Heshmati, Parviz Aaron

Robert Schwed is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group, and a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group. He joined the firm in 2002.

Practice

Mr. Schwed has over 35 years of experience in private equity and has built a substantial practice working with private equity firms and their portfolio companies in mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance transactions.

Mr. Schwed has represented venture capital and buyout firms and other institutional investors in equity and debt investments, public and private buyout transactions and workouts, recapitalizations and other restructurings. His leveraged buyout experience includes the acquisition of divisions or business units from major industrial, financial services, healthcare, retailing, media and communications companies, as well as the acquisition of public companies in the computer, data processing, healthcare and communications industries. He also has acted as general counsel to private equity firms, including advising firms seeking to raise investment capital from institutional investors.

Additionally, Mr. Schwed has extensive experience in representing the portfolio companies of private equity firms, primarily in connection with public and private financing transactions, and in mergers and acquisitions. He has acted as counsel to both acquiring and acquired companies in acquisitions of private companies by public companies and in mergers between public companies. Mr. Schwed has advised special committees of boards of directors in takeover situations and has served as a director of two public companies that were eventually acquired by other public companies. He also has represented various start-up ventures, and has served as counsel to the issuers or underwriters in a number of initial public offerings for software, Internet, biotechnology, alternate energy, airline, healthcare, information services and other companies.

Professional Activities

Mr. Schwed is an adjunct professor at George Washington University School of Law, where he teaches a course in venture capital law.

Honors and Awards

• Listed for his private equity: buyouts practice in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 editions of Chambers Global
• Recognized for exceptional standing in the legal community in the area of investment funds: private equity buyouts in each edition of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business since 2003
• Selected for inclusion in Metro Edition magazine as a 2011 "New York Super Lawyer"