Michael F. DeFranco
Biography
Michael F. DeFranco advises clients on transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, securities law compliance, corporate governance issues and disclosure concerns. His extensive experience includes representing multinational companies in both public and private acquisitions and divestitures. He is the past chair of the Firm’s Global Transactional Practice Group and the Firm’s Global M&A Practice Group.
Practice Focus
Michael concentrates on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and general corporate and securities matters. He represents buyers, sellers and their financial advisers in a wide variety of transactions, including negotiated and contested public and private acquisitions and divestitures, cross-border transactions (both inbound and outbound) and other strategic alliances. Michael also advises public companies on various governance and compliance issues.
Representative Legal Matters
- Represented Servier in multiple transactions, including: (i) Servier’s acquisition of Shire plc’s oncology business; and (ii) Servier’s acquisition of Agios Pharmaceuticals Inc’s oncology business.
- Represented FedEx Corporation in multiple transactions, including: (i) FedEx’s acquisition of Genco Distribution System Inc.; and (ii) FedEx’s acquisition of TNT Express N.V.
- Represented Safran S.A. in multiple transactions, including: (i) Safran’s acquisition of RTX’s actuation business; (ii) Safran’s sale of its Morpho Detection business; (iii) Safran’s acquisition of Eaton Corporation’s Aerospace Power Distribution Management Solutions and Integrated Cockpit Solutions business; (iv) Safran’s acquisition of Harvard Custom Manufacturing Inc.; and (v) Safran’s sale of Cinch Connectors.
- Represented AkzoNobel N.V. in its acquisition of New Nautical Coatings Inc.
- Represented Brunswick Corp. in multiple transactions, including: (i) Brunswick’s sale of its bowling products business; (ii) Brunswick’s acquisition of Cybex; and (iii) Brunswick’s acquisition of Navico.
- Represented the special committee of the board of directors of Telvent GIT S.A. in Schneider Electric’s tender offer to acquire 100% of the shares of Telvent.
- Represented Abbott Laboratories in multiple transactions, including: (i) Abbott’s acquisition of the Solvay Group’s pharmaceutical business; (ii) Abbott’s sale of Innogenetics NV; and (iii) Abbott’s acquisition of TheraSense Inc.
- Represented Hospira Inc. in its acquisition of Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd’s generic injectable pharmaceuticals business.
- Represented Gas Natural SDG S.A. in multiple transactions, including: (i) Gas Natural’s disposition of a minority stake in its operations in Argentina; (ii) Gas Natural’s acquisition of assets in Mexico; and (iii) Gas Natural’s attempted unsolicited acquisition of Endesa S.A.
- Represented Mecalux S.A. in its acquisition of the racking business of UFC Interlake out of bankruptcy.
- Represented Guidant Corporation in the attempted acquisition of Guidant by Johnson & Johnson.
- Represented office supplies maker General Binding Corporation in the spin-off of ACCO World Corporation from Fortune Brands Inc. and the subsequent merger of ACCO and General Binding.
- Represented Grove Worldwide Inc. in its stock-for-stock merger with heavy equipment maker Manitowoc Company Inc.
- Represented a private US company in the sale of a TV station to Fox Television Stations Inc.
Admissions
- Illinois~United States (2002)
- New York~United States (1999)
Education
- Columbia Law School (J.D.) (1998)
- Yale University (M.A.) (1997)
- University of Notre Dame (B.A.) (1994)
Languages
- English
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