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James Kelly

James L. Kelly

Partner
Chair, New York Private Equity
About

James is a strategic advisor to several private equity funds in all aspects of their investment activities, recently acting for Stellex Capital Management, Bregal Partners, The Carlyle Group, Oaktree Capital Management, Atlas Holdings, among several others. These leveraged buyouts and other transactions often involve highly regulated business sectors and numerous jurisdictions, across a variety of industries, including technology, software, video gaming, artificial intelligence, data and information, media, entertainment, business services, consumer goods and services, industrials and manufacturing, energy, engineering and infrastructure, food, agriculture, education, healthcare and life sciences. The Firm most recently ranked as the #1 most active legal advisor in global private equity buyouts by number of deals by Pitchbook.

James is recognized by The Legal 500 US in Private Equity Buyouts and has been recognized for numerous consecutive years by Chambers in New York M&A, has been featured in Buyouts, including a Buyouts Deal of the Year, The Deal, Bloomberg and Law360 as well as other leading publications. He has presented for several education providers and institutions, including Practicing Law Institute, Strafford and Syracuse University College of Law. He has received recognition for his pro bono work, including the Pro Bono Publico Award from The Legal Aid Society. James is a member of the Syracuse University College of Law Board of Advisors.

Bar admissionsNew York

EXPERIENCE

  • Represented Stellex Capital Management in connection with numerous platform, add-on, investment and exit transactions, including: its acquisition of Fincentric (f/k/a Markit On Demand) from S&P Global; its leveraged acquisition of TriplePoint; its leveraged acquisition of G2 Risk Solutions (f/k/a G2 Web Services, Lundquist Consulting and Fintellix India) from TransUnion; its investment in PLH Group; and its leveraged buyout of Peltram Plumbing Holdings, Peltram's numerous plumbing sector rollup acquisitions and Peltram's sale of Precision Plumbing & Service to Comfort Systems
  • Represented Atlas Holdings in its leveraged acquisition of Foster Farms
  • Represented The Carlyle Group and its portfolio company iC Consult Group in its acquisitions of ICSynergy, SecureITSource and Kapstone Technologies
  • Represented Bregal Investments in its leveraged acquisition of Juniper Landscaping and Juniper's add-on acquisitions of Yohe's Lawncare and Landscaping, Shooter & Lindsey, Rips Professional Lawn Care, Davis Landscape and Elegant Landscape and Design
  • Represented Green Courte Partners in the sale of The Parking Spot to KKR 
  • Represented Qatar Sports Investments in the investment by Arctos Partners in Paris Saint-Germain
  • Represented Oaktree Capital Management, Assured Investment Management and Stellex Capital Management in the sale of PLH Group to Primoris Services Corporation
  • Represented The Wicks Group of Companies in connection with numerous platform, add-on and exit transactions, including: its leveraged buyout of Gladson from Lake Pacific Partners, Gladson's add-on acquisitions of Nutritionix, WebCollage from Answers Corporation, ItemMaster, Edgenet and Shotfarm and its exit of Syndigo (f/k/a Gladson) to The Jordan Company; numerous add-on acquisitions for Invo, including Autism Home Support Services, Xcite Steps, Positive Behavioral Connections, ABA2Day and School Steps and its exit to Golden Gate Capital; its leveraged buyout of Bonded Services from Berggruen Holdings, Bonded Services' add-on acquisitions of Bilton Arts and Inception Digital Services and its exit to Iron Mountain; its acquisition of Antenna Audio from Discovery Communications; its leveraged buyout of Education Direct from Thomson Corporation and its exit of Penn Foster (f/k/a Education Direct) to The Princeton Group
  • Represented InfoDesk in its sale to Cuadrilla Capital
  • Represented Starling Physicians in its sale to VillageMD
  • Represented Columbus McKinnon Corporation in its leveraged acquisition of Dorner from EQT
  • Represented Brookline Capital Acquisition Corporation in its business combination transaction with Apexigen
Education
  • J.D., Syracuse University College of Law
    magna cum laude
    Lead Articles Editor, Syracuse Law Review
    Order of the Coif
  • B.A., University of Washington

Awards

  • Leading Lawyer, Private Equity Buyouts, The Legal 500 United States
  • Recognized by Chambers USA, New York Corporate M&A
  • Buyouts Deal of the Year
  • Pro Bono Publico Award from The Legal Aid Society

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