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Keith Townsend specializes in representing public and private companies with respect to mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions and governance matters.  Keith co-leads King & Spalding’s Public Companies Practice Group.  In addition, Keith has served on our Managing Policy Committee.

Keith has substantial experience working on a broad range of public company M&A transactions, including stock-for-stock strategic mergers, tender offers, spin-offs, cross-border transactions, statutory cash mergers and divestitures, and SPAC mergers.  

Keith also has significant experience representing issuers in IPOs and offerings of debt, preferred stock and hybrid securities. Specifically, Keith’s capital markets experience includes initial public offerings, secondary offerings, “shelf” offerings, “at-the-market” offerings and Rule 144A offerings, as well as private placement transactions, tender offers, exchange offers, consent solicitations and other corporate reorganization and liability management transactions.

Keith has extensive experience in advising boards and the C-suite for public company clients on governance issues, Securities and Exchange Commission reporting and disclosure requirements, activism and other corporate and securities matters.

Keith has been recognized by Chambers USA, M&A Advisor and Georgia Super Lawyers.

Full Bio

Credentials

J.D., University of Virginia, Order of the Coif

B.A., The University of Tennessee, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

Georgia

State Bar of Georgia

Matters

Advised Total System Services, Inc. in its $54 billion merger of equals with Global Payments

Advised Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. in $3 billion merger of equals with Neenah Inc.

Advised Exterran Corp. in it's $1.5 billion merger with Enerflex Ltd.

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Matters

Advised Total System Services, Inc. in its $54 billion merger of equals with Global Payments

Advised Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. in $3 billion merger of equals with Neenah Inc.

Advised Exterran Corp. in it's $1.5 billion merger with Enerflex Ltd.

Represented Sharecare in $3.8 billion SPAC merger with Falcon Capital Acquisition Corp.

Represented Lightning eMotors in $800 million SPAC merger with Gig Capital 3

Advised Mailchimp in $12 billion acquisition by Intuit

Advised Arbor Pharmaceuticals in connection with merger with Azurity Pharmaceuticals

Worked with sponsors on multiple SPAC IPOs, including recent $250 million IPO of Riverview Acquisition Corp., $200 million IPO of BOA Acquisition Corp. and $625 million IPO of HCM Acquisition Corp.

Represented ConocoPhillips on private exchange offers over $3 billion of notes and on multiple cash tender offers for multiple tranches of debt aggregating over $5 billion

Represented General Motors in multi-tranche $4 billion notes offering

Represented Great American Outdoors Group (parent of Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s) in proposed take private of Sportsman’s Warehouse

Represented EVO Payments Inc. in a $250 million “Up-C” IPO, multiple secondary offerings of approximately $350 million and $150 million preferred stock investment by Madison Dearborn Partners

Represented Transocean in its $3.4 billion cross border acquisition of Songa Offshore and $2.7 billion acquisition of Ocean Rig

Advised Zaxby’s in sale of significant stake to Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division

Advised Xerox in multiple multi-tranche notes offering of over $1 billion

Represented Post Properties in its $17 billion merger with Mid-America Apartment Communities

Represented Endochoice in its $100 million IPO and its $210 million sale to Boston Scientific

Advised Genuine Parts on $500 million offering of senior notes

Represented Americold Realty Trust in connection with its $942 million IPO. The IPO was the largest upsized IPO of REIT shares in history

Represented UPS in multiple multi-tranche offerings of over $5 billion in notes

Represented Wingstop in its $125 million IPO and multiple follow on offerings

Represented Hanesbrands in connection with its $600 million acquisition of Maidenform Brands, Inc. and its $225 million acquisition of Gear For Sports

Represented Carter’s in multiple offerings of notes in excess of $1 billion

Represented SunTrust Banks, Inc. in various securities offerings, including: public offerings of $2.5 billion of common stock, over $1.5 billion of preferred stock, over $2.0 billion of trust preferred and other hybrid securities and over $4.0 billion of senior notes; and in a private offering for approximately $575 million under the Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program

Advised 21st Century Oncology in connection with $1.5 billion sale to GenesisCare

Represented Total System Services in multiple offerings of service notes raising proceeds in excess of $3.5 billion

Represented Xerox in unsolicited offer and proxy contest for HP Inc.

