Ilan S. Nissan

Ilan Nissan is the firm’s Head of Private Equity/M&A and is based in New York City and Miami. Mr. Nissan's clients include the most sophisticated and well-known asset managers in the world including top-tier private equity and venture capital funds, hedge funds, family offices and multi-strategy investors. Mr. Nissan also represents multiple Fortune 50 founders and CEOs, media personalities, and "A" list celebrities in their investing and related activities.

With more than 36 years of experience, Mr. Nissan is widely recognized as one of the nation’s most preeminent advisors in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and technology investing.

His expertise includes:

• Analyzing and simplifying complex situations
• Providing advice uniquely tailored to the client’s particular legal and business sensitivities
• Leading diverse teams of the best lawyers and other professionals to effectively resolve the most intractable matters'

Mr. Nissan is a key member of his clients' inner circle and he often serves as their unofficial general counsel. Many clients seek out his guidance on a range of matters, including those where they have engaged other law firms. Mr. Nissan, known for his interest in connecting people and ideas, is a natural networker with a proactive approach to cultivating relationships across diverse groups of people. Interacting with clients, colleagues, and his business and life contacts, his goal is to put people together to achieve the best outcomes.

Mr. Nissan's robust experience encompasses the following areas:

Mergers and Acquisitions/Private Equity. Advise leading private equity and investment firms on complex mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, sales and divestitures, securities offerings and strategic investments.

Strategic Advice. Provide senior counseling concerning strategic business/legal issues (including advice on acquisitions, high stakes litigation, governmental inquiries and investigations, and liquidity strategies), execution of business plans, complex regulatory concerns and other strategic matters. Mr. Nissan also has substantial international experience including cross-border acquisitions, investments, and joint ventures. 

Growth Equity and Venture Capital. Represent growth and venture capital funds and family offices in connection with investments with a concentration on software, internet, and technology generally. Since its infancy, Mr. Nissan has also been very active in advising on investing strategies in the artificial intelligence and machine learning space.

Fund Formation. Formation and restructuring of private equity, venture capital and hedge funds, co-investment vehicles and pledge funds, including all varieties of “secondaries” transactions. Advise on internal carry, compensation, and governance arrangements among fund sponsors and investment professionals. Mr. Nissan's advice has been sought by the most senior partners in many asset managers with regard to internal negotiations concerning economics and governance rights.

Executive Compensation. Represent investors and management groups in all aspects of compensation arrangements, including executive employment and consulting agreements, stock option plans, restricted stock plans, bonus plans, and other management incentive arrangements.

Real Estate. Advise in real estate including proptech, infrastructure, and project finance.

Since 2003, Mr. Nissan has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at Columbia University Law School, where he teaches a course focusing on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital, and legal transactional strategies. Mr. Nissan is moderately proficient in speaking Arabic, French, Hebrew, and Spanish and is proudly from Ramat-Gan, Israel.

Previously, Mr. Nissan was Chairman of the Mergers & Acquisitions group at O’Melveny & Myers. Mr. Nissan also was a partner at O’Sullivan Graev & Karabell LLP and began his career with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, each in New York City.

Mr. Nissan is regularly quoted in The Wall Street Journal and other financial and popular press. He is also a frequent lecturer and panelist at private equity, venture capital and hedge fund conferences.