Hal Leibowitz is a vice chair of the Transactional Department, and a member of the firm's Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group. He joined the firm in 1985.
Practice
Mr. Leibowitz's practice focuses on corporate and securities law matters for technology companies in the software and telecom, services and life sciences industries, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions and public offerings. Among the clients he represents are:
- Akamai Technologies
- Analogic Corporation
- Becton Dickenson
- Bookham Technology
- Icagen, Inc.
- Kadant Inc.
- Keane, Inc.
- LTX-Credence Corporation
- Parexel International
- PerkinElmer, Inc.
- RSA Security Inc.
- Saucony
- Thermo Fisher Scientific
- Wyeth
- Veracode, Inc.
Representative transactions in which Mr. Leibowitz has served as counsel include:
- A wide range of merger and acquisition transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions of numerous public and private companies, tender offers, exchange offers and going private transactions
- Many public offerings in the high technology, life sciences and services industries for both issuers and underwriters
- Venture capital financings of technology companies in the telecom and wireless, software and services industries
Recent Highlights
- Representation of PerkinElmer in its pending acquisition of Caliper Life Sciences, the divestiture of its Illumination and Detection Solutions business and its acquisitions of Signature Genomic Laboratories and ViaCell
- Representation of Icagen in its acquisition by Pfizer
- Representation of Thermo Fisher Scientific in its acquisitions of Phadia Group, Fementas International, Cohesive Technologies, Priority Solutions and the Kendro Laboratory Products division of SPX Corporation
- Representation of LTX Corporation in its combination with Credence Systems and its proposed combination with Verigy Ltd.
- Representation of Netezza in its acquisition by IBM
- Representation of Skillsoft PLC in its acquisition by a new company formed by funds sponsored by each of Berkshire Partners, Advent International and Bain Capital
- Representation of Aspect Medical in its acquisition by Covidien
- Representation of Sepracor in its acquisition by Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma
- Representation of The Medicines Company in its acquisition of Targanta Therapeutics
- Representation of Progress Software in its acquisition of IONA Technologies
- Representation of Millennium Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition by Takeda Pharmaceuticals
- Representation of Applix in its acquisition by Cognos
- Representation of Keane in its acquisition by Caritor
- Representation of RSA Security in its acquisition by EMC Corporation
- Representation of Eyetech Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition by OSI Pharmaceuticals
- Representation of PerkinElmer in the sale of its aerospace business to Eaton Corporation
- Representation of RSA Security in its acquisitions of Cyota, Inc. and PassMark Security, Inc.
- Representation of Oasis Semiconductor in its sale to SigmaTel, Inc.
- Representation of Akamai in its acquisitions of Speedera Network, Nine Systems and Netli
- Representation of Kadant in its acquisition of The Johnson Corporation
- Representation of Saucony in its sale to The Stride Rite Corporation
- Representation of Bookham Technology in its acquisition of New Focus
- Representation of Keane in its acquisitions of Metro Information Systems and Signal Tree Solutions
Professional Activities
Mr. Leibowitz serves on the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Network Communications Council. He is a member of the Massachusetts and Boston Bar Associations, and a member of the American Bar Association's Section on Business Law, where he serves on the Merger and Acquisitions Committee's Market Trends Subcommittee and the Editorial Board of the Committee’s Task Force on Public Company Acquisitions. In addition, he chairs the ABA Market Trends Subcommittee’s annual survey of deal points in the acquisition of public companies by strategic buyers. Mr. Leibowitz is also a member of the Thomson Reuters Governance, Risk and Compliance Partner Advisory Board, a think tank that discusses pressing issues facing the legal industry and formulates solutions to help colleagues run more effective businesses.
Honors and Awards
- Recognized as a Massachusetts leader in the corporate/M&A field in the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 editions of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business.
- Recognized for exceptional standing in the legal community in the 2006 edition of Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business
- Recognized in the 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 editions of Boston Magazine as a "New England Super Lawyer" (formerly "Massachusetts Super Lawyer") for mergers and acquisitions, as well as for his representation of public companies
- Selected by his peers in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the area of mergers & acquisitions law
Speaking Engagements
- American Bar Association programs on "M&A Negotiation Trends Involving Public Targets", 2008, 2009 and 2010
- Massachusetts Software Council 2005 and 2004 Legal Issues Series, Boston, MA, Moderator, January 2004 to December 2005
- Major Business Agreements Conference, "Negotiating and Drafting Letters of Intent," Boston, MA, December 2003
- KPMG Audit Committee Institute Roundtable, Legal Issues Update, Boston, MA, October 2003
- TiE – Boston Summit, "It's All About the Cash: Raising Capital in the Current Environment," Boston, MA, October 2002
- Massachusetts Software Council 2003 Legal Issues Series, "Buying and Selling Troubled Companies: Consolidating in a Down Economy," Boston, MA, December 2001
