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Joseph Halloum leads the M&A/Private Equity practice in Silicon Valley and concentrates his practice on private equity and public company mergers and acquisitions. 

Over the course of his career, Joseph has represented leading private equity funds and their portfolio companies in a full range of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, leveraged financings, and reorganizations. His representative private equity clients have included: Vista Equity Partners, HGGC, Ares Management, Permira, CVC Capital, and Mulliez family office portfolio company Foundever, among others. In addition, Joseph has represented leading public companies as strategic buyers and sellers in significant transactions and counseled senior management and boards of directors on complex corporate governance matters. Joseph's representative public company clients have included: ServiceNow, Ericsson, Broadcom, Keysight Technologies, and Zymergen, among others.  

As a result of Joseph's diverse client base, he is familiar with the sensitivities of all deal parties in negotiations and helps clients to anticipate and resolve issues. He has extensive experience advising clients across a very broad range of industry sectors, including technology, software, artificial intelligence, life sciences, insurance, fintech, telecom, education, commodities, infrastructure and consumer products.

Joseph is a nationally-recognized M&A and Private Equity advisor who has led on several of the largest and most notable technology and life sciences deals over the last several years. Joseph is a member of the firm's Private Equity/M&A and Public Company practice groups, as well as the Technology and Life Sciences industry teams. 

Joseph is regularly sought after for his broad-based transactional experience in high-profile and complex M&A and private equity investments, including LBOs, strategic sales, carve-outs, tender offers,  take-privates and exits,  joint ventures, domestic and cross-border transactions,  growth equity,  PIPEs and toe-hold investments in public companies, IPOs and SPAC transactions, debt and equity financings,  restructurings and recapitalizations,  and SEC compliance matters.

He has also represented numerous companies and boards in connection with large shareholder matters and activist defense and unsolicited takeover situations, the majority of which remain confidential. Among publicly disclosed situations, he has advised TriNet Group with matters involving its largest shareholder Atairos Group, Del Frisco’s in its settlement with Engaged Capital, Yahoo! in its settlement with Third Point, Autodesk in its settlements with Sachem Head Capital and Eminence Capital, and Tessera Technologies in its settlement with Starboard Value.

Beyond his legal practice, Joseph is committed to shaping the future of legal education and supporting aspiring legal professionals as a part-time lecturer in the Fall semester teaching M&A at Berkeley Law. Following strong praise and popularity with Berkeley Law students, Joseph will also teach M&A at Stanford Law in the Spring of 2026.

In addition to teaching, Joseph is committed to thought leadership and empowering the Bay Area legal community through his creation of The GC Roundtable, in partnership with Stanford Law. As the Founder and Co-Chair of The GC Roundtable, Joseph is intimately involved with bringing together chief legal officers and general counsel from tech companies and PE firms in the Bay Area to meet, network and discuss the most pressing issues at the forefront of business and law.

Joseph is also a strong supporter of his alma mater, UC Berkeley, where he founded and oversees the Emma and Joseph H. Halloum Business Competition and Negotiation Competition at Berkeley Law. The Business Competition is the first and only competition in the nation that joins together students from a university's law school and graduate business school in a negotiation case competition to tackle a challenging real-world transaction.

Full Bio

Credentials

B.S., University of California, Berkeley – Haas School of Business

CET, University of California, Berkeley – College of Engineering

J.D., University of California, Berkeley, School of Law

California

District of Columbia

New York

Founder and Co-Chair of the GC Roundtable, Stanford Law

Founder, Emma and Joseph H. Halloum Business Competition and Negotiation Competition, Berkeley Haas + Law

Lecturer, Mergers & Acquisitions, Stanford Law (Spring 2026)

Lecturer, Mergers & Acquisitions, University of California, Berkeley – School of Law

M&A/Corporate and Commercial - M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m)


Legal 500 US

Elected to Law360 Private Equity Editorial Board


2025

Named to the "M&A Powerlist"


