Bill Howell and Sidley Deal Named Finalists at D CEO Mergers & Acquisitions Awards

Bill Howell, a partner in Sidley’s Dallas office, has been named a finalist in the “Attorney of the Year” category at D CEO’s Mergers & Acquisitions Awards 2024. The annual Mergers & Acquisitions Awards, now in their 11th year, honor the “top acquisitions, dispositions, and other financial transactions in North Texas in 2023—and the dealmakers who made them happen.”

Bill is the head of the Corporate, M&A, and Private Equity practice in Dallas. He advises clients on a broad range of corporate and transactional matters. He represents issuers and investment banking firms in various corporate finance transactions, including initial public offerings, secondary and follow-on equity offerings, registered and private offerings of debt securities, venture capital investments, and other financings. He has extensive experience in complex mergers and acquisitions, tender offers involving publicly traded entities, strategic alliances, and joint ventures. Bill also advises clients on corporate governance, periodic reporting requirements, stock exchange rules, and other compliance matters.

Additionally, Avantax’s US$1.2 billion take-private sale to Cetera has been named a finalist in the “Deals of the Year: $1 Billion +” category. Sidley represented Avantax, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVTA), a leader in tax-focused financial planning and wealth management, in its acquisition by Aretec Group, Inc. d/b/a Cetera Holdings, the holding company of Cetera, a financial advisor Wealth Hub. Under the terms of the agreement, holders of Avantax common stock received US$26.00 in cash per share, without interest and subject to required withholding taxes. The all-cash transaction closed November 2023.

The Sidley deal team was led by M&A partners Beth E. Berg and Scott R. Williams.