Paul Weiss

1285 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019-6064
212-373-3546 (direct)
212-492-0546 (direct fax)
212-373-3000 (firm)
212-757-3990 (firm fax)

www.paulweiss.com
Contact

Ariel Deckelbaum is a deputy chair of the Corporate Department and a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions Group, the Private Equity Transactions Group and the Canadian Practice Group. Ariel’s practice is diverse with extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, alternative asset management and restructuring transactions. In each of his practice areas, he helps clients develop and protect their long-term interests and investment strategies.

Experience

Ariel's mergers and acquisitions work includes going-private transactions, special committee representations, merger proxies, tender offers and hostile proxy contests. His recent mergers and acquisitions experience includes:
PUBLIC COMPANY REPRESENTATIONS:

  • Time Warner Cable:
    • in its $78.7 billion merger with Charter Communications (pending);
    • in its terminated $45.2 billion stock-for-stock merger with Comcast Corporation;
    • in its response to unsolicited acquisition proposals by Charter Communications;
    • in its acquisition of Insight Communications Company;
    • in its long-term affiliation agreement to be the charter distributor for SportsNet LA, the new regional television network for the Los Angeles Dodgers;
    • together with Comcast and Brighthouse Networks, the sale of spectrum to Verizon Wireless for $3.2 billion;
    • in its acquisition of Navisite;
    • in its separation from Time Warner; and
    • in its joint bid with Comcast Corporation to acquire the assets of Adelphia Communications Corporation.
  • EXOR in its $6.9 billion successful unsolicited cash bid for PartnerRe Ltd., which had previously entered into an Amalgamation Agreement with AXIS Capital Holdings Limited.
  • A major international investment bank:
    • in the sale of a 50% interest in a popular television program and its related intellectual property rights; and
    • together with a large hedge fund in the sale of their interests in a private REIT to a foreign investor.
  • Universal American:
    • in its acquisition of APS Healthcare from GTCR; and
    • in the sale of its Medicare Part D Business to CVS/Caremark for $1.25 billion.
  • RSC Holdings in its $4.2 billion merger with United Rentals.
  • The Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Kerzner International Limited in connection with the $3.8 billion sale of Kerzner to an investment group that included management, Istithmar PJSC, Whitehall Street Global Real Estate Limited Partnership 2005, Colony Capital LLC, Providence Equity Partners and The Related Companies, L.P.

PRIVATE COMPANY AND PRIVATE EQUITY REPRESENTATIONS:

  • Wesley R. Edens, a Founder and Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Fortress Investment Group LLC, and Marc Lasry, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and a Co-Founder of Avenue Capital Group, in their $550 million purchase of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association from Senator Herbert H. Kohl.
  • Oak Hill Capital Partners:
    • in its acquisition of ViaWest and subsequent sale to Shaw Communications;
    • in its acquisition of WaveDivision Holdings; and
    • in its investment in Duane Reade and subsequent sale to Walgreens.
  • TowerBrook Capital Partners:
    • in its investment in Wilton Brands and the subsequent acquisition by Wilton Brands of Simplicity Creative Group; and
    • in its investment in Broadlane, and sale to MedAssets.

CROSS BORDER REPRESENTATIONS:

  • Grupo Salinas in its $2.5 billion sale of Iusacell to AT&T.
  • Grupo Posadas in the sale of its South American hotel portfolio to Accor for $275 million.
  • Grupo Elektra in its $780 million acquisition of Advance America.
  • Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co. in its acquisition of Sepracor.
  • Sumitomo Metal Industries (now Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation):
    • along with Sumitomo Corporation, in the acquisition of Pennsylvania-based steel company Standard Steel from private equity firm Trimaran Fund Management;
    • as it partnered with Vallourec S.A., in the merger of two premium joint companies, VAM USA Company and V&M Atlas Bradford LLC, to establish a new premium joint threading joint venture, VAM USA LLC; and
    • in an agreement with Vallourec Group to form Vallourec & Sumitomo Tubos do Brasil Ltda., a joint venture company in Brazil that will manufacture steel billets and seamless pipes.
  • Nomura Holdings, Inc. in its acquisition of a 15 percent, $888 million stake in Fortress Investment Group.