Legal 500, 2024

Ranked as a “Rising Star” for M&A


Super Lawyers, 2019 – 2023

Named to "Lawyers on the Fast Track"


California Legal Awards, 2022

Recognized as a California “Trailblazer”


The Recorder, 2019

Named as a leading lawyer


IFLR1000

Recognized with a California Lawyer “Attorney of the Year” award


The Daily Journal, 2016

Close

Recognition

M&A/Corporate and Commercial - M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m)


Legal 500 US

Elected to Law360 Private Equity Editorial Board


2025

Named to the "M&A Powerlist"


Legal 500, 2024

Ranked as a “Rising Star” for M&A


Super Lawyers, 2019 – 2023

Named to "Lawyers on the Fast Track"


California Legal Awards, 2022

Recognized as a California “Trailblazer”


The Recorder, 2019

Named as a leading lawyer


IFLR1000

Recognized with a California Lawyer “Attorney of the Year” award


The Daily Journal, 2016

Matters

Mr. Halloum has handled hundreds of M&A matters across various geographies, industries, capital structures and transaction types involving private equity funds and public companies, including:

Private Equity Representations

Vista Equity Partners on numerous acquisitions, including its $1.55 billion acquisition and split up of The Advisory Board Company’s education business, $1.6 billion take-private of Infoblox, $564 million acquisition of Xactly, $2 billion acquisition of Apptio and $2 billion take-private of MINDBODY.

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Matters

Mr. Halloum has handled hundreds of M&A matters across various geographies, industries, capital structures and transaction types involving private equity funds and public companies, including:

Private Equity Representations

Vista Equity Partners on numerous acquisitions, including its $1.55 billion acquisition and split up of The Advisory Board Company’s education business, $1.6 billion take-private of Infoblox, $564 million acquisition of Xactly, $2 billion acquisition of Apptio and $2 billion take-private of MINDBODY.

HGGC on various matters, including its acquisition of Zoo Printing, $825 million acquisition of Monotype Imaging, $555 million take-private of RPX and $450 million acquisition of Nutraceutical.

Permira Funds on various matters, including its $1.1 billion sale of Renaissance Learnings to Hellman & Friedman, and its $5 billion sale of NDS Group to Cisco Systems.

CVC Capital on various matters, including its $470 million minority investment in Aleph Holding and subsequent IPO plans.

Zeus Company on its $3.4 billion sale to EQT Partners.

Mulliez portfolio company Foundever on numerous confidential and pending investments and acquisitions, including its $2.2 billion take-private of Sykes Enterprises, sale of portfolio company ClearLink Technologies to Clarke Capital Partners, and minority equity and debt investments in XSELL Technologies.

Ares Management and Smart & Final Stores on its $1.12 billion sale to Apollo Global Management.

True Wind Capital on its acquisition of ARI Network Services.

Vector Capital and Sizmek, on their acquisition of Rocket Fuel.

WL Ross & Co. on its $500 million SPAC and subsequent $1.6 billion acquisition of Nexeo Solutions from TPG.

EnergySolutions on its $1.1 billion sale to Energy Capital Partners.

Parthenon Capital Partners on various matters, including its $1.05 billion sale of Cayan to TSYS, and sale of Eliza Corp. to HMS.

Olympus Partners on various matters, including its sale of NPC International, the largest Pizza Hut and Wendy’s franchisee, to Durational Capital, and its simultaneous acquisitions of supply chain technology providers MEBC Global and Plantensive.

Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group on its $650 million sale to L Catterton.

Fortress on its $440 million co-investment and acquisition of Perry Ellis.

Peak Rock Capital on numerous matters, including its acquisition of Sweet Harvest Foods and Pretzels, Inc.

Macquarie Capital, as co-sponsor, in the Hydra Industries SPAC IPO.

Fox Paine & Co. on various matters, including its sale of Penhaligon's and L'Artisan Parfumeur to PUIG and acquisition of Global Indemnity.

Steinway Musical on its $512 million sale to Paulson & Co.

