Joseph P. Michaels

JOE MICHAELS is a recognized corporate advisor and dealmaker. He handles high-profile transactional and corporate governance matters for clients across a broad range of industries.

Joe represents public and private companies and private capital investors in a wide variety of merger and acquisition transactions. The complex strategic transactions he leads on behalf of clients include company sales, leveraged acquisitions, carve-outs, spin-offs, take-privates, mergers of equals, significant investments, and joint ventures. Joe also serves as a trusted and experienced advisor to companies and their boards of directors in their capital raising activities and sensitive corporate governance and disclosure matters, including with respect to fiduciary duties and SEC disclosure. He works with companies across a broad range of industries, including healthcare, consumer goods, industrials, mining and energy, financial services, technology, and real estate and infrastructure services.

Joe was selected for Crain’s Chicago Business’ “40 Under 40” list for 2025, recognizing him as a member of the select group of leaders across Chicago who balance innovation with responsibility and possess the vision, drive and dedication to drive their industry and community forward.

He is actively engaged in firm and civic leadership. Joe serves as a co-chair of the firm’s Corporate College program, and has held active roles as a member of various committees and task forces and in firm recruiting. He is also a member of the Executives’ Club of Chicago. Joe regularly speaks and writes on merger and acquisition and corporate governance developments.

In between periods of private practice at Sidley, Joe served as assistant general counsel of a Fortune 150 company, representing the company in its transactional, financing, securities, and corporate governance matters. He received his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, where he served as contributing editor of the Michigan Law Review. He received his B.S. from the University of Connecticut, where he served as captain and four-year letterwinner on the men’s varsity tennis team.

Recently, Joe has represented:

Healthcare, Medical Products, and Pharmaceuticals Sectors

• Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. in its controlling interest investments in VillageMD, transactions with an aggregate value of over US$8.2 billion.
• Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. in connection with VillageMD’s acquisition of Summit Health-CityMD, a transaction valued at US$8.9 billion.
• Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. in its acquisition of certain assets from Rite Aid following a 2023 bankruptcy filing.
• Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. in its acquisition of certain assets from Rite Aid following a 2025 bankruptcy filing.
• Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. in its acquisition of CareCentrix, Inc.
• Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. in its controlling interest acquisition of Innovation Associates, Inc.
• Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. in various strategic minority interest investments.
• Smith & Nephew plc in its acquisition of Blue Belt Holdings, Inc.
• Smith & Nephew plc in its acquisition of certain assets from S2 Interactive, Inc.
• CHG Hospital Beds, Inc. in its sale to Stryker Corporation.
• RoundTable Healthcare Partners and its portfolio companies in multiple transactions, including with respect to Beaver-Visitec International, Inc.

Consumer Goods, Food, Entertainment, and Technology Sectors

• Cabela’s Incorporated in its sale to Bass Pro Group, LLC, a transaction valued at US$5.0 billion.
• US Foods Holding Corp. in its acquisition of Services Group of America’s Food Group of Companies, a transaction valued at US$1.8 billion (matter handled while in-house counsel).
• State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company in its investment of US$1.2 billion in ADT Inc.
• Churchill Downs Incorporated in multiple transactions, including its acquisition of Big Fish Games, Inc.
• Red Frog Events LLC in its joint venture with Goldenvoice, LLC.
• Gusto Packing Company, Inc. in its sale to Butterball, LLC.
• LSC Communications, Inc. in its acquisition of Publishers Press.
• LSC Communications, Inc. in its acquisition of CREEL Printing.
• Prospect Partners, LLC and its portfolio companies in multiple transactions, including with respect to Gold Star Foods, Inc.

Industrials, Mining, and Energy Sectors

• Allkem Limited in its merger of equals with Livent Corporation, a transaction valued at US$10.6 billion.
• NV Energy, Inc. in its sale to Berkshire Hathaway Energy, a transaction valued at US$5.6 billion.
• A provider of power and connectivity solutions in its sale, a transaction valued at US$1.7 billion.
• Jervois Global Limited in its reorganization and sale to certain creditors following a bankruptcy filing.
• Jervois Global Limited in its acquisition of Freeport Cobalt and affiliated cobalt mining operations from Koboltti Chemicals Holdings Limited.
• GE Aviation in its joint venture with Praxair, Inc.
• GE Aviation in its joint venture with Woodward, Inc.
• GE Aviation in its joint venture with Safran Group and Nippon Carbon Company, Ltd.
• GE Aviation in its joint venture with FADEC International.
• Dover Corporation in the sale of its Sargent Aerospace & Defense business to RBC Bearings Incorporated.
• Dover Corporation in the sale of its Datamax O’Neil business to Honeywell International Inc.
• Dover Corporation in the sale of its Multitest and Everett Charles Technologies businesses to LTX-Credence Corporation.
• Dover Corporation in the sale of its DEK Printing Machines business to ASM Pacific Technology.
• Riot Platforms, Inc. in its acquisition of ESS Metron.
• Thompson Street Capital Partners and its portfolio companies in multiple transactions.

Financial Services and Insurance Sectors

• GE Capital in the sale of its Antares Capital sponsor finance lending platform to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, a transaction valued at US$12.0 billion.
• Kemper Corporation in its acquisition of Infinity Property and Casualty Corporation, a transaction valued at US$1.6 billion.
• Cabela’s Incorporated in the sale of its credit card assets to Capital One Financial Corporation and Synovus Financial Corp., a transaction valued at US$1.2 billion.

Real Estate and Infrastructure Services Sectors

• Starwood Property Trust, Inc. in its acquisition of Fundamental Income Properties, LLC, a transaction valued at US$2.2 billion.
• Starwood Capital Group and Starwood Property Trust, Inc. in their acquisition of LNR Property LLC, a transaction valued at US$1.1 billion.
• Welltower Inc. in multiple transactions, including its joint venture with Cindat Capital Management Limited.
• Core Scientific, Inc. in multiple transactions, including its agreements to provide digital infrastructure to host high-performance computing operations of CoreWeave with projected value of US$8.7 billion.
• Riot Platforms, Inc. in its acquisition of Whinstone US, Inc. from Northern Data AG.