Advised underwriters Raymond JamesCitigroupStifelRBC Capital Markets and other underwriters in CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc., $140 million IPO, multiple follow on offerings raising proceeds in excess of $250 million and ATM program

Represented Colonial Pipeline in multiple offerings of notes raising proceeds in excess of $2 billion

Represented IFM Investors in $275 million senior secured notes offering

Represented Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Inc. in multiple offerings of over $1 billion of senior notes and in an “at-the-market” equity offering program

Advised Columbia Properties in connection with $100 million acquisition of Normandy Real Estate Management

Advised Morgan Stanley and Raymond James in an underwritten public offering by Rayonier in connection with an acquisition transaction involving a gross transaction value of more than $300 million

Advised Brigade Capital in connection with Guitar Center’s exchange offer and consent solicitation for $325 million of outstanding senior notes and related support agreement

Represented Post Properties, Inc. in multiple offerings of senior notes for aggregate proceeds of approximately $785 million, a common stock offering for aggregate proceeds of approximately $75 million, an “at-the-market” equity offering program and in a tender offer for $150 million of senior notes

Represented Hanesbrands in connection with multiple offerings of over $1.4 billion of senior notes

Represented ConocoPhillips in connection with its $13.3 billion sale of Western Canada assets to Cenovus Energy

Represented Mastercraft Boats in connection with multiple following offerings and the acquisition of Nauticstar

Represented JW Aluminum in connection with the issue of $300 million of senior secured notes

Represented Jack Cooper in connection with the issue of $227 million of senior secured notes

Represented Jack Cooper in connection with multiple liability management transactions, including private exchange offer transactions for an aggregate of approximately $525 million of outstanding senior secured notes and PIK Toggle notes

Advised Total System Services in its $2.3 billion acquisition of Transfirst

Represented Novelis Corporation in connection with multiple offerings of over $3.5 billion of senior notes and related tender offers and liability management transactions

Represented Acuity Brands in connection with multiple offerings of senior notes raising proceeds of over $850 million

Represented ConocoPhillips in connection with multiple offerings of senior notes raising proceeds in excess of $5 billion

Represented Georgia Pacific in connection with multiple offers of senior notes for aggregate proceeds in excess of $2 billion

Advised Nivalis Therapeutics in its $88.5 million IPO

Representation of multiple restaurant companies in connection with a range of capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions, governance matters and liability management transactions, including Ignite Restaurant GroupLogan’s RoadhouseFocus BrandsZaxby’s and Wingstop

Matters

Advised Total System Services, Inc. in its $54 billion merger of equals with Global Payments

Advised Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. in $3 billion merger of equals with Neenah Inc.

Advised Exterran Corp. in it's $1.5 billion merger with Enerflex Ltd.

See more

Close

Matters

Advised Total System Services, Inc. in its $54 billion merger of equals with Global Payments

Advised Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. in $3 billion merger of equals with Neenah Inc.

Advised Exterran Corp. in it's $1.5 billion merger with Enerflex Ltd.

Represented Sharecare in $3.8 billion SPAC merger with Falcon Capital Acquisition Corp.

Represented Lightning eMotors in $800 million SPAC merger with Gig Capital 3

Advised Mailchimp in $12 billion acquisition by Intuit

Advised Arbor Pharmaceuticals in connection with merger with Azurity Pharmaceuticals

Worked with sponsors on multiple SPAC IPOs, including recent $250 million IPO of Riverview Acquisition Corp., $200 million IPO of BOA Acquisition Corp. and $625 million IPO of HCM Acquisition Corp.

