S. Ward Atterbury focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions transactions and related financings. He represents sellers and buyers in domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and restructurings in sectors such as financial services, entertainment, telecommunications and heavy and light industrial. Ward also represents private equity firms with respect to their acquisition and disposition of portfolio companies. His extensive experience with such transactions includes the structuring of leveraged buy-outs and related corporate governance and shareholder issues. Ward regularly represents both lenders and borrowers in financing transactions, and advises his clients regarding investing in mezzanine debt and related equity investments.

Ward is well-versed in the disposition and exit strategies available to parties seeking to dispose of investments, including full and partial sales, initial public offerings and joint ventures. He has advised boards of directors and special committees regarding the proposed sale of various public companies, and served as underwriter's counsel in connection with both registered and unregistered offerings (including Rule 144A debt offerings). As borrowers' or issuers' counsel, he has represented borrowers in the full range of debt instruments, including credit agreements, second lien facilities, mezzanine loans and convertible notes.