Private Equity & Venture Capital

Dow Lohnes attorneys regularly represent private equity, venture capital and buyout funds that have been organized to invest in the media, communications and higher education industries our firm specializes in. Our attorneys are experienced both in fund formation and in advising funds on the financial and structural terms of their private equity and mezzanine debt portfolio company investments. Our industry and transactional expertise extends not only to assisting our clients in acquiring and selling their portfolio company investments, but to restructurings and recapitalizations of these investments.

In addition to representing top-tier private equity and venture capital funds, our practice includes representation of founders and entrepreneurs seeking private equity financing, as well as counseling media and communications clients that are seeking to make strategic investments (or co-investments alongside traditional venture capital firms) in Internet and new media companies. Working in close collaboration with attorneys in our tax, executive compensation and employee benefits, lending, and regulated industry practices, we strive to craft creative and cost-effective solutions for all aspects of private equity and venture capital transactions.

Recent examples of our private equity and venture capital practice include the following:

• We represented Cox Enterprises and its AutoTrader.com subsidiary in connection with a redemption of shares by AutoTrader.com, a $525 million credit facility for AutoTrader.com and Providence Equity Partner’s acquisition of a 25-percent equity interest in AutoTrader.com.
• We represented Insight Communications in connection with the purchase of a significant equity position in the company by an investor group led by Crestview Partners and MidOcean Partners and in connection with the company’s offer to purchase certain shares from its existing stockholders.
• We represented MCG Capital Corporation's portfolio company, HITV Operating Co., Inc. and its affiliates in connection with an exchange of assets relating to television stations KGMB and KFVE in Hawaii with a subsidiary of Raycom Media, Inc.
• We represented Oak Hill Capital Partners in connection with a television station exchange transaction with Raycom Media in which Oak Hill's affiliate, Local TV Holdings, traded a Birmingham, Alabama station for WTVR (TV), Richmond, Virginia.
• We represented Oak Hill Capital Partners in connection with its acquisition of nine television stations from Fox Television for approximately $1.12 billion.
• We represented Thomas H. Lee Partners, which led the winning consortium’s purchase of Clear Channel Communications, Inc., in a transaction valued at $26.7 billion.
• We represented private equity firm BC Partners in connection with the recent acquisition of ATI Holding Company, which operates 24 career training centers in Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico.
• We represented Wellspring Capital Partners in connection with the sale of Vatterott Educational Centers to TA Associates. Vatterott serves more than 7,500 students annually on 22 campuses in nine Midwestern states.
• We represented AEA Investors LP, a leading private equity firm that specializes in investments in middle market companies, in its acquisition of the assets of Southwest Florida College, a post-secondary education institution with four campuses in Florida.
• We represented Endeavour Capital in the acquisition of Southern Careers Institute in Austin, Texas. 

Our leading private equity, venture capital and buyout fund clients have included the following: