Robert W. Guazzo is a Partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department.  Robert has a broad corporate and securities law practice, with particular focus on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital investments, public and private securities offerings, secured and unsecured debt financing, and joint ventures. Robert regularly advises companies and boards of directors on corporate governance and regulatory matters.  Robert also regularly represents established and emerging companies throughout all phases of their development—formation, financing, general corporate growth and realization events.  Robert’s experience includes representing clients in, among others, the financial services, healthcare, banking, technology, consumer products, manufacturing, shipping, venture capital and private equity industries.

Robert represents both public and private companies and private equity funds in numerous acquisitions, sales, and merger transactions, as well as joint ventures and strategic alliances. In the area of private equity and venture capital, Robert regularly advises investment funds, as well as their portfolio companies, in private placements and venture and other capital raising transactions. As part of his securities practice, Robert represents issuers, underwriters and placement agents in a variety of public and private financing transactions, including public offerings, PIPE transactions, high-yield debt offerings and secured and unsecured financings.

Robert earned his law degree, cum laude, from Boston University School of Law in 1997.  He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in government, cum laude, from Cornell University in 1993.  Robert is admitted to practice in the State of New York.  Robert has been a member of the New York City Bar Association Corporation Committee since 2013.  Prior to joining the firm, Robert was a corporate partner at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP a prominent Manhattan-based corporate law firm.  Robert also formed and ran a solo practice for two years.

Representative Transactions

Robert’s prior representations include representing:

• A large New York not-for-profit health plan in its conversion from not-for-profit to for-profit status.
• A large New York not-for-profit health plan in its acquisition of several New York health plans.
• A private equity fund in acquisitions, private equity investments, divestitures and financings for portfolio companies in the technology, food-service, publishing and shipping sectors.
• A family-controlled investment vehicle in private-equity, venture capital and PIPE transactions in the technology and healthcare sectors.
• A multi-national technology company in connection with its acquisition of its 50-state distributor network, several technology companies in the printing and imaging sectors and other general corporate matters.
• A high-technology manufacturing company in a restructuring of its outstanding debt which included: a 144A offering of Senior Secured Notes, two exchange offers and consent solicitations with respect to certain existing promissory notes and warrants and the negotiation of a new revolving senior secured revolving credit facility.
• A high-technology manufacturing company in its sale to a large multi-national technology company.

Articles & Presentations

• Author: "Six important questions to ask when starting a new business" (So. FL Business Journal, April 2012)
   
• Instructor: Stevens Institute of Technology—Howe School of Technology Management Law & Entrepreneurship Program—First and Second Annual "How to Advise Entrepreneurial Clients Conference" (December 2007 and 2008)