William Dougherty

William R. Dougherty is Chairman of Simpson Thacher’s Executive Committee, the governing body of the Firm. He was first elected as a member of the Executive Committee in 2008, and served as the Firm’s Co-Administrative Partner from 2009 to 2012, and Chairman of the Firm’s New Partners Committee in 2008.

His practice focuses on merger and acquisition and corporate finance transactions. He regularly represents private equity sponsors including BC Partners, Blackstone, One Equity Partners and Silver Lake Partners on acquisition, disposition and recapitalization transactions. Representative private equity representations include:

• Apax Partners in connection with its $7.8 billion acquisition of Thomson Corp.’s education division
• BC Partners and Silver Lake Partners in connection with their 2010 acquisition of Multiplan Holdings, Inc., and their $4.4 billion sale of MultiPlan to an investor group led by Starr Investment Holdings and Partners Group
• The Blackstone Group in multiple M&A matters, including its sale of a $3 billion stake to China Investment Corporation; its $1.6 billion acquisition of Apria Healthcare Group Inc.; its acquisition of Allied Security Holdings LLC; its acquisition of RGIS Holdings LLC; its $870 million acquisition of Encore Medical Corporation; and its acquisition of Team Health Holdings LLC; its $4.7 billion acquisition of TRW Automotive Corporation; and its $3.8 billion acquisition of Celanese AG
• The Blackstone Group and Providence Equity Partners in connection with their investment in Freedom Communications, Inc.
• Carlyle in connection with its sale of a $1.4 billion investment to The Mubadala Development Co.
• Hellman & Friedman LLC in connection with its $1.8 billion acquisition of Kronos Inc.
• One Equity Partners in connection with its sale of Columbian Chemicals Company to The Aditya Birla Group and in connection with its minority investments in X-Rite, Incorporated
• Silver Lake Partners in connection with its acquisition of control of Mercury Payment Systems and in connection with its minority investment in Thomson S.A.

Bill also advises public and private corporations on business combination transaction and corporate governance matters. Representative corporate representations include:

• Accenture plc in connection with its Taleris joint venture with GE Aviation Systems, and its acquisitions of Duck Creek Technologies, Inc. and Octagon Research Solutions
• Cengage Learning, Inc. in connection with its acquisition of the post-secondary education business of Houghton Mifflin Company
• FXCM Inc. in connection with its announced bid to acquire Gain Capital Holdings LLC
• IESI Corporation in connection with its acquisition by BFI Canada Income Fund
• Neutral Tandem, Inc. (d/b/a Inteliquent) in connection with the sale of its global data services business to Global Telecom & Technology, Inc.
• ReAble Therapeutics Inc. in connection with its $1.6 billion acquisition of DJO Incorporated

Bill practiced in the Firm’s London office from 1996 until 2002 and in the Tokyo office from 1990 to 1991. He has been with Simpson Thacher since his graduation from the University of Chicago Law School in 1986. He received his A.B., magna cum laude, in 1983 from Georgetown University.

Bill currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society and The Partnership for New York City. He is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the New York State and American Bar Associations.

Education:

• University of Chicago Law School, 1986 J.D.
• Georgetown University, 1983 A.B.
  • magna cum laude

Associations:

• Association of the Bar of the City of New York
• New York State Bar Association
• American Bar Association

Admissions : New York 1988