Andrew Blau is Partner in the Firm’s Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Practice. Andrew advises clients on compensatory and benefit arrangements, such as equity-based incentives, cash-based incentives, deferred compensation, retirement plans and retention and severance agreements, with particular emphasis on issues arising in mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, and new and joint ventures.
Andrew also advises on employment and consulting arrangements, the applicability of securities and tax laws to executives and employers, the design and implementation of management incentive plans, corporate governance issues and general employment-related matters
Transactions on which Andrew has worked include the representation of:
- Walgreens Boots Alliance in its purchase of 1,932 Rite Aid Corporation stores for $4.157 billion
- ITC Holdings Corp., the largest independent electric transmission company in the United States, in connection with its proposed sale to Fortis Inc. in a cash-and-stock transaction currently valued at approximately $11.3 billion
- China National Chemical Corporation in connection with its agreement to acquire the Swiss agrochemical and seeds company Syngenta AG. The intended offer values Syngenta’s total outstanding share capital at approximately $43 billion
- Vista Equity Partners in connection with the acquisition of Solera Holdings, Inc. for approximately $6.5 billion, including the existing net debt of Solera
- Tourico Holidays in connection with its acquisition by Hotelbeds Group, a portfolio company of Cinven and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
- Pamplona Capital Management in connection with its acquisition of MedAssets, representing a total enterprise value of approximately $2.7 billion
- Blackstone in connection with its acquisition of BioMed Realty Trust, Inc. in an all-cash transaction valued at $8 billion
- Acushnet Holdings Corp., the global leader in the design, development, manufacture and distribution of performance-driven golf products, in connection with the initial public offering of its common stock
- Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. in connection with its investment in Privilege Underwriters, Inc., the holding company for the PURE Group of Insurance Companies
- Blackstone in connection with its acquisition of Excel Trust, Inc., a publicly-traded real estate investment trust, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $2 billion
- Blackstone Real Estate Partners in connection with its agreement to acquire the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower) for $1.3 billion
- NXP Semiconductors in its merger with Freescale Semiconductor, a transaction which valued the combined enterprise at just over $40 billion
- People’s United Financial, Inc., the holding company for People’s United Bank, N.A., in connection with its acquisition of Suffolk Bancorp, the holding company for Suffolk County National Bank, in a 100% stock transaction valued at approximately $402 million
- Hilton Worldwide’s $1.95 billion sale of the Waldorf Astoria New York
- Digital Bridge Holdings, LLC and Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners in the announced recapitalization of ExteNet Systems, Inc. for over $1 billion
Transactions on which Andrew has worked prior to joining Simpson Thacher include the representation of:
- Exxon Mobil Corp. on its $41 billion acquisition of XTO Energy Inc., a leading natural gas and oil producer
- Warner Chilcott on its $3.1 billion purchase of Procter & Gamble’s prescription drug business
- Shire plc on its $4.2 billion acquisition of ViroPharma Incorporated, an international biopharmaceutical company
- Sterling Financial Corporation in connection with its $2 billion merger with Umpqua Holdings Corporation
- Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance Company Limited in connection with its $1.3 billion acquisition of Jackson Square Aviation
- BATS Global Markets, Inc. on its merger with Direct Edge, LLC, resulting in one of the world’s largest stock market companies
Andrew received his J.D., with honors, from the George Washington University Law School and his B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan. He is admitted to practice in the State of New York.
Education:
- George Washington University Law School, 2003 J.D.
- with honors
- University of Michigan, 2000 B.A.
- Economics
Associations:
- New York State Bar Association
Admissions : New York 2004
Cost
Rate : $$$
