Lowenstein Sandler LLP announced today that Michele J. Alexander has joined the firm as a partner in its Business Tax Counseling & Structuring Practice. She will focus on complex corporate and business tax issues, particularly involving mergers and acquisitions and the structure of transactions involving private equity and hedge funds. Alexander was previously with Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.
“Lowenstein Sandler is the ideal firm for an entrepreneurial lawyer like Michele to build her sophisticated tax practice and support our active M&A practice,” said Marita Makinen, partner and chair of Lowenstein Sandler’s Mergers and Acquisitions group who was formerly with Weil, Gotshal & Manges. “We routinely work with demanding clients that generate highly complex transactions that require the most high-level tax planning. Michele will add to our firm’s great strength in this area. I am delighted that Michele has chosen to join Lowenstein Sandler.”
Alexander has extensive experience helping clients understand the complicated tax issues they encounter, working with them to achieve the best tax result for their transactions and often preventing tax rules from adversely impacting the terms of a transaction or business arrangement. She immerses herself in her private equity and hedge fund practice, from advising on structure and helping to draft related agreements and documents to negotiating with investors and counseling fund clients on acquisitions and other investments. Alexander also has deep experience in the unique tax challenges of utilizing real estate investment trusts to hold real estate in a tax-efficient manner, especially foreign investments in U.S. real estate.
Among other high-profile matters, Alexander has represented:
- PVH Corp. in its $2.2 billion acquisition of Tommy Hilfiger;
- Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. in its merger with Live Nation, Inc.;
- Apollo Management LP in the formation of the $14.7 billion Apollo Investment Fund VII, LP; and
- Warburg Pincus LLC in the formation of the $15 billion Warburg Pincus Private Equity X LP.
“Lowenstein Sandler competes every day with the world’s largest law firms, and we win because we never forget that we are in business to help our clients achieve their goals,” said Gary Wingens, Lowenstein Sandler chairman and managing partner. “Michele is a fantastic cultural and strategic fit for us, adding greater strength and new dimensions to the solid counsel we provide private investment pools, emerging technology companies, and REITS. We are excited to welcome her as partner.”