clients on mergers and acquisitions ranging in value from the low millions to several billion dollars. He also advises issuers and investors in corporate finance transactions, including initial and follow-on public equity offerings, public and 144A debt offerings, securitizations and other private offerings involving a broad range of debt and equity securities. As a trusted counsellor to boards and senior management teams, he advises on all aspects of corporate governance, disclosure and securities law compliance, duties under state and federal laws and the rules and regulations of the NYSE and Nasdaq, and other day-to-day matters.

His clients operate in a number of industry sectors, including education, technology, financial services, real estate, consumer products, gaming, aviation and media.

Bar admissionsArizonaMassachusetts
CourtsArizona Supreme CourtUnited States District Court for the District of ArizonaSupreme Court of Massachusetts

EXPERIENCE

Recent Representative M&A Transactions

  • Represented STORE Capital Corporation (NYSE: STOR), an internally managed net lease real estate investment trust that invests in single tenant operational real estate (STORE Capital), in its acquisition by GIC, a global institutional investor, in partnership with Oak Street, a division of Blue Owl and one of the largest investors in net lease real estate, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately USD15 billion, including assumed debt
  • Represented Universal Technical Institute Inc. (NYSE: UTI), a leading provider of technical training for automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, in acquisition of Concorde Career Colleges, Inc. for USD50 million
  • Represented Zovio Inc. (Nasdaq: ZVO), an education technology services company, in the sale of its Fullstack Academy subsidiary to Simplilearn Americas, Inc. for USD31 million
  • Represented California Expanded Metal Products Co., a market leading provider of steel framing products, in its acquisition by JFE Shoji America Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of JFE Shoji
  • Represented SmartRent, Inc. (NYSE: SMRT), a leading provider of smart home and smart building automation for property owners, managers, developers, homebuilders and residents, in its USD2.2 billion business combination with Fifth Wall Acquisition Corp. I (FWAA), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company
  • Represented Paradox, Inc., a global conversational recruiting software firm that helps companies simplify hiring through automation with a human touch, in its acquisition of Traitify, the world's fastest, mobile-first talent assessment platform
  • Represented Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (Nasdaq: LOPE), an education services company, in its USD362.5 million acquisition of Orbis Education Services, LLC, an education services company that supports healthcare education programs for regionally accredited universities across the United States
  • Represented Universal Avionics Systems Corporation, a developer and manufacturer of commercial avionics systems for the retrofit and forward-fit market for a wide range of fixed and rotary aircraft types, in its acquisition by Elbit Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq: ESLT and TASE: ESLT) for USD120 million

Recent Representative Capital Markets Transactions

  • Represented STORE Capital in its issuance, through a special purpose subsidiary, of USD548 million aggregate principal amount of long-term fixed-rate notes designated as STORE Master Funding Net Lease Mortgage Notes, Series 2023-1
  • Represented STORE Capital Corporation (NYSE: STOR) in its issuance, through a special purpose subsidiary, of USD515 million aggregate principal amount of long-term fixed-rate notes designated as STORE Master Funding Net Lease Mortgage Notes, Series 2021-1
  • Represented STORE Capital Corporation (NYSE: STOR) in its public offering of USD375 million aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured notes
  • Represented STORE Capital Corporation (NYSE: STOR) in its USD900 million "at the market" offering program
  • Represented Universal Technical Institute Inc. (NYSE: UTI) in its USD52.5 million public offering of common stock
  • Represented Universal Technical Institute Inc. (NYSE: UTI) in its USD22.5 million public offering of common stock

Recent Representative Emerging Growth/Venture Capital Transactions

  • Represented Paradox, Inc. in its USD200 million Series B preferred stock financing led by Stripes, Sapphire, and Thoma Bravo
  • Represented Cultural Experiences Abroad, LLC, a provider of study abroad educational programs for US university students in foreign countries, in an investment from private equity firm Infinedi Partners, LP
  • Represented Paradox, Inc. in its USD40 million Series B preferred stock financing led by Brighton Park Capital
  • Represented SmartRent.com, Inc. in its USD60 million Series C preferred stock financing led by Spark Capital and other institutional investors
Education
  • J.D., Duke University School of Law 1994
  • M.A., Political Science, Duke University 1994
  • B.A., Government, Dartmouth College 1990

Awards

Chambers USA

  • Band 1, Arizona Corporate/M&A (2022-2023)
  • Band 2, Arizona Corporate/M&A (2016-2021)
  • Band 3, Arizona Corporate/M&A (2012-2014)
Additional Awards
  • The Legal 500 United States, another well-known research firm, has recommended David and called him "a great M&A lawyer" and a "brilliant negotiator"
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America®

Bylines

  • “ESG: the rise of private ordering and the role of the NCGC Committee,” DLA Piper's handbook, (March 2020) (co-author)
  • “THE HOT LIST: 2017 proxy season trends and action items,” DLA Piper Corporate Governance Alert (February 2017) (co-author)
  • "Corporation Law: Arizona – A Q&A Guide to Corporation Law in Arizona,” Practical Law Company, Inc. (November 2012) (co-author with Greg Hall)

Media Mentions

Civic and Charitable

  • President, Board of Trustees, Phoenix Country Day School (2020 – 2023)
  • Member, Board of Trustees, Phoenix Country Day School (2013 – 2023)

Memberships And Affiliations

  • State Bar of Arizona
  • State Bar of Massachusetts
  • American Bar Association, Business Law Section

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