Brian J. Fahrney

Representative matters of Brian’s include: 

• The financial advisor to Bakkt Holdings, Inc., a digital asset marketplace, in its $2.1 billion merger with a SPAC, VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings, Inc. (pending);
• Cubic Corporation (NYSE: “CUB”) in its $2.8 billion sale transaction with Veritas Capital and an affiliate of Elliott Investment Management, Evergreen Coast Capital Corporation (pending);
• A special committee of the Board of Directors of FBL Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: “FFG”) in connection with a proposed take-private transaction by affiliated companies (pending);
• A special committee of the board of directors of Coty, Inc. (NYSE: “COTY”) in reviewing a $1.75 billion tender offer by an affiliate of JAB Partners;
• Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE: “JLL”) in its $2 billion merger with HFF, Inc. (NYSE: “HF”) (pending);
• Western & Southern Financial in its acquisition of Gerber Life Insurance Company from Nestle SA, a transaction valued at $1.55 billion;
• A special committee of the board of directors of Blue Bird Corporation (NASDAQ: “BLBD”) in connection with a proposed going-private transaction by Blue Bird’s controlling stockholder, American Securities LLC;
• Kemper Corporation in its acquisition of Infinity Property and Casualty Company (NASDAQ: “IPCC”), a transaction valued at $1.6 billion;
• Cabela’s Inc. (NYSE: “CAB”) in its sale to Bass Pro Shops for an aggregate value of $5.5 billion;
• GE in its sale of GE Appliances to Haier, a transaction valued at $5.4 billion;
• GE Capital in its sale of its Antares Capital sponsor finance lending platform to CPPIB, a transaction valued at $12 billion;
• Churchill Downs, Inc. in the sale of its mobile gaming subsidiary, Big Fish Games, Inc., to Aristocrat Leisure Limited (ASX: “ALL”) in a transaction valued at $990 million;
• Churchill Downs, Inc. in various acquisitions of interests in gaming properties, including Oxford Casino, Harlow’s Casino Resort & Hotel, Riverwalk Casino, Presque Isle Casino, Rivers Casino, and Youbet.com (NASDAQ: “UBET”); 
• Markel Corporation in acquiring specialty insurer State National Companies, Inc. (NASDAQ: “SNC”), a transaction valued at $920 million;
• Aon PLC in the $4.8 billion sale of its benefits administration platform to Blackstone Group;
• United Insurance Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: “UIHC”) in a strategic merger with American Coastal Insurance Company, a combination that created a $1 billion premium company and one of the leading CAT writers in the U.S.;
• Coty Inc. in a $750 million majority equity investment in Younique LLC, a direct marketing cosmetics company;
• BorgWarner Inc. in its acquisition of Remy International, Inc. (NASDAQ: “REMY”), a transaction valued at $1.2 billion;
• Meadowbrook Insurance Group (NYSE: “MIG”) in its sale to Fosun Group for $433 million;
• Synchrony Financial (NYSE: “SYF”) in its split-off from GE Capital, a transaction that created a $19 billion stand-alone public company;
• Bank of America/Merrill Lynch as lead arranger of transaction financing for ConAgra Foods in connection with its acquisition of Ralcorp, which included $4.0 billion of senior debt and $275 million of equity, as well as related debt tender and exchange offers;
• Glencore in its sale of Dakota Growers Pasta Company to Post Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: “POST”) in a transaction valued at $370 million;
• GE in its acquisition of Dresser, Inc. from private equity sponsors led by Riverstone Partners, a transaction valued at $3.1 billion;
• CNL Hotels & Resorts, Inc., the country’s second largest hotel and resort REIT, in its sale to Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund V and Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. (NYSE: “AHT”), a transaction valued at $6.6 billion;
• Represented Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Bank of America/Merrill Lynch as initial purchasers in a 144A/Reg S $1.75 billion surplus notes offering by Northwestern Mutual;
• A special committee of Nationwide Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE: “NFS”) in connection with the acquisition by NFS of the Gartmore mutual fund complex from an affiliated entity for $220 million;
• GE in its sale of Medical Protective Company (GE’s professional liability insurance company) to Berkshire Hathaway for $825 million; and
• Representation of various investment banking firms as underwriters counsel in connection with more than a dozen IPOs and other debt and equity offerings.