A trusted advisor with more than 25 years of experience structuring complex transactions and holding senior executive roles at market-leading companies, Edward Taibi provides insider knowledge when advising clients on a variety of their business needs.
Ed’s practice focuses on innovative transactional structuring, corporate governance, public and private financings, complex legal matters, and regulatory initiatives. He has led or executed M&A, investing, financing and joint venture transactions representing over $30 billion in value. Ed is also well versed in advising companies in regulated industries such as Defense and Government Services, Renewable and Nuclear Energy, Financial Technology, Consumer Products, and Business and Marketing Services. He also brings extensive experience working with family offices and their advisors to tailor capital investments in both private and public companies. In addition to his transactional leadership, Ed's substantial background in corporate governance, SEC and other regulatory matters, and in building strategic relationships with key advisors and stakeholders, underscores his ability to drive impactful results in high-stakes transactions.
Throughout his career, Ed has held senior executive roles, including General Counsel and Executive Vice President - Strategic Initiatives & Government Affairs of the publicly-traded renewable energy company, Archaea Energy; Executive Vice President at MacAndrews & Forbes; and General Counsel of nuclear fusion technology company, SHINE Technologies. While at MacAndrews & Forbes, he drove dozens of acquisitions, divestitures and financing transactions. He has also executed major corporate transactions while serving as a senior executive of operating companies, including the approximate $4.1 billion sale of Archaea Energy. Ed brings extensive experience in leading both multi-billion-dollar and middle-market transactions, often groundbreaking in nature, while also offering insider advice from his multi-disciplinary operating company management background.
Ed gained sophisticated legal experience earlier in his career at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and at Chiomenti in Milan, Italy. He is fluent in Italian and proficient in Spanish.
Renewable Energy Industry
- Represented the sale of publicly traded renewable energy company Archaea Energy as its General Counsel to bp for approximately $4 billion.
- Represented Archaea Energy as General Counsel in the acquisition of renewable energy company Ingenco.
- Represented Archaea Energy as General Counsel in its industry-transformative renewable energy joint venture with Republic Services.
- Represented Archaea Energy in multiple financing transactions.
- Represented Archaea Energy as General Counsel in various matters with the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and other regulatory agencies.
Marketing Services Industry
- Originated and executed the take-private acquisition of promotional advertising company Valassis Communications for approximately $2 billion and the integration of the company with business services company Harland Clarke, as well as the related comprehensive refinancing of the combined company.
- Led the acquisition through a take-private transaction of digital advertising company Maxpoint for approximately $100 million and its strategic combination to create Valassis Digital, as well as the related acquisition financing.
- Originated and executed the acquisition through a carve-out from Gannett of hyper-local promotional advertising company Clipper, as well as the subsequent nationwide roll-up acquisitions of locally based competing publications.
- Initiated and executed the acquisition through a take-private transaction of industry-leading online coupon marketplace RetailmeNot, as well as the related acquisition financing and its combination with Valassis, and the subsequent sale of the company to a strategic buyer. Also structured the acquisition for RetailMeNot of RXSaver, a pioneer in the prescription pharmaceutical coupon sector.
Defense Industry
- Executed the acquisition through a leveraged partnership of military vehicle manufacturer AM General and the subsequent sale of the company.
- Structured and led the sale of a defense automotive plant to a Chinese automotive conglomerate and shepherded the transaction through regulatory approvals including CFIUS and China-based funds-transfer requirements.
- Negotiated numerous joint ventures to build various specialty and combat vehicles for Humvee manufacturer AM General.
- Led the investment in a vehicle-based howitzer company.
Business and Financial Services Industry
- Led the acquisition through a take-private transaction, and related financing, of financial services company The John H. Harland Company for approximately $1.7 billion and its combination with Clarke American.
- Structured and executed the acquisition through a carve-out from Honeywell of financial services company Clarke American Corp. for approximately $800 million.
- Led the sale of core banking software and payments provider Harland Financial Solutions for approximately $1.2 billion to a strategic buyer.
- Led the Series D round investment in electronic billing and payments platform Transactis and the eventual sale of the company to MasterCard.
- Led the initial acquisition of education-focused data collection company Scantron. Subsequently led the combination with a competitor in a carve-out acquisition from Pearson. Finally, executed the sale of Scantron to a private equity buyer.
- Structured numerous acquisitions in the financial services sector for Harland Clarke Holdings, including the acquisition of banking statement business NCP and the eventual sale of the business to a strategic buyer.
- Executed the sale of AlliedBarton Security to Blackstone, which was one of the final leveraged buyouts immediately prior to the financial collapse of 2008. Also led numerous roll-up acquisitions to grow AlliedBarton to be the largest United States-based security guard company.
Consumer Products Industry
- Structured and led the acquisition by Revlon through a take-private transaction of cosmetics and fragrance company Elizabeth Arden for approximately $800 million, including the related acquisition financing.
- Structured and led the acquisition by Revlon of the Spain-based consumer products company Colomer for approximately $700 million, including the related acquisition financing.
- Structured and executed for MacAndrews & Forbes a significant tender offer for shares of Revlon, its controlled subsidiary.
- Executed a debt-for-equity exchange between MacAndrews & Forbes and Revlon involving newly issued public stock in exchange for debt, including helping navigate through challenges in Delaware Chancery Court.
Significant Take-Private Transactions
- Participated in the take-private by MacAndrews & Forbes of publicly listed portfolio company M&F Worldwide, which led to the establishment of the ground-breaking “MFW” controlling stockholder take-private doctrine in Delaware.
- Represented publicly-listed Immunex Corp., the manufacturer of Enbrel, to Amgen, along with antitrust-driven divestitures of various assets, for approximately $17 billion in the aggregate.
Significant Transactions in Bankruptcy Processes
- Structured and completed the acquisition through a pre-packaged Chapter 11 process of publicly-listed online automotive parts reseller partsID.
- Structured the acquisition in a state bankruptcy process of the assets of wheelchair accessible vehicle business MV-1 by foreclosing on the secured loan of the company acquired from the Department of Energy as lender.
- Led the acquisition of an automotive assembly plant from General Motors as part of the General Motors bankruptcy reformation.
- Executed multiple acquisitions for The Williams Co., including a successful acquisition through a Chapter 11 Section 363 process.
Significant Transactions in Italy
- Executed the sale of Italian scooter manufacturer Piaggio to a large Italian industrial group.
- Executed the sale of publicly-listed Italian biotech company to a United States-based strategic buyer.
- Structured multiple joint ventures of Italian companies across various industries and continents.
- Participated in the acquisition of Telecom Italia, the largest LBO in Italian corporate history.
News
Practice Areas
Education
J.D., New York University School of Law, 1998
B.A., summa cum laude, Rutgers University, 1995
- Phi Beta Kappa
Admissions
- New York
Languages
- Italian
- Spanish