White & Case LLP - Lawyers

Practice Experience

John M. Reiss is the Global Head of White & Case’s Mergers and Acquisitions Group. He represents parties in mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, securities transactions, and financings of all types. His clients include numerous corporations and private equity groups.

Mr. Reiss' recent representations include SSAB Svenskt Stål AB in connection with the US$4.038 billion sale of its North American tubular business, IPSCO Tubulars, to Evraz Group, S.A.; Excel Maritime Carriers Ltd. in connection with its US$2.45 billion acquisition of Quintana Maritime Limited; Mobile Mini, Inc. in connection with its merger with Mobile Storage Group, Inc.; and A/S Dampskibsselskabet TORM in its US$2.2 billion acquisition, together with Teekay Shipping Corporation, of OMI Corporation.

Additional significant transactions include the representation of Ahold NV in its $7.1 billion sale of US Foodservice to a private equity consortium consisting of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. LP and Clayton, Dubilier and Rice Fund VII; Harvest Partners in the sale of its portfolio company US Silica Company to Harbinger Capital Partners; WellPoint, Inc. in its US$6.5 billion acquisition of WellChoice, Inc.; the management team of Warner Chilcott PLC in its US$2.9 billion acquisition by Waren Acquisition, Ltd.; the management team in a US$376 million public to private management buy-out by Alchemy Partners and MSD Capital of education and consumer software concern Riverdeep Group plc; Getronics NV in its US$1.9 billion acquisition of Wang Global; Avis Group Holdings in connection with its sale for approximately US$1.5 billion to Cendant Corporation; DB Capital Partners in connection with its acquisition of Kinetics Group from Vivendi; and Harvest Partners in connection with its acquisitions of Global Energy Equipment Group and Associated Materials Inc. Mr. Reiss also regularly represents Boards of Directors in connection with corporate governance and fiduciary duty issues.

Bars and Courts
New York State Bar, 1986

Education
JD, University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1984
MBA, University of Pennsylvania (Wharton School of Finance and Commerce), 1984
BS, University of Pennsylvania (Wharton School of Finance and Commerce), summa cum laude, 1981

Awards and Recognition
Listed as "Leading Individual" for both Corporate/M&A and Private Equity by Chambers USA 2008
Recommended for New York: M&A and Private Equity (Buyouts) in PLC Which Lawyer? 2008/2009
Listed as a "Leading Individual" for Private Equity (Buyouts $1-$10 billion) in Legal 500 USA 2007 and 2008

Publications
Co-author, the chapter on "Important Tools in Distressed M&A Transactions" for the book, M&A Strategies for Bankruptcy and Distressed Companies - Leading Lawyers on Asset Valuation, Deal Structure, and Risk Management, January 2009 (with Matthew J. Kautz, Thomas E Lauria and Gerard H. Uzzi)
Co-author, "Country Q&A—United States," PLC Cross-Border Private Equity Handbook, 2008/2009 (with Daniel M. Latham, Nicholas Marchica, David A. Goldstein, Nicola Rosenstock, Andrew Oringer, Jeremy Naylor, Gerard H. Uzzi and Joseph H. Brazil)
Co-author, "Private Equity: The New World." Practical Law Company— PLC US Special Report, November 2008 (with Daniel M. Latham and David A. Goldstein)
Co-author, "Country Q&A—United States," PLC Cross-Border Private Equity Handbook, 2007/2008 (with Daniel M. Latham, Matthew J. Kautz, Meredith Beuchaw, David A. Goldstein, Nicola Rosenstock, Andrew Oringer, Jeremy Naylor, Gerard H. Uzzi and Joseph H. Brazil)
Co-author, "Preventing Executive Compensation from Derailing M&A Deals," Boardroom Briefing; Mergers & Acquisition, Fall 2006 (with Kenneth A. Raskin)
Co-author, "Hung Out to Dry," Mergers and Acquisitions Magazine, April/May 2006 (with Kenneth A. Raskin)
"The U.S. M&A Market: Crowds, Competition and Cautious Optimism," The American Lawyer Guide to Global Mergers & Acquisitions, January 2006
Co-author, "Seeking Deal Certainty in Uncertain Times," The Mergers & Acquisitions Advisor, November 2001
Co-author, "The Surprising Effects of Regulatory Reform on U.S. Antitrust Enforcement Activities," The Mergers & Acquisitions Advisor, December 2001

Languages
English

Citizenship
United States