Practice Areas
Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, and Digital Assets
Corporate
Corporate Finance
Corporate Governance
Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG)
Mergers & Acquisitions
Private Equity
Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs)
Admissions
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
Connecticut
New York
Education
Fordham University School of Law - J.D., 1991
Georgetown University - A.B., 1988, cum laude
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Profile
William Mills is co-chair of Cadwalader’s Corporate Group and a former member of the Firm’s Management Committee. He represents clients in a wide range of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, public and private securities offerings, shareholder activism, proxy contests, spin-offs, leveraged buyouts, tender and exchange offers, and joint ventures. He regularly advises public companies and boards of directors on corporate governance, fiduciary duty and disclosure matters, as well as investment banks as financial advisers on M&A and other transactions. Bill also advises clients on complex transactions involving distressed companies and assets, including mergers, acquisitions, investments and financings, as well as restructurings.
Bill is recognized as a leading M&A lawyer by IFLR1000 and a "Key Individual" by Legal 500, which describes him as "a very knowledgeable corporate lawyer with a very calm demeanor who does not get flustered no matter how intense the negotiations." He has also been recognized by Lawdragon as one of the “500 Leading Dealmakers in America.” Bill is a published author and a frequent speaker on M&A, corporate governance and securities laws matters, including at the Tulane Corporate Law Institute, where he has participated in recent panels, "Current Best Practices in Considering and Approving Transactions in Target and Buyer Company Board Rooms" and "What's Market in Merger Agreements," and at the Association of Corporate Counsel’s New York City Chapter, where he recently presented on "2018 Trends in M&A: Diligence, Drafting, Deal Certainty and Integration Expectations" and "ESG and Corporate Governance: Lessons for In-House Counsel." He serves on the Board of Advisors of the University of Pennsylvania’s Institute for Law & Economics.
Bill received his A.B., cum laude, from Georgetown University and his J.D. from Fordham Law School, where he was Notes and Comments Editor of the International Law Journal.
Experience
Bill has advised clients on numerous significant matters, including the representation of:
- AlTi Global, Inc. in a strategic investment of up to $450 million from Allianz X and Constellation Wealth Capital.
- AngioDynamics, Inc. in the $100 million sale of its Dialysis product portfolio and BioSentry Tract Sealant System Biopsy product to Merit Medical Systems, Inc.
- Forbes Media in its proposed business combination transaction with Magnum Opus Acquisition Limited and related $200 million strategic investment from Binance.
- Corindus Vascular Robotics in its $1.1 billion acquisition by Siemens Healthineers AG.
- ACRES Capital in the acquisition of the external manager of public REIT Exantas Capital Corp.
- Inteva Products in the sale of its roof systems design and assembly business to CIE Automotive, S.A.
- Towers Watson in its acquisitions of Acclaris, Extend Health and Liazon Corporation and the sale of its reinsurance brokerage business to JLT.
- AngioDynamics in its acquisitions of RadiaDyne, the BioSentry assets of Surgical Specialties, Navilyst Medical, Microsulis Medical, Vortex Medical and Clinical Devices.
- AngioDynamics, Inc. in its $167.5 million sale of its NAMIC® fluid management portfolio to Medline Industries, Inc.
- Genpact in its acquisitions of Barkawai Management Consultants, OnSource and TandemSeven.
- New Mexico Health Connections in the sale of its commercial health insurance business to Evolent Health.
- Medifast in its agreement with Engaged Capital.
- Goldman Sachs as financial advisor to Jos. A. Bank in connection with its agreement to acquire Eddie Bauer and its subsequent sale to Men's Wearhouse.
- Goldman Sachs as financial advisor to Allergan in its defense of an unsolicited offer from Valeant Pharmaceuticals.
- Salix Pharmaceuticals in its $15.6 billion acquisition by Valeant Pharmaceuticals International.
- Forbes Media in its sale of a majority stake to a group of international investors.
- The Pasha Group in its acquisition of the Hawaii trade-lane business of Horizon Lines.
- Everi Holdings, Inc. (formerly Multimedia Games, Inc.) in its acquisition of PokerTek.
