Kenneth R. Barr

Counsel, New York

Biography

Overview

Mr. Barr's practice is focused on all aspects of executive compensation, pension and employee benefits law for US and multinational public and private companies. With more than 20 years of experience in the field, he counsels clients on all benefits-related aspects of corporate transactions and provides advice on IRS Code Sections 409A, 280G, 162(m), as well as other benefits-related tax law issues. Mr. Barr also advises clients on qualified plan and ERISA issues, executive compensation disclosure and benefits-related securities law matters. Working daily with White & Case's global team of corporate, private equity and compensation lawyers, Mr. Barr negotiates and drafts employment, separation, change-in-control, retention and similar agreements, as well as a variety of equity compensation, incentive compensation, profits interests, deferred compensation and other benefit plans.

Prior to joining White & Case, Mr. Barr served as an Employee Benefits Associate at a major US law firm, and later as an Associate and Counsel in the Compensation or Benefits Practice at another major US firm.

Bars and Courts
New York State Bar
New Jersey State Bar
Education
JD
Temple University Beasley School of Law
BS
College of William & Mary
Languages
English

Experience

Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (OTCPK:HTZGQ) in the US$7.22 billion reorganization and recapitalization of the company in the context of the company's Chapter 11 proceedings.

Macquarie Infrastructure Corp. (NYSE: MIC) and its related entities in the sale of three businesses, including (i) the US$4.475 billion sale of its Atlantic Aviation business to KKR; (ii) the US$2.685 billion sale of International-Matex Tank Terminals to Riverstone Holdings LLC.; and (iii) the US$514 million sale of the MIC Hawaii businesses to Argo Infrastructure Partners, LP.

Macquarie Infrastructure Corporation in its US$2.685 billion sale of International-Matex Tank Terminals, a bulk liquid terminals business, to Riverstone Holdings LLC.

CITIC Capital Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: CCAC), a SPAC, in its US$1.4 billion business combination combniation with Quanergy Systems Inc., a technology company in the LiDAR industry.

CITIC Capital in its US$770 million acquisition of GNC Holdings Inc. through its subsidiary Harbin Pharmaceutical Group Holding Co., Ltd. pursuant to Section 363 of the United States Bankruptcy Code.

Altria Group, Inc. in the US$1.2 billion sale by its subsidiary, UST LLC, of its Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (Ste. Michelle) business to Sycamore Partners Management, L.P.

Schneider Electric in connection with the formation of a joint venture with Huck Capital and certain individuals that will comprise the management team of the newly launched joint venture, which will deliver energy-as-a-service projects in the North America market up to 10MW in size.

Schneider Electric Foundries LLC in its series seed investment in Dash Energy, Inc, a broker in the oil and energy industry.

LifePoint Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPNT) in its US$5.6 billion merger with RCCH HealthCare Partners, which is owned by certain funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC (NYSE: APO).

Anthem, Inc. in the acquisition of Beacon Health Options, the largest independently held behavioral health organization in the US.

CVC Capital Partners in the US$1.8 billion acquisition of ConvergeOne Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CVON), a leading global IT and managed services provider of collaboration and technology solutions. The transaction was named "M&A Deal of the Year (Over US$1 billion)" and "Information Technology Deal of the Year (Over US$1 billion)" by M&A Advisor (2020).

CVC Capital Partners on its acquisition, with minority co-investor Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), of a majority stake in the international agencies of BlueFocus Intelligent Communications Group Co., Ltd., a leading publicly-traded Chinese marketing services conglomerate.

CVC Capital Partners in its acquisition of a majority equity stake in UnitedLex, a leading alternative legal services provider.

EchoStar Corp. (NASDAQ: SATS) in the tax-free spin-off and subsequent sale of it's broadcast satellite service business to DISH Network Corp. (NASDAQ: DISH).

Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE) in the US$1.275 billion acquisition by Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, a subsidiary of Sempra, of InfraREIT, Inc., which owns electrical power lines, substations and transmission towers in Texas, We also advised Sempra Energy in the acquisition of a 50% limited partnership interest in a holding company that will own Sharyland Utilities, LP, a Texas-based electric transmission utility owned by members of the Hunt Family.

Mubadala Investment Company in the sale of XOJET, the leading on-demand private aviation services platform in the US, to Vista Global Holding Limited.

Havas Creative, Inc. in its acquisition of a majority stake in Republica Havas, LLC, a leading independent multicultural advertising and communications agency.

Clariant Corporation, Clariant Produkte (Deutschland) GmbH, SCG Chemicals (Singapore) Pte., Ltd. and Hexagon International, Inc., 50% equityholders of GTC Technology US, LLC and GTC Technology International LP, a global licensor of process technologies, process equipment solutions, chemicals and catalysts to the petrochemical, refinery and gas processing materials, in the sale of those entities to Sulzer US Holding Inc. and Sulzer AG.

IFM Investors, in its US$10.3 billion acquisition of Buckeye Partners, L.P. (NYSE: BPL. The transaction was named "Private Equity Deal of the Year (Over US$10 billion)" by M&A Advisor (2020).

Grupo Verzatec in its pending US$360 million acquisition of the engineered materials business of Crane Co.

QH Oil Investments LLC, an affiliate of Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), on its investment in the US$116 million Series B financing of Entrada Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company dedicated to transforming the treatment of devastating diseases using intracellular biologics, which was led by Wellington Management Company.

NewQuest Capital Partners, a secondaries private equity platform focused on the Asia-Pacific region, on the sale of Grail Research, Inc., a market research firm and a business unit of Integreon, Inc., to Escalent (a Symphony Technology Group portfolio company).

NewQuest Capital Partners, a secondaries private equity platform focused on the Asia-Pacific region, on the sale of its portfolio company, Integreon, Inc., a leading global managed services provider, to EagleTree Capital.

PRO Unlimited Global Solutions Inc., a leader in contingent workforce management solutions and jointly held portfolio company of Harvest Partners, LP and Investcorp International, Inc., in the sale of PRO Unlimited to EQT.

Azelis Americas, LLC, a specialty chemicals and food ingredients distributor in North America, in its acquisition of Vigon International, Inc., a leading US specialty distributor and manufacturer of ingredients for the flavors, fragrances and cosmetics market segments.

NTT DATA, Inc., a recognized leader in global information technology services, in its acquisition of Nexient, LLC, a US-based software services firm.

I Squared Capital Advisors (US) LLC in its acquisition of Star Leasing, a leading trailer lessor in the United States.

Globe Electric Company in its acquisition by Novacap.

Publications

Are the "Top-Hat" Plan Participation and Reporting Rules Still a Good Fit?, Benefits Law Journal, 2021

Explanation of Equity Award Cash-out in Corporate Transaction, Memorandum, Lexis Practice Advisor, 2018

Employee Memorandum: Explanation of Equity Award Treatment in Spin-Off (Parent Employees), Memorandum, Lexis Practice Advisor, 2018

Employee Memorandum: Explanation of Equity Award Treatment in Spin-Off (Spinco Employees), Memorandum, Lexis Practice Advisor, 2018

Executive Compensation Issues in Public Company Transactions, Practical Law Institute (PLI), 2015

Awards and Recognition

Lexis Practice Advisor Author

Recognized Individual for Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation, The Legal 500 US (2017)