Kenneth E. Young

Private Equity

• Court Square Capital Partners in a number of buyout and/or exit transactions, as well as advising multiple portfolio companies on add-on acquisition, disposition and dividend recapitalization transactions. Recent examples including advising:
  • Ahead, LLC in connection with its sale to Centerbridge Partners and contemporaneous acquisitions of RoundTower Technologies and Kovarus.
  • Conterra Networks in connection with Court Square’s initial acquisition and then sale to APG and Fiera Infrastructure.
  • In connection with the acquisition of Data Blue and subsequent merger of Data Blue with its other portfolio company, Ahead, both digital transformation service providers.
  • Fibertech Holdings Corporation in the US$1.9 billion merger of Fibertech, a U.S.-based provider of fiber-optic based network services, with Lightower Fiber Networks.
  • GoEngineer in its acquisition of Computer Aided Technology, Inc.
  • Momentum Telecom in its acquisition of Altus Technology, a provider of cloud-based unified communications solutions.
  • Rocket Software in its US$2 billion sale of a majority stake in the company to Bain Capital Private Equity.
  • In connection with the acquisition of Thrive, a provider of technology managed services, and in its subsequent acquisition of Edge Technology Group by Thrive.
  • In connection with the strategic investment in Velosio, a provider of digital transformation services, managed service sand managed cloud subscriptions for the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem.
•  KKR on various private equity transactions, including its:
  • Take-private acquisition of mdf commerce, a SaaS leader in digital commerce technologies, in an all-cash transaction.
  • Acquisition of Industrial Physics, a manufacturer of testing and measurements instruments.
• Estancia Capital Partners on numerous transactions, including advising: 
  • Estancia Capital Partners in connection with its £108 million cross-border minority investment in Flagstone, a UK-based fintech company.
  • Estancia Capital Partners and its portfolio company R&T Deposit Solutions, a provider of tech-enabled liquidity management, deposit funding and securities-based lending programs, on a recapitalization, which includes a significant investment from GTCR.
• Blackstone Tactical Opportunities on a number of transactions including:
  • Diamonds Direct USA in its sale to Signet Jewelers, the world's largest retailer of diamond jewelry.
  • As an investor in connection with Genstar Capital’s recapitalization of its portfolio company ConnectiveRx.
  • In connection with an equity investment in BTIG, LLC, a US-based financial services firm.
• Precisely, a portfolio company of Centerbridge Partners, in connection with the sale of Confirm to Dude Solutions.
• Acoustic, a portfolio company of Centerbridge Partners, in the sale of Acoustic's unified enterprise payments platform to Market Pay.

Financial Services/Asset Management M&A

• Estancia Capital Management, LLC and its affiliates, which joined forces with LLR Partners, in the acquisition of Soltis Investment Advisors, LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser with more than US$9 billion of client assets under management.
• T. Rowe Price in its US$4.2 billion acquisition of Oak Hill Advisors, an alternative investment firm with US$53 billion of capital under management across its private, distressed, special situations, liquid, structured credit, and real asset strategies.
• JP Morgan in connection with the acquisitions of FROSCH International Travel, Inc., one of the oldest and most successful corporate and luxury travel agencies in the U.S.; OpenInvest, a leading financial technology company that helps financial professionals customize and report on values-based investments; and Campbell Global, a forest management and timberland investing company.
• abrdn in its acquisition of the U.S. closed-end funds sponsored by Macquarie/Delaware Investments.
• AIG in its acquisition of all the outstanding equity interests of Covenant Credit Partners, LP, and alternative to credit manager with a focus on collateralized loan.
• Business Development Corporation of America (BDCA), an affiliate of Benefit Street Partners L. L.C., in connection with its acquisition of a controlling interest in Siena Capital Finance LLC.
• CIT Group Inc. in the formation of Strategic Credit Partners, a joint venture formed with TPG Special Situations Partners to provide senior secured financing to companies in a variety of industries throughout the United States.
• Corporate Capital Trust, Inc. (NYSE:CCT) in the merger of FSIC and CCT to create the second largest publicly-traded BDC, at the time.
• CoreVest American Finance Lender LLC, a leading nationwide originator and portfolio manager of business-purpose residential loans, in connection with the US$490 million sale of Corevest to Redwood Trust, Inc.
• Horizon Technology Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: HRZN) in the sale of Horizon Technology Finance Management LLC, the investment adviser to Horizon Technology Finance Corporation to Monroe Capital LLC.
• OHA Investment Corporation (Nasdaq: OHAI), a publicly-traded BDC managed by Oak Hill Advisors, L.P., on its sale to Portman Ridge Finance Corporation (Nasdaq: PTMN), a publicly-traded BDC managed by an affiliate of BC Partners Advisors L.P.
• Stifel Financial Corp. in the formation of a substantial leveraged lending joint venture and strategic collaboration with Korea Investment & Securities Co., Ltd.
• Stifel Financial Corp. in its strategic collaboration with and minority investment in LFE Capital, a growth equity firm dedicated to providing capital to women-owned and managed health and wellness businesses.
• Stifel Financial Corp. in its acquisition of Eaton Partners, LLC, a global institutional placement agency, and in the subsequent launch of Twelve Degrees, a strategic collaboration with RCP Advisors focused on investing in and providing capital solutions to leading emerging and first-time alternative investment fund managers.
• StoneCastle Partners in the sale of its subsidiary, StoneCastle Cash Insured Sweep, LLC (d/b/a interLINK), to Webster Financial Corporation’s principle bank subsidiary, Webster Bank, N.A.
• StoneCastle Asset Management and its parent StoneCastle Partners in ArrowMark Partners’ acquisition of StoneCastle Asset Management’s Bank Investment Platform.

