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Lee Charles
Lee Charles
Lee D. Charles
Partner
lee.charles@bakerbotts.com
Details
Overview
Overview Admission & Affiliations Experience News Thought Leadership Awards and Community
Practices
Capital Markets and Securities
Committee Representation
Corporate
Corporate Governance and Compliance Counseling
Cross-Border Transactions
Emerging Companies and Venture Capital
Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG)
Joint Ventures
Mergers and Acquisitions
Industries
Technology, Media, and Entertainment (TME)

Overview

Lee D. Charles' practice focuses on representing publicly held and privately owned companies in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and capital-raising activities, both in the United States and internationally. He served as Partner in Charge of the firm's New York office for more than 10 years.

He has been described by clients as an “exceptionally talented, creative problem solver.” (The Legal 500 US, 2011)

In addition to his transactional work, Mr. Charles regularly counsels special committees and boards of directors on the most complex, sensitive and important matters they face, including going-private and other conflict-of-interest transactions, corporate governance matters, internal investigations and disclosure matters. He has extensive experience in transactions involving control shareholders.

Admission & Affiliations

  • New York State Bar
  • Board of Trustees-Parker Jewish Institute for Healthcare and Rehabilitation
  • J.D., Georgetown University Law Center 1988
    cum laude
    Associate Editor, The Tax Lawyer
  • B.A., Political Science, State University of New York at Binghamton 1985
    with distinction

Experience

Mergers & Acquisitions

  • Mediacom Communications Corporation – Purchase and sale of numerous cable television, broadband and telephony systems throughout the United States
  • Innophos Holdings, Inc – Merger with an affiliate of One Rock Capital Partners and acquisitions of Novel Ingredients and Nutragenesis
  • Akzo Nobel, N.V. – Acquisitions of: Chemcraft International; Covance Biotechnology Services; the marine and aerospace coatings business of U.S. Paint Corporation; the Chinese and Korean powder coatings businesses of Ferro Corporation; and the automotive coatings businesses of Dexter Corporation
  • Phil Shawe – represented the co-Founder of TransPerfect Global, Inc., in his acquisition of the remaining 50% of TransPerfect pursuant to a court-ordered competitive auction
  • TransPerfect Global, Inc. – Acquisition of Semantix Group AB, the largest language service provider in the Nordic region
  • Snap-Tite, Inc. – Sale to Parker-Hannifin
  • Nagra USA, Inc. – Acquisition of Milestone Systems
  • Red Man Pipe & Supply Company – Business combination with McJunkin Corporation
  • OpenTV Corp. – Acquisitions of Wink Communications, ACTV, and BettingCorp
  • Mastercard International – Acquisition of First Performance, Inc.
  • Liz Lange LLC – Sale of Liz Lange Maternity brand to Bluestar Alliance
  • Discovery Communications, Inc. – Acquisition of The Learning Channel
  • Kearns-Tribune Corporation – Sale of the Lewiston Morning Tribune, Whitman County Gazette and Moscow-Pullman Daily News
  • Whitehall Corporation – Merger with Aviation Sales Company
  • Tele-Communications, Inc. – Acquisitions of Kearns-Tribune Corporation, the publisher of The Salt Lake Tribune and substantially all of Viacom Inc.'s cable television systems
  • Mediacom Communications Corporation – Redemption of Morris Communications' equity stake in a transaction structured as a "cash-rich split off"
  • Liberty Media Corporation – Acquisitions of Provide Commerce, Ascent Entertainment Group, and a controlling interest in Home Shopping Network
  • Liberty Media Corporation – Investments in Emmis Communications, Inc. and Alloy, Inc.
  • Akzo Nobel, N.V. – Sales of the phosphorus chemical division to Ripplewood Holdings and a joint venture interest in Flexsys,, a rubber processing chemical business

Special Committee & Related Transactions

  • Special Committee of the Board of a Fortune 500 company responding to a criminal enforcement investigation by the DOJ and the FDA regarding the sale and distribution of prescription medicines and related practices
  • Committee of Independent Directors of the Board of a Nasdaq-listed company in connection with a CEO transition
  • Special Committee of the Independent Directors of Intersections, Inc. responding to an offer by a control shareholder to acquire a pet health monitoring business
  • Special Committee of Independent Directors of Swift Transportation Company – Acquisition of Central Refrigerated Transportation, Inc.
  • Special Committee of Independent Directors of a for-profit university responding to a "go-private" proposal from a significant stockholder
  • Rocco B. Commisso – Acquisition of remaining interest in Mediacom Communications Corporation in a “going-private” transaction valued at nearly $4 billion
  • OpenTV, Inc – “Going-private” transaction by Kudelski SA via a tender offer
  • Special Committee of the Board of Directors of 24/7 Media, Inc. – Review of a financing transaction with a director and significant stockholder
  • Liberty Media Corporation – Acquisition of Liberty Digital, Inc. in a “going-private” transaction
  • Tele-Communications, Inc. – Acquisition of TCI International in a “going-private transaction”
  • United Artists Entertainment Company – Acquisition of United Cable Television Corporation in a “going-private” transaction

Joint Ventures

  • YankeeNets, LLC – Formation of the Yankees Entertainment and Sports (YES) Network and sale of a significant stake to Goldman Sachs and others
  • NBA Houston Rockets – Formation of a regional sports network and licensing of media rights of Rockets and Astros to Fox Sports
  • Formation of a strategic partnership among Liberty Media Corporation, Barry Diller and Comcast Corporation with respect to their controlling interest in QVC
  • TVG Network – Joint bid with the New York Racing Association to acquire the assets of New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation

Awards and Community

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward White, Inc.), 2009-2019

Named "Client Service All-Star" in BTI's 2010 & 2011 Client Service Survey

Recognized as a New York Super Lawyer (Thomson Reuters), 2011-2019

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