
Private Equity and M&A
Built for the needs of middle market private equity funds and their portfolio companies.
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A focused practice with deep industry specialization.
Choate launched one of the first private equity funds in 1983, and today we represent many of the country’s best known and most active private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies. Decades of experience—paired with teams who focus on the middle market—allows us to understand our clients’ business objectives and provide the strategic advice they need to meet their goals. Today, our private equity and M&A team is the largest group in the Firm, with more than 40 lawyers focused on helping our clients execute their most important transactions.
While we have deep bench strength to support large, complex transactions, we staff matters efficiently and do not add unnecessary members to a deal team. The lead partners on our transactions pride themselves on being heavily involved in the important details and execution.
We work seamlessly with the other related areas in the firm, such as tax, finance, intellectual property, healthcare, employment, benefits, real estate, antitrust and litigation, to support our fund clients in all their investment activities. This integrated team has the experience needed to guide private equity funds and their companies through all stages of a transaction—and their efforts have earned us a reputation for being commercially-focused and working effectively with all parties to a transaction.
What We Do Best
Buyouts and Growth Equity
The largest part of our practice involves handling important transactions for our fund clients and their portfolio companies. We regularly lead buyouts, growth equity investments, “add-on” acquisitions, and exit transactions on behalf of private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies. For portfolio company transactions, Choate ranks as one of the most active law firms in the country.
Healthcare Transactions
Since 2018, we have served as deal counsel in healthcare private equity related transactions with an aggregate value of more than $9 billion. In particular, private equity firms and their healthcare portfolio companies rely on our experience in structuring, negotiating and executing acquisitions and financings, and in dispositions of healthcare investments. By seamlessly integrating our transactional and healthcare regulatory teams, we are able to identify key due diligence issues and assess potential regulatory and compliance risks associated with an investment, as well as potential regulatory consent or notification requirements. We maintain significant expertise in the areas of healthcare practice management models (e.g., DSOs/MSOs in dental, ophthalmology, dermatology, general internal medicine); representation of fertility providers, women’s health, telemedicine, revenue cycle management and health IT providers; and in negotiating credit facilities on behalf of sponsors.
Fund Formation
For fund clients, our work often begins at the fund formation stage. We advise buy-out, growth equity, venture capital, and other private equity funds of all sizes as they raise capital to invest. Knowing what terms investors will accept is critical to a fund's success. Our team’s experience representing sophisticated funds as they go to market gives our clients an edge.
Real Estate
We serve as real estate counsel to public and private corporations and funds by advising on real estate purchases and sales, investigating real property assets involving mergers, acquisitions and divestitures and advising on leases.
Key Support Areas
- Finance – We help private equity clients and their portfolio companies structure and negotiate acquisition loans, leveraged and mezzanine financings, term and revolving credit facilities, working capital loans, and senior and subordinated debt instruments.
- Tax – Our tax attorneys specialize in the complexity of middle-market transactions and provide practical tax advice to support our clients’ deals.
- Antitrust – We advise our clients regarding their antitrust needs, including in connection with M&A deals, joint ventures, and IP licensing.
- Benefits, Labor & Executive Compensation – We help clients address the particulars of compensation agreements, employment and consulting agreements, executive employment packages, officer and director responsibilities and termination agreements.
- Cybersecurity & Data Privacy - With decades of government and private practice experience dealing with increasingly complex cybersecurity incidents and data privacy laws, Choate’s cybersecurity and data privacy practice counsels a wide range of businesses and organizations on compliance with U.S. data privacy laws, responding to cybersecurity incidents, conducting and evaluating risk assessments, and handling cybersecurity and privacy litigation.
Recent Accolades
Meet the Team

Jeff Sarasohn
Senior Corporate Counsel

Adam M. Zaiger
Partner

Alison F. Reif
Chair, Labor & Employment

Alyson Bagley Stewart
Partner

Andrew J. Hickey
Partner

Andrew K. Norkiewicz
Senior Associate

Andrew P. Erdmann
Partner

Aspen Schneider
Associate

Benjamin Owens
Senior Associate

Brian D. Goldstein
Senior Counsel

Brian J. King
Of Counsel

Brian P. Lenihan
Partner

Charles E. Lyon, DPhil
Chair, Intellectual Property

Chris Henry
Partner

Dallas Cruz
Partner

Dana W. Spigelman
Principal

Daniel P. Riley
Partner

David M. Olio
Associate

David Mollo-Christensen
Co-Chair, Tax

Ed Saad
Partner

Elizabeth Pion
Senior Corporate Counsel

Elizabeth Powers
Of Counsel

Ellen Baker
Associate

Eric J. Marandett
Co-Chair, Intellectual Property Litigation

Frank Pustorino
Principal

Gregg B. Cosimi
Partner

Howard S. Rosenblum
Retired Partner

James A. McDaniel
Senior Counsel

J.P. Jaillet
Department Co-Chair, Litigation

Johanna B. Moody
Associate

John Marshall Chambers
Partner

Charles A. Cheever
Co-Managing Partner

John R. Pitfield
Partner

John F. Ventola
Department Chair, Finance & Restructuring

Julia Zabriskie
Associate

Kevin J. Connolly
Senior Associate

Kevin M. Sarro
Principal

Kevin T. Jarboe
Partner

Kevin M. Tormey
Partner

Kiera McManus
Associate

Kimberley J. Kaplan-Gross
Partner

Lee S. Feldman
Department Chair, Private Equity and Business & Technology

Louis J. Marett
Senior Counsel

Lyndsey M. Kruzer
Partner

Marianna Marques
Associate

Mark A. DeFeo
Co-Chair, Private Equity and M&A

Matt Mortensen
Senior Associate

Melissa W. Gaied
Principal

Michael T. Gass
Co-Chair, Business & Financial Litigation

Michael J. Stick
Partner

Nicholas Venora
Associate

Olivier A. Léger
Co-Chair, Tax

Orion Berwanger
Associate

Paul C. Laudano
Chair, Real Estate

Peter Ernst
Associate

Peter M. Palladino
Partner

Rees M. Hawkins
Partner

Robert M. Buchanan, Jr.
Partner

Robert V. Jahrling III
Senior Counsel

Sabrina Cua
Partner

Sarah Hunt Broughel
Partner

Sarah N. A. Camougis
Co-Chair, Private Equity and M&A

Scott Hefferman
Associate

Sean M. Small
Partner

Sean M. Monahan
Partner

Serge C. Doucet III
Associate

Shaina Wamsley London
Co-Chair, Finance & Restructuring

Shaun Barnes
Partner

Silvia Faria
Associate

Stefano A. Sharma
Counsel

Stephen Fleury
Associate

Steve Meredith
Senior Counsel

Stephen J. Tonkovich
Partner

Sydney Sullivan Nicklas
Associate

Tanner Jeffrey Kramp
Associate

Thomas E. Shirley
Senior Counsel

T.J. Murphy
Partner

Tobin P. Sullivan
Partner

William P. Gelnaw, Jr.
Co-Managing Partner

Zachary Rosen
Senior Corporate Counsel