Public Company Representations

ServiceNow on its acquisitions of Cuein, Inc.and Era Software, Inc., and carve-out businesses from Advance Solutions and Bravium Consulting.

Keysight Technologies on its $1.4 billion acquisition of Spirent Communications.

Zymergen on its $300 million sale to Ginkgo Bioworks—the first-ever sale of a publicly-listed public benefit corporation.

Ericsson on various matters, including its $6.2 billion acquisition of Vonage and sale of its IoT Accelerator and Connected Vehicle Cloud businesses to Aeris Communications.

Aristocrat Leisure on its $1.2 billion acquisition of Nasdaq-listed Neogames.

Entain in connection with DraftKings’ $22.4 billion and MGM’s $11 billion takeover offers.

Saint-Gobain on its $2.3 billion acquisition of GCP Applied Technologies.

Delphi Technologies on its $3.3 billion sale to BorgWarner.

Broadcom on numerous matters, including its $37 billion sale to Avago Technologies; $164 million carve-out acquisition of LTE-related assets from Renesas Electronics; and $3.7 billion acquisition of NetLogic Microsystem.

LSI Corp. on its $6.6 billion sale to Avago Technologies.

Lattice Semiconductor on its $600 million acquisition of Silicon Image.

Dell on its $2.4 billion acquisition of Quest Software.

The Walt Disney Company on its $4.05 billion acquisition of Lucasfilm.

Yahoo! on several matters, including in connection with Alibaba’s $25 billion IPO and sale of a $16 billion ownership stake in Alibaba in a series of transactions; and agreements with Alibaba and Softbank on the $4 billion restructuring of Alibaba’s Alipay business.

Matters

Mr. Halloum has handled hundreds of M&A matters across various geographies, industries, capital structures and transaction types involving private equity funds and public companies, including:

Private Equity Representations

Vista Equity Partners on numerous acquisitions, including its $1.55 billion acquisition and split up of The Advisory Board Company’s education business, $1.6 billion take-private of Infoblox, $564 million acquisition of Xactly, $2 billion acquisition of Apptio and $2 billion take-private of MINDBODY.

See more

Close

Matters

Mr. Halloum has handled hundreds of M&A matters across various geographies, industries, capital structures and transaction types involving private equity funds and public companies, including:

Private Equity Representations

Vista Equity Partners on numerous acquisitions, including its $1.55 billion acquisition and split up of The Advisory Board Company’s education business, $1.6 billion take-private of Infoblox, $564 million acquisition of Xactly, $2 billion acquisition of Apptio and $2 billion take-private of MINDBODY.

HGGC on various matters, including its acquisition of Zoo Printing, $825 million acquisition of Monotype Imaging, $555 million take-private of RPX and $450 million acquisition of Nutraceutical.

Permira Funds on various matters, including its $1.1 billion sale of Renaissance Learnings to Hellman & Friedman, and its $5 billion sale of NDS Group to Cisco Systems.

CVC Capital on various matters, including its $470 million minority investment in Aleph Holding and subsequent IPO plans.

Zeus Company on its $3.4 billion sale to EQT Partners.

Mulliez portfolio company Foundever on numerous confidential and pending investments and acquisitions, including its $2.2 billion take-private of Sykes Enterprises, sale of portfolio company ClearLink Technologies to Clarke Capital Partners, and minority equity and debt investments in XSELL Technologies.

Ares Management and Smart & Final Stores on its $1.12 billion sale to Apollo Global Management.

True Wind Capital on its acquisition of ARI Network Services.

Vector Capital and Sizmek, on their acquisition of Rocket Fuel.

WL Ross & Co. on its $500 million SPAC and subsequent $1.6 billion acquisition of Nexeo Solutions from TPG.

EnergySolutions on its $1.1 billion sale to Energy Capital Partners.

Parthenon Capital Partners on various matters, including its $1.05 billion sale of Cayan to TSYS, and sale of Eliza Corp. to HMS.

