Daniel Tavakoli, Partner Private Equity Transactions

Daniel Tavakoli

Partner

Areas of Focus

Daniel Tavakoli, Partner Private Equity Transactions

Daniel Tavakoli

Partner

dtavakoli@akingump.com

Areas of Focus

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Biography
  • Represents private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies.
  • Advises public and private companies on M&A and other complex corporate transactions.

Daniel represents private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in transactions, including follow-on acquisitions, dispositions and corporate governance matters. He focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) of both public and private companies and other complex corporate transactions, including leveraged buyouts, cross-border transactions, carve-out transactions, private equity investments, co-investments, joint ventures and divestitures.

Daniel also has experience advising public companies and their boards of directors in connection with governance, securities and strategic matters, including takeover preparedness and shareholder engagement.

Daniel represents clients across asset classes and industries, including financial services, agtech & foodtech, retail & consumer products, transportation, infrastructure & manufacturing, health care & life sciences, telecom, media & technology (TMT) and real estate.

Representative Work

Retail & Consumer Products

  • Represented Mubadala Capital:
    • And its portfolio company TruFood Manufacturing, in a combination with Bar Bakers LLC, a leading contract manufacturer of branded nutrition and protein bars, baked bars and cookies and wafer bars. TruFood is a leading U.S. contract manufacturer specializing in better-for-you nutrition bars, chocolate and baked granola.
    • And its portfolio company Thrive Freeze Dry, a leading manufacturer of freeze-dried products, in its agreement to acquire (1) Paradiesfrucht GmbH, a global freeze dryer of fruits, fruit preparations, yogurts, drops, powders and granulates, (2) Canature, a producer of freeze-dried pet food and treats and (3) Groneweg Group, otherwise known as Freeze-Dry Foods, a global manufacturer and supplier of freeze and air-dried ingredients.
    • On its acquisition of AOG LLC d/b/a TruFood Manufacturing from funds affiliated with AUA Private Equity Partners LLC.
    • On its acquisitions of Mercer Foods and Thrive Foods.
    • On its acquisition of K-MAC Enterprises from Lee Equity Partners Opportunities Fund.
  • Represented Paine Schwartz Partners, a private equity fund focused on sustainable food chain investments, in its investment in Sterilex, a leading developer of innovative food safety antimicrobial products.
  • Represented Goldman Sachs & Co. in its acquisition of Restaurant Technologies Inc. from Aurora Management Partners.
  • Represented Blackstone Group as majority stockholder of Invitation Homes in its $11 billion merger with Starwood Waypoint Homes.
  • Represented Parts Town (a portfolio company of Berkshire Partners) in its acquisition of Heritage Foodservice Group.
  • Represented Giant Eagle Inc. in its acquisition of Ricker Oil Company Inc.
  • Represented Catterton in its $925 million take private of Steiner Leisure Limited.
  • Represented Vestar Capital Partners in its acquisition of Mobile Technologies Inc.
  • Represented Vitamin Shoppe in its sale of its Nutriforce business.

Transportation, Infrastructure & Manufacturing

  • Represented Mill Rock Capital, a middle market private equity fund, in its acquisition of DRT Holdings, a manufacturer and supplier of precision tools and specialized components.
  • Represented Brisa Auto-Estradas de Portugal in its sale of Northwest Parkway LLC to an international consortium of infrastructure investors (named North American M&A Deal of the Year by IJ Global).
  • Represented AIP/Aerospace Holdings LLC, a portfolio company of American Industrial Partners, its sale of Composites Horizons LLC to Precision Castparts Corp.
  • Represented Tronox Limited in its $1.64 billion acquisition of FMC Corporation’s Alkali Chemicals business.
  • Represented Berkshire Partners in, together with Warburg Pincus, a recapitalization of Consolidated Precision Products Corp.

Health Care

  • Represented Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in its sale of its manufacturing facility in Swords, Ireland, to SK Biotek Co. Ltd.
  • Represented Given Imaging Ltd. of Israel in its $1 billion sale to Covidien plc.
  • Represented ABRY Partners in its acquisition of Aegis Toxicology Sciences Corporation, a full-service provider of forensic toxicology and health care sciences laboratories, from Metalmark Capital.
  • Represented 21st Century Oncology Holdings, Inc., the largest global provider of integrated cancer care services, in connection with its emergence from chapter 11 restructuring.

Technology, Media & Telecom

  • Represented Berkshire Partners in its acquisition of Teraco Data Environments (Pty) Ltd.
  • Represented GlobalLogic and Apax Partners LLP in the sale of a significant minority interest to Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
  • Represented Charter Communications its formation of a 50/50 mobile operating platform partnership with Comcast.
  • Represented ABRY Partners in its $2.25 billion sale of RCN Telecom Services, LLC and Grande Communications Networks, LLC.

Additional Representative Matters

  • Represented a group of advisors to the sponsor of Catcha Investment Corp., a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), in its definitive agreement with Crown LNG Holdings AS, a leading provider of LNG liquefaction and regasification terminal technologies for harsh weather locations, for a business combination that would result in Crown becoming a listed company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
  • Advising sovereign wealth funds in connection with some of their most significant capital commitments, deployments and transactions across the world and covering all major sectors.

List may include matters worked on prior to joining Akin.

Languages
  • Hebrew

  • Spanish

  • Farsi

Education
  • J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, cum laude, 2013

  • M.B.A., University of Rochester, with honors, 2010

  • B.B.A., Queens College, City University of New York, summa cum laude, 2008

Bar Admissions
  • New York

Recognitions
  • Private Equity International, 40 Under 40: Future Leaders of Private Equity, 2022.
  • New York State Bar Association, Empire State Counsel Award, 2014, 2015.
  • Super Lawyers, New York Metro, Rising Star, 2023, 2024.
Affiliations and Public Service
  • Member, AIPAC National Council
  • Board Member, HIAS
  • President, Queens College Hillel
  • Legal Intern, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Trading and Markets

Insights and Achievements

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