ALEXIS COOPER is a partner in Sidley’s Chicago office, where she practices in the Corporate and Securities group with a focus on the firm’s Private Equity practice. Alexis co-leads Sidley’s Private Funds ESG Initiative, which focuses on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues facing investment managers in the asset management and fund formation space. She also advises funds in their M&A activities and portfolio company ownership to address ESG matters during diligence and on—going operations.
Alexis regularly advises private equity sponsors in connection with the structuring, negotiation and implementation of leveraged acquisitions, management buy-outs, growth equity investments and dispositions of privately held businesses. She has represented clients throughout the middle-market across a wide range of industries, including consumer products, medical devices, textiles, packaging, juvenile products, boating, manufacturing, distribution, services and technology. Alexis’s representative private equity clients include Shoreview Industries, Thompson Street Capital Partners, CHS Capital, Prairie Capital, Prospect Partners and LaSalle Capital Group.
In addition, Alexis has extensive experience advising a variety of clients on all aspects of complex merger and acquisition transactions, general corporate matters, joint ventures, and restructurings as well as advising financial investors on acquisitions of finance platforms and financial asset portfolios and the formation of finance platforms.
Her practice includes representation of:
- Private equity sponsors in structuring, negotiating and consummating complex platform acquisitions and dispositions throughout the United States and abroad.
- Institutional investors and private equity sponsors in connection with structuring and documenting direct co-investments.
- Private equity portfolio companies in subsequent add-on acquisitions and in other corporate matters including restructuring and reorganizations, management equity arrangements, credit agreement compliance, employment compensation matters and corporate governance.
- Independent employee-owned investment management firm in a corporate sale transaction.
- Investment fund clients in the acquisition and creation of finance companies and the acquisition of pools of corporate and consumer loans.
- Registered investment adviser in a partnership transaction.
- Management teams in equity reinvestments, employment and incentive arrangements in connection with private equity transactions, including going private transactions and fund to fund sales.
- Stakeholders, including lenders and noteholders, in reorganization and bankruptcy transactions in connection with debt to equity exchanges.
- Hedge funds in their formation of joint ventures and in their acquisition and financing of pools of loan obligations and other financial assets.
- Public companies in the acquisition of private equity owned businesses and in the disposition of divisions to private equity sponsored buyers.
- Family owned and other privately held companies in connection with division sales and dispositions of their entire businesses.
- Buyers and sellers in evaluating and obtaining representation and warranty insurance in connection with merger and acquisition transactions.