Eckert Seamans represents national and international companies as well as smaller businesses in all aspects of mergers, acquisitions and corporate finance. The firm uses a team approach to develop innovative solutions to the problems raised in these complex transactions. Projects are staffed with attorneys from the firm's corporate, tax, employee benefits, labor, antitrust, environmental, litigation and other practice areas as they are needed.

The firm's transactional attorneys have a broad base of experience, having served as counsel to major, multinational corporations in substantial multi-year engagements. The firm is also able to handle smaller acquisitions, divestitures and financings in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Recent merger and acquisition transactions include:

• Representation of a transit authority in three complex structured asset lease transactions, with an aggregate asset value in excess of $1.4 billion;
• Acquisition of the fiber optic network and related assets of a telecommunications company for consideration in excess of $100 million;
• Representation of hotel owners, operators and managers in the acquisition of various hotels throughout the United States;
• Disposition of a publicly owned broadcast media company for aggregate consideration in excess of $2 billion;
• Representation of several broadcast media companies in the acquisition of both television and radio stations, with an aggregate consideration in excess of $1.5 billion;
• Representation of a major publicly owned entertainment company in more than 75 transactions, involving aggregate consideration and financing totaling hundreds of millions of dollars;
• Purchase of the assets of a bankrupt manufacturing company, with approximate consideration of $330 million;
• Representation of a regional retailer in a merger with a national owner and operator of retail stores with approximate consideration in excess of $120 million;
• Representation of a private investment firm in the acquisition and divestiture of various food products and manufacturing companies, with an aggregate consideration in excess of $300 million; and
• Acquisition and merger of over 100 retail drug stores with approximate consideration of $60 million.

Eckert Seamans’ attorneys are active in lease financing transactions on a regular basis. For example, the firm has developed a lease financing program for a developer of generating plants fueled by alternative energy sources which enabled the participants to raise the approximately $30 million required for each plant. The firm has participated in the leveraged lease financing of aircraft, railroad rolling stock, trailer fleets and other types of transportation equipment. Such transactions require attorneys to stay current with changes in tax laws and the ever-changing needs of the capital markets.

Firm attorneys have also structured joint ventures as flexible vehicles to undertake specific projects, including one of the largest joint ventures ever formed in Brazil by which two international corporations are now mining and refining metals. Firm attorneys have also structured joint ventures for such projects as real estate development, oil and gas exploration, gold mining, technology transfer and funding of start-up ventures.

In addition to representing domestic companies abroad, Eckert Seamans serves as United States counsel to many foreign corporations, including companies headquartered in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Canada and Africa.

Firm attorneys welcome the challenges posed by unusual transactions, such as the retirement of publicly held debt through a self-tender offer. Moreover, the firm has adopted techniques used in other contexts for new purposes, including interest rate swaps for long-term financing of leased facilities and employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) for acquisitions and financings.

The firm also has designed numerous executive and employee equity participation programs for publicly traded companies. These programs have included qualified and non-qualified stock options, restricted stock plans, stock bonus plans, tandem cash and stock bonus plans, employee stock purchase plans, employee stock ownership plans and stock matching contributions for profit sharing and 401(k) plans. Each program is tailored to address tax, securities, employee retention/motivation and accounting objectives in the most cost-effective manner. Frequently, two or more programs are established to meet the differing needs of the employee-executive population.

The firm believes that its role is not merely to react to changes in the law and the marketplace as they occur, but also to anticipate those changes for the benefit of its clients.