Panel Discussion on Private Equity Buyouts

Recently, the Mergers, Acquisitions, and Split-Ups course here at Harvard Law School, co-taught by Professor Robert Clark and Vice Chancellor Leo Strine, Jr., hosted a panel discussion entitled Private Equity Buyouts.  The candid discussion among the expert practitioners on the panel provided rare insights into the internal dynamics of private equity deals.

The panelists included Louis D’Ambrosio, Chief Executive Officer of Avaya, which was recently taken private by the Texas Pacific Group; Robert L. Friedman, Chief Legal Officer of Blackstone; and Eileen Nugent of Skadden, a leading corporate practitioner with extensive experience in leveraged buyout transactions.  In response to questions from Professor Clark, Vice Chancellor Strine, and the audience, the panel shared its insights on matters including the current deal environment for private equity, a board’s fiduciary duties when evaluating a private equity firm’s buyout offer, and the emergence and relevance of “go-shop” provisions in private equity transactions.

A video of the panel discussion is available for download here.