Represented ConocoPhillips on private exchange offers over $3 billion of notes and on multiple cash tender offers for multiple tranches of debt aggregating over $5 billion

Represented General Motors in multi-tranche $4 billion notes offering

Represented Great American Outdoors Group (parent of Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s) in proposed take private of Sportsman’s Warehouse

Represented EVO Payments Inc. in a $250 million “Up-C” IPO, multiple secondary offerings of approximately $350 million and $150 million preferred stock investment by Madison Dearborn Partners

Represented Transocean in its $3.4 billion cross border acquisition of Songa Offshore and $2.7 billion acquisition of Ocean Rig

Advised Zaxby’s in sale of significant stake to Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division

Advised Xerox in multiple multi-tranche notes offering of over $1 billion

Represented Post Properties in its $17 billion merger with Mid-America Apartment Communities

Represented Endochoice in its $100 million IPO and its $210 million sale to Boston Scientific

Advised Genuine Parts on $500 million offering of senior notes

Represented Americold Realty Trust in connection with its $942 million IPO. The IPO was the largest upsized IPO of REIT shares in history

Represented UPS in multiple multi-tranche offerings of over $5 billion in notes

Represented Wingstop in its $125 million IPO and multiple follow on offerings

Represented Hanesbrands in connection with its $600 million acquisition of Maidenform Brands, Inc. and its $225 million acquisition of Gear For Sports

Represented Carter’s in multiple offerings of notes in excess of $1 billion

Represented SunTrust Banks, Inc. in various securities offerings, including: public offerings of $2.5 billion of common stock, over $1.5 billion of preferred stock, over $2.0 billion of trust preferred and other hybrid securities and over $4.0 billion of senior notes; and in a private offering for approximately $575 million under the Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program

Advised 21st Century Oncology in connection with $1.5 billion sale to GenesisCare

Represented Total System Services in multiple offerings of service notes raising proceeds in excess of $3.5 billion

Represented Xerox in unsolicited offer and proxy contest for HP Inc.

Advised underwriters Raymond JamesCitigroupStifelRBC Capital Markets and other underwriters in CatchMark Timber Trust, Inc., $140 million IPO, multiple follow on offerings raising proceeds in excess of $250 million and ATM program

Represented Colonial Pipeline in multiple offerings of notes raising proceeds in excess of $2 billion

Represented IFM Investors in $275 million senior secured notes offering

Represented Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Inc. in multiple offerings of over $1 billion of senior notes and in an “at-the-market” equity offering program

Advised Columbia Properties in connection with $100 million acquisition of Normandy Real Estate Management

Advised Morgan Stanley and Raymond James in an underwritten public offering by Rayonier in connection with an acquisition transaction involving a gross transaction value of more than $300 million

Advised Brigade Capital in connection with Guitar Center’s exchange offer and consent solicitation for $325 million of outstanding senior notes and related support agreement

Represented Post Properties, Inc. in multiple offerings of senior notes for aggregate proceeds of approximately $785 million, a common stock offering for aggregate proceeds of approximately $75 million, an “at-the-market” equity offering program and in a tender offer for $150 million of senior notes

Represented Hanesbrands in connection with multiple offerings of over $1.4 billion of senior notes

Represented ConocoPhillips in connection with its $13.3 billion sale of Western Canada assets to Cenovus Energy

Represented Mastercraft Boats in connection with multiple following offerings and the acquisition of Nauticstar

Represented JW Aluminum in connection with the issue of $300 million of senior secured notes

Represented Jack Cooper in connection with the issue of $227 million of senior secured notes

Represented Jack Cooper in connection with multiple liability management transactions, including private exchange offer transactions for an aggregate of approximately $525 million of outstanding senior secured notes and PIK Toggle notes

Advised Total System Services in its $2.3 billion acquisition of Transfirst

Represented Novelis Corporation in connection with multiple offerings of over $3.5 billion of senior notes and related tender offers and liability management transactions

Represented Acuity Brands in connection with multiple offerings of senior notes raising proceeds of over $850 million

Represented ConocoPhillips in connection with multiple offerings of senior notes raising proceeds in excess of $5 billion

Represented Georgia Pacific in connection with multiple offers of senior notes for aggregate proceeds in excess of $2 billion

Advised Nivalis Therapeutics in its $88.5 million IPO

Representation of multiple restaurant companies in connection with a range of capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions, governance matters and liability management transactions, including Ignite Restaurant GroupLogan’s RoadhouseFocus BrandsZaxby’s and Wingstop

Credentials

J.D., University of Virginia, Order of the Coif

B.A., The University of Tennessee, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

Georgia

State Bar of Georgia