Olympus Partners on various matters, including its sale of NPC International, the largest Pizza Hut and Wendy’s franchisee, to Durational Capital, and its simultaneous acquisitions of supply chain technology providers MEBC Global and Plantensive.

Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group on its $650 million sale to L Catterton.

Fortress on its $440 million co-investment and acquisition of Perry Ellis.

Peak Rock Capital on numerous matters, including its acquisition of Sweet Harvest Foods and Pretzels, Inc.

Macquarie Capital, as co-sponsor, in the Hydra Industries SPAC IPO.

Fox Paine & Co. on various matters, including its sale of Penhaligon's and L'Artisan Parfumeur to PUIG and acquisition of Global Indemnity.

Steinway Musical on its $512 million sale to Paulson & Co.

Public Company Representations

ServiceNow on its acquisitions of Cuein, Inc.and Era Software, Inc., and carve-out businesses from Advance Solutions and Bravium Consulting.

Keysight Technologies on its $1.4 billion acquisition of Spirent Communications.

Zymergen on its $300 million sale to Ginkgo Bioworks—the first-ever sale of a publicly-listed public benefit corporation.

Ericsson on various matters, including its $6.2 billion acquisition of Vonage and sale of its IoT Accelerator and Connected Vehicle Cloud businesses to Aeris Communications.

Aristocrat Leisure on its $1.2 billion acquisition of Nasdaq-listed Neogames.

Entain in connection with DraftKings’ $22.4 billion and MGM’s $11 billion takeover offers.

Saint-Gobain on its $2.3 billion acquisition of GCP Applied Technologies.

Delphi Technologies on its $3.3 billion sale to BorgWarner.

Broadcom on numerous matters, including its $37 billion sale to Avago Technologies; $164 million carve-out acquisition of LTE-related assets from Renesas Electronics; and $3.7 billion acquisition of NetLogic Microsystem.

LSI Corp. on its $6.6 billion sale to Avago Technologies.

Lattice Semiconductor on its $600 million acquisition of Silicon Image.

Dell on its $2.4 billion acquisition of Quest Software.

The Walt Disney Company on its $4.05 billion acquisition of Lucasfilm.

Yahoo! on several matters, including in connection with Alibaba’s $25 billion IPO and sale of a $16 billion ownership stake in Alibaba in a series of transactions; and agreements with Alibaba and Softbank on the $4 billion restructuring of Alibaba’s Alipay business.

Credentials

B.S., University of California, Berkeley – Haas School of Business

CET, University of California, Berkeley – College of Engineering

J.D., University of California, Berkeley, School of Law

California

District of Columbia

New York

Founder and Co-Chair of the GC Roundtable, Stanford Law

Founder, Emma and Joseph H. Halloum Business Competition and Negotiation Competition, Berkeley Haas + Law

Lecturer, Mergers & Acquisitions, Stanford Law (Spring 2026)

Lecturer, Mergers & Acquisitions, University of California, Berkeley – School of Law

M&A/Corporate and Commercial - M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m)


Legal 500 US

Elected to Law360 Private Equity Editorial Board


2025

Named to the "M&A Powerlist"


Legal 500, 2024

Ranked as a “Rising Star” for M&A


Super Lawyers, 2019 – 2023

Named to "Lawyers on the Fast Track"


California Legal Awards, 2022

Recognized as a California “Trailblazer”


The Recorder, 2019

Named as a leading lawyer


IFLR1000

Recognized with a California Lawyer “Attorney of the Year” award


The Daily Journal, 2016

Close

Recognition

M&A/Corporate and Commercial - M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m)


Legal 500 US

Elected to Law360 Private Equity Editorial Board


2025

Named to the "M&A Powerlist"


Legal 500, 2024

Ranked as a “Rising Star” for M&A


Super Lawyers, 2019 – 2023

Named to "Lawyers on the Fast Track"


California Legal Awards, 2022

Recognized as a California “Trailblazer”


The Recorder, 2019

Named as a leading lawyer


IFLR1000

Recognized with a California Lawyer “Attorney of the Year” award


The Daily Journal, 2016