Jack M. Polisini

Counsel

Areas of Focus

Jack M. Polisini

Counsel

jpolisini@akingump.com

Areas of Focus

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Biography
  • Advises on complex mergers and acquisitions, structured equity transactions and investments, joint ventures and special situation transactions.
  • Significant experience with private equity funds (and their portfolio companies), credit-based funds, as well as preferred equity financings, change of control transactions and joint ventures.
  • Has experience in a wide array of industries with a particular focus on energy transactions and infrastructure.

Jack represents financial and strategic buyers and sellers in complex mergers and acquisitions, as well as investors and companies in various structured equity investments. With a focus on private equity investments (particularly middle-market) and conventional and renewable energy transactions, Jack assists clients with:

  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Change of control transactions
  • Leveraged buyouts
  • Preferred equity financing and other structured equity transactions
  • Joint ventures
  • Portfolio company management
  • Special-situation transactions
  • Venture/growth capital
  • Management equity arrangements

Jack has experience in various industries, including traditional energy, renewables and clean energy, infrastructure, automotive, construction (and rental equipment), fintech, software, healthcare, oil and gas, oilfield services, midstream oil and gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), industrials, insurance, technology, retail and venture capital.

Jack was a collegiate swimmer, helping Emory University to three top three NCAA Division III finishes in his four years.

He served as an Akin Gump Pro Bono Scholar and as a law clerk for the KIPP Foundation in San Francisco.

Jack was Akin Gump’s firmwide Pro Bono Associate of the Year in 2021.

Representative Work

Private Equity

  • Represented EagleClaw Midstream Ventures LLC, a portfolio company of Blackstone Energy Partners, in its $950-million acquisition of Caprock Midstream Holdings, a portfolio company of Energy Spectrum Capital, solidifying EagleClaw as the largest privately held midstream operator in the Permian’s Delaware Basin in West Texas.
  • Represented a private equity group in connection with its leveraged buyout of a family of companies involved in the building materials and packaging verticals and subsequent equity acquisition of a primary competitor.
  • Represented a private equity group in its leveraged buyout of a construction equipment rental business, as well as several subsequent add-on asset acquisitions in support of the portfolio company’s expansion strategy.
  • Counseled a private equity group in its leveraged acquisition of a distressed automotive concern.
  • Advised a private equity group in its leveraged buyout of a construction services business.
  • Represented a private equity group in its leveraged acquisition of a petroleum and car wash service, as well as subsequent add-on asset acquisitions.
  • Counseled a publicly traded business development company in its leveraged acquisitions of automotive, construction, consumer electronics, life sciences companies, a compensation consultancy, a market research firm, and a processor and distributor of food products.
  • Advised a publicly traded business development company in a minority recapitalization of a staffing and recruiting company.
  • Represented a private equity group in its acquisition and reorganization of a leading franchisor platform of home services brands.

Credit-Focused Funds, Structured Equity, Venture/Growth Capital

  • Advised Blackstone Credit (formerly GSO Capital Partners) in connection with a $1.6-billion preferred equity investment by funds managed by GSO and Blackstone Tactical Opportunities, in exchange for a 45% interest in Targa Badlands LLC, which owns assets in the Williston Basin in North Dakota
  • Represented Blackstone Credit (formerly GSO Capital Partners) in its preferred equity investment of up to $500 million in preferred equity issued by Elevation Midstream LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Extraction Oil & Gas Inc.
  • Represented Vista Credit Partners in its $223-million growth investment in Rocket Lawyer Incorporated.
  • Advised a sovereign wealth fund as the lead investor in a $725-million preferred equity financing round in a fintech leader that operates a global insurance brokerage.
  • Advised Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, a leading opportunistic credit manager, in its $60-million growth investment in EchoNous, the leader in portable artificial intelligence-guided ultrasound tools and software.
  • Represented a credit-focused fund in a Series C preferred equity investment in a communications technology venture.
  • Counseled a credit-focused fund in a Series B preferred equity investment in a healthcare company.
  • Counseled Turning Rock Partners in structured equity acquisition financings for infrastructure-based platform investments.
  • Advised a public company as the lead investor in a corporate venture capital Series A preferred investment in an early-stage sustainable energy technology company and related commercial arrangements.
  • Advised a credit-focused fund in equity kicker components of numerous growth investments in software, data and technology enabled businesses.

Strategic Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Represented a portfolio company of a private equity group, in its acquisition by merger of an oilfield services company backed by a private equity group, establishing a leading independent global provider of high-value oilfield products and technical services.
  • Represented a public oil and gas company in its joint venture with a company backed by a financial sponsor in the west coast retail and wholesale fuel distribution business.
  • Advised a green energy construction company in its sale to a building industry solutions company.
  • Represented Noventis, an electronic payments network that was focused on optimizing payments delivery solutions, in its merger agreement with WEX Inc., a corporate payments solution provider.
  • Assisted Louisiana-based Stone Energy Corporation with an exchange offer of notes in connection with its $2.5-billion merger with Talos Energy, an independent oil and gas company focused on offshore exploration.
  • Represented Vitol Wind I LLC, an affiliate of Vitol, a world-leading independent trader of energy and related commodities, in its acquisition of the 240MW Big Sky Wind Farm from a fund managed by a global asset management firm.

Project Finance

  • Advised ENGIE, North America in the debt and tax equity financing of the 200 MW Live Oak Wind Farm in Texas.
  • Assisted in a joint venture between Gestamp Wind Energy and Scout Clean Energy in the debt and tax equity financing of the Persimmon Wind Farm in Oklahoma.

Additional Representative Experience

  • Represented an informal group of second lien creditors of Cobalt International Energy in a Section 363 bid auction for offshore deepwater Gulf of Mexico assets totaling $578 million.
  • Served as counsel to Barrick Gold Corporation, in connection with a liquid natural gas supply contract in the Dominican Republic. The transaction enabled the conversion of a power generation facility from heavy fuel oil to natural gas, lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Education
  • J.D., University of Texas School of Law, with honors, 2017

  • B.A., Emory University, 2014

Bar Admissions
  • Texas

Affiliations and Public Service
  • Member, Texas Business Law Society.

Insights and Achievements

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