Michael A. Gordon

MICHAEL GORDON is co-managing partner of Sidley’s office in Miami, a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, and co-head of the global Real Estate practice. He represents both buyers and sellers of public and private companies, as well as issuers, underwriters, and investors in a variety of offerings of common stock, preferred stock, convertible securities, and debt securities.

Michael maintains a substantial practice in mergers and acquisitions, working on domestic and global transactions for a variety of clients, including businesses, private equity firms, hedge funds, special board committees, and financial advisors. He has been involved in dozens of public company mergers which were each valued at more than US$1 billion.

Strong leadership in advising clients has earned Michael acknowledgment in numerous industry publications, including the “Top 50 M&A Lawyers for 2018” list by The Deal. He has been recognized by LMG Life Sciences as a “Life Sciences Star” (2016–2024), most recently in the categories of Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Venture Capital. Michael has been featured in Chambers USA for New York Corporate/M&A (2016), Law360, AMLaw Daily, REIT magazine, Legal 500 U.S., and, based on a vote of his peers, recognized in Super Lawyers magazine in the area of Mergers & Acquisitions. His practice has also been highlighted in articles in The American Lawyer, the Chicago Tribune, and Bloomberg. Michael was also named a “BTI Client Service All-Star” for 2015 and 2016 based on a survey of corporate counsel from more than 250 Fortune 1000 companies by BTI Consulting Group.

Michael’s extensive experience with mergers and acquisitions also includes the following representative deals:

• Multiple transactions for Starwood Capital and Starwood Property Trust, Inc., including: Starwood’s US$350 million investment in TPG RE Finance Trust; Starwood’s acquisition of Reverse Mortgage Investment Trust; combination of Starwood Waypoint Homes and Invitation Homes Inc. and combination of Starwood Waypoint Residential Trust and Colony American Homes Inc.; Starwood’s acquisition of GE’s Energy Financial Services’ Project Finance Debt Business; Starwood’s acquisition of LNR Property LLC; Starwood’s acquisition of Waypoint Homes and spinoff of Starwood Waypoint Trust; formation and initial public offering of TRI Pointe Homes; and the merger of TRI Pointe Homes with Weyerhaeuser Real Estate.
• Multiple transactions for Colliers International Group, including acquisitions of Harrison Street Real Estate Capital, Basalt Infrastructure Partners, Rockwood Capital, Versus Capital, Dougherty Mortgage, and Maser Consulting.
• Multiple transactions for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, including: Starwood’s acquisition of ITT Corporation, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Vistana Inc., and Bliss Spas; Starwood’s sale of ITT Educational Services, ITT World Directories, Caesars World Casinos, and the Desert Inn Casino; sale of significant portfolio of hotels and ITT Corporation to Host Marriott Corporation; and issuance of more than US$10 billion in debt and equity securities.
• Multiple transactions for First Data Corp., including: First Data’s acquisitions of Concord EFS, Inc., First Financial Management Corporation and Cardservice International and Orlandi Valuta; and sales of Money Gram and Transpoint LLC.
• GoldenTree Asset Management LP/Syncora Guarantee Inc.
• The Navigators Group, Inc./The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.
• Starwood Property Trust, Inc./GE’s Energy Financial Services’ Project Finance Debt Business. 
• Colliers International Group/Harrison Street Real Estate Capital/Dougherty Mortgage LLC and Maser Consulting P.A.
• Starwood Waypoint Homes/Invitation Homes Inc.
• FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated/RLJ Lodging Trust.
• Forward Pharma A/S/Biogen Inc.
• SteriCycle, Inc./Shred-It International, Inc.
• Starwood Waypoint Residential Trust/Colony American Homes, Inc.
• Starwood Capital and Starwood Property Trust/LNR Property LLC.
• Royalty Pharma/Elan Corporation PLC (terminated).
• Cheniere Energy Partners/Blackstone-GSO Capital.
• Exelon Corporation/NRG Energy, Inc. (terminated).
• Ventana Medical Systems, Inc./Roche Holding, Ltd.
• Canadian Pacific Railway Limited/Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corporation.
• R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company/Moore Corporation Limited.
• Stone Container Corporation/Jefferson Smurfit Corporation.
• Conseco, Inc./Green Tree Financial Corporation.
• First Data Corporation/First Financial Management Corporation.
• Moore Corporation Limited/Wallace Computer Services, Inc.
• Barrett Resources Corporation/The Williams Companies, Inc.
• Aon Corporation/Alexander & Alexander Inc.
• Nomura International/Thorn PLC.
• Safety Syringes, Inc./Becton, Dickinson and Company.
• TomoTherapy Incorporated/Accuray Incorporated.
• KKR Financial Corp./Rock Capital.
• MotivePower Industries, Inc./Westinghouse Air Brake Company.
• Howard Publications, Inc./Lee Enterprises, Incorporated.
• Wallace Computer Services, Inc./Graphic Industries, Inc.
• Praxair, Inc./Statia Terminals, Inc.
• Wells Fargo Bank Ltd./Eastdil Realty Company.
• CMS Enterprises/Perenco S.A.

Michael’s representation of companies in connection with unsolicited tender offers and proxy contests also includes the following:

• Numerous unsolicited tender offers and proxy contests, including: FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated, Elan Corporation PLC, Ventana Medical Systems, Inc., CNET Networks, Inc., NRG Energy, Inc., and TomoTherapy Incorporated.
• FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated.
• Elan Corporation PLC.
• Ventana Medical Systems, Inc.
• NRG Energy, Inc.
• Barrett Resources Corporation.
• Wallace Computer Services, Inc.
• ITT Corporation.
• Westin Hotels Limited Partnership.
• Westmoreland Coal Company.

• Michael is an avid runner, having completed numerous marathons and ultramarathons, including all the World Majors, as well as 15 consecutive Boston Marathons.
• Michael is a registered certified public accountant in Illinois and was a recipient of the Elijah Watts Sells Award for his score on the CPA examination.