Overview
Jake Townsend focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital transactions and general corporate representation. He is experienced in matters involving mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, private equity and venture capital financing, and complex commercial transactions involving multiple jurisdictions for a broad range of private and public clients. He also provides continuing general corporate legal advice to a number of the Firm’s clients. Jake focuses on the delivery of efficient and cost-effective corporate services and products at the highest level of quality that integrates multiple jurisdictions and multiple practice areas.
Jake also focuses his practice on representing family offices and family-owned businesses. Jake has a broad range of experience assisting owners of closely held businesses and their family offices with the full range of corporate and transactional needs. He regularly advises family and family office clients on corporate transactions, recapitalizations and other liquidity events, direct investing, corporate governance, general commercial counseling, succession planning, wealth transfer planning and family office structuring. In addition, he frequently counsels family investors in connection with their investments in private equity, venture capital and hedge funds. Jake regularly teams with McDermott colleagues in the Private Client and Tax Practice Groups to create cross-disciplinary solutions for families and family offices.
Jake frequently represents private equity funds and their portfolio companies in their acquisitions, recapitalizations and exit transactions. In addition, he counsels investors in connection with their investments in private equity, venture capital and hedge funds.
Results
- Represented Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, in its acquisition of Masthead Industries, LLC (one of the largest providers in the United States specializing in industrial hose sales and services), through its wholly owned subsidiary, Bridgestone Hose America, Inc.
- Represented the family owners of a US-based global manufacturer of automotive switches, controls and computer keyboards, in the cross-border sale to a German company and leading automotive industry supplier specializing in driveline and chassis technologies
- Represented a family-owned leading provider of chemistry and biological equipment and supplies for schools in connection with its sale to a private equity fund
- Represented a family office in connection with the wind down and liquidation of a family-owned operating business. The transaction included a pre-closing corporate reorganization, transfer of real estate and mineral and mining interests, termination and distribution of the corporate liquidating trust, and the sale of disposition of residual business assets
- Structured a new family office for a client following the multibillion-dollar sale of the family business, including innovative structures that provided tax efficiency and administrative ease for the family office’s investment partnerships
Community
- American Bar Association
- Art Institute of Chicago, Auxiliary Board member
Credentials
Education
University of Chicago Law School, JD, 1998
Georgetown University, BSFS, magna cum laude, 1992
Admissions
Illinois
Languages
English
Spanish