Alternative Asset Management Diversification/Capital Markets

• Centerbridge Partners in the formation of Overland Advisors, its strategic partnership with Wells Fargo to launch a private credit platform targeting a minimum of US$5 billion of investable capital, including US$2.5 billion in equity commitments.
• KKR in connection with the launch of the KKR Income Opportunity Fund (NYSE:KIO).
• AB Private Credit Investors Corporation, a business development company advised by an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., in connection with capital markets transactions and general corporate matters. 
• Corporate Capital Trust, Inc. (“CCT”), an unlisted BDC with approximately US$5 billion in total assets, as corporate counsel and in connection with its equity capital raise of approximately US$3.3 billion and subsequent listing on the NYSE. 
• CCT in connection with its joint venture with Conway Partners, Strategic Credit Opportunities Partners.
• Corporate Capital Trust II (“CCT II”) in connection with its formation and continuous public offering of up to 275 million shares of common stock for a proposed maximum offering price of approximately US$2.6 billion.
• CNL Financial Group in connection with the registration of an unlisted closed-end fund, The CNL Energy Total Return Fund, in partnership with Riverstone Holdings.
• GoldenTree in connection with its role as sub-adviser to the FS Credit Income Fund, the first investment company role for Goldentree. 
• CCT I, CCT II, KKR Credit (US), LLC and affiliated entities in connection with their application for exemption from certain sections of the 1940 Act related to co-investment transactions.
• Resource America, Inc. in connection with its formation of the Resource Credit Income Fund and in connection with its joint venture with Pearlmark Real Estate.
• Stifel Venture Corp. in its investment in CM Investment Partners and CM Finance in connection with the initial public offering of CM Finance.
• Stifel Financial Corp. in connection with Stifel Aviation Finance, a series of aircraft specialty finance vehicles.

• Private Equity Buyouts: Large Deals ($500M+) - The Legal 500 United States
• M&A: Large Deals ($1BN+) - The Legal 500 United States
• Highly Regarded: M&A - IFLR1000
• “Most Effective Dealmaker” - The Legal Intelligencer (2024)
• “Financial Services Deal of the Year” The Deal’s Middle Market Awards (2020)
• Rising Star: M&A - IFLR1000 (2016)
• Lawyer on the Fast Track - The Legal Intelligencer (2014)
• 40 Under 40 - M&A Advisor Recognition Awards (2013)
• Rising Star - Law360 (2013)

• Convergence Picks Up Steam - Traditional Asset Managers Join the Game, 2022 Permanent & Private Capital Summit, Dechert LLP – New York, NY (May 24 – 25, 2022)

• PE Heading into 2023: Watching for Pitfalls and Hunting for Opportunity, Dechert Distressed Investing Forum, Dechert LLP - New York, NY (October 27, 2022)

2021

• The Evolution of Private Credit: Strategies Driving Growth and Scale, 2021 Permanent & Private Capital Summit, Dechert LLP - Virtual Conference (June 2-3, 2021)

• Asset Management M&A: Themes & Strategies, Permanent and Private Capital in the Time of COVID-19: Where We've Been and Where We're Going, Dechert LLP - Virtual Conference (August 20, 2020)

• Private Credit Panel, NYU Stern Annual Private Equity & Venture Capital Conference - New York, NY (March 6, 2020)
  

2018

• Challenges of Bolting on a Credit Strategy to Existing Private Equity Platform, PDI's CFOs & COOs Forum - New York, NY (June 20-21, 2018)

• Beyond Traditional Private Equity Investments, NYU Stern Venture Capital & Private Equity Conference - New York, NY (March 2, 2018)

2017

• 3^rd Annual LPGP Connect Private Debt New York, LPGP Connect - New York, NY (May 16, 2017)
  
  
• Capital Raising for Permanent Capital Vehicles 2017 – Innovation in the Face of Change, 2017 Permanent Capital Summit, Dechert LLP - New York, NY (March 08, 2017)
  
  
• Diversifying a Fund Business: Implications of Managing Private Equity Funds, Hedge Funds and Other Alternative Investment Products Alongside Each Other, 18^th Annual International Conference on Private Investment Funds - London, UK (March 6, 2017)

• NYU Stern Venture Capital & Private Equity Conference - New York, NY (March 3, 2017)
  

2016

• Operational Value Creation, Harvard Business School Venture Capital & Private Equity 2016 Conference - Boston, MA (March 5, 2016)
  
  
• BDC Consolidation: The Beginning of a Trend? What’s Driving M&A Activity in the BDC Space?, 2016 Permanent Capital Summit, Dechert LLP - New York, NY (January 26, 2016)
  

2015

• Hot Topics: What Was New in Permanent Capital in 2014, and Why?, Current Trends in Permanent Capital: What Alternative Managers Need to Know Now, Dechert LLP - New York, NY (January 22, 2015)