- Unarco in its acquisition of certain assets of Creative Storage Systems.
- J.P. Morgan as financial advisor to the Special Committee of Dell in the Company's $24 billion going private transaction with Michael Dell and Silver Lake Partners.
- The United States Department of the Treasury in the management of its $250 billion TARP Capital Purchase Program.
- Seacoast Banking Corp. in its acquisitions of Floridian Financial Group and GulfShore Bancshares.
- Seacoast Banking Corp. in its successful defense against a withhold the vote campaign by Capgen Capital Group and entry into an Observer Rights Agreement with Basswood Capital Management.
- Élan in its $3.25 billion sale of Tysabri rights to Biogen Idec.
- Pfizer in its acquisitions of Embrex, King Pharmaceuticals, Vicuron Pharmaceuticals, Warner-Lambert and Wyeth, and in the respective sales of its Capsugel business to KKR its consumer health care division for $16 billion to Johnson & Johnson.
- DPL in its merger with AES.
- The Bear Stearns Companies Inc. in its acquisition of United Companies Financial and $1.2 billion merger with JPMorgan Chase & Co.
- Trian Fund Management in Triarc Companies, Inc.’s acquisition of Wendy’s International, Inc., its $166 million tender offer for common stock of Wendy’s/Arby’s Group, Inc. and its successful proxy contest with H.J. Heinz Company.
- Xstrata in the sale of its Noranda aluminum division to Apollo Global Management.
- StorageTek in its merger with Sun Microsystems.
- The Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Landry’s Restaurants in the acquisition of Landry’s by Tilman J. Fertitta.
- Celanese in the sale of its polyvinyl alcohol business to Sekisui Chemical.
- RGIS Holdings in its sale to The Blackstone Group.
- Republic Bancorp in its merger with Citizens Banking Corporation.
- US WEST in its merger with Qwest Communications.
- MediaOne in its merger with AT&T.
- Dayton Power & Light in the $850 million sale of its private equity portfolio.
- Six Flags in its joint venture to acquire Dick Clark Productions and in its sale of theme parks to Parc 7F-Operations and CNL Income Properties.
- Credit Suisse in its acquisitions of Select Portfolio Servicing and Lime Financial.
- Del Laboratories in its sale to Kelso & Company.
- Dianon Systems in its sale to Laboratory Corporation of America, and previously in its acquisition of UroCor.
- Toys R Us in its joint ventures with Softbank Capital Partners and Amazon.com.
- Bally Total Fitness in its acquisition of Crunch Fitness International.
- Moore Medical in its acquisition by McKesson Corporation.
- Wakefern Food Corp. in numerous acquisitions and dispositions, including the $255 million acquisition of Big V Supermarkets.
- Charming Shoppes in its proxy contest with Crescendo Investments.
- Gyrodyne Company of America in its proxy contest with Bulldog Investors funds.
- Wilshire Enterprises in its proxy contest with Bulldog Investors funds and subsequent self-tender offer to purchase half of Wilshire’s outstanding shares.
As counsel to financial advisors:
- Par Pharmaceutical's $1.9 billion sale to TPG Capital.
- Koppers' acquisition of The Wood.
- Cytec's sale of its coating resins business to Advent International.
- CVS's $27 billion merger with Caremark.
- Cedar Fair's acquisition of Paramount Parks.
- The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of Pixar.
- Sotheby's Holdings' recapitalization transaction with A. Alfred Taubman.
- Google's investment and strategic alliance with America Online.
- Harrahs Entertainment's acquisition of Rio Hotel & Casino.
- Symbion's acquisition by Crestview Partners.
- Carreker's acquisition by Checkfree.
- Shire plc's acquisition of New River Pharmaceuticals.
- Primedex Health Systems merger with Radiologix.
- ADVO's merger with Valassis Communications.
- Caxton-Iseman Capital's acquisition of Valley National Gases.
- St. Jude Medical's acquisition of Advanced Neuromodulation Systems.
Securities offerings by:
- AngioDynamics
- Pfizer
- Élan
- Bear Stearns
- Dayton Power & Light
- Northwest Airlines
- Cosi
- Scientific Games
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