Ariel is the Chair of the Board of Directors of The Lawyers Alliance for New York and is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Faculty of Law at McGill University.

Ariel is recognized as a leading M&A lawyer by Chambers USA. In 2015, Ariel was one of only 11 attorneys named a Mergers & Acquisitions MVP by Law360. He was also one of 32 M&A attorneys named by BTI Consulting Group Inc. as a "Client Service All-Star," an award that identifies "rare, exceptional attorneys standing out above all others serving the most influential legal decision makers." In 2010, Ariel was recognized as one of Crain's "40 Under 40," a list of a "dynamic group of New Yorkers who have excelled in their respective fields."

Practices

Education

  • LL.B., McGill University Faculty of Law, 1998
    with distinction
  • B.C.L., McGill University Faculty of Law, 1998
    with distinction
  • B.A., McGill University, 1993
    first class joint honours

Bar Admissions

  • New York

See Library Tab for articles, publications and presentations by Ariel Deckelbaum

Related Resources

Jan 15, 2016 | Publications

M&A at a Glance (January 2016)

Jan 15, 2016 | Publications

M&A at a Glance – 2015 Year-End Roundup

Jan 15, 2016 | Videos

Video Summary: M&A at a Glance, 2015 Year-End Roundup

Jan 08, 2016 | Publications

Delaware M&A Quarterly

Jan 08, 2016 | Publications

Delaware Court of Chancery Holds Extra-Contractual Fraud Claim Is Barred By Anti-Reliance/Integration Clauses 

Dec 15, 2015 | Publications

M&A at a Glance (December 2015)

Dec 15, 2015 | Videos

Video Summary: M&A at a Glance, December 2015

Dec 02, 2015 | Publications

Delaware Supreme Court Affirms Rural/Metro Decision, Including Aiding and Abetting Liability

Nov 23, 2015 | Publications

ISS and Glass Lewis Publish 2016 U.S. Voting Policies

Nov 16, 2015 | Publications

M&A at a Glance (November 2015)

Nov 16, 2015 | Videos

Video Summary: M&A at a Glance, November 2015

Nov 05, 2015 | News

Walter Energy Enters APA in its Restructuring

Nov 03, 2015 | Publications

Delaware Court of Chancery Clarifies Application of Business Judgment Review in Post-Closing Merger Context

Oct 28, 2015 | Events

Ariel Deckelbaum to Moderate Panel at FT-ODX

Oct 15, 2015 | Publications

M&A at a Glance (October 2015)

Oct 15, 2015 | Videos

Video Summary: M&A at a Glance, October 2015

Oct 14, 2015 | Publications

Delaware Court of Chancery: There Is No Per Se Rule That All Management Inputs to Financial Advisor Valuations Must Be Disclosed 

Oct 08, 2015 | Publications

Delaware Supreme Court Provides Guidance on Standard of Review in Certain Merger Related Actions

Oct 05, 2015 | Publications

Delaware Supreme Court Refines Director Independence Analysis

Sep 30, 2015 | News

News Corp Sells Amplify Digital Education Businesses

Oct 05, 2015 | Publications

Delaware M&A Quarterly

Sep 28, 2015 | Publications

Delaware Court of Chancery Provides Guidance on M&A Litigation Settlement

Sep 18, 2015 | Publications

September 2015 Private Equity Digest

Sep 15, 2015 | Publications

M&A at a Glance (September 2015)

Sep 01, 2015 | News

EXOR Completes Sale of Cushman & Wakefield to DTZ

Sep 01, 2015 | Publications

Delaware Court of Chancery Imposes $148,190,590 in Damages on a Controlling Stockholder and Company Executive for Breach of Fiduciary Duties 

Aug 19, 2015 | News

Wellspring Capital Forms Leading Flexible Packaging Company

Jul 15, 2015 | Publications

Delaware Court of Chancery Rejects M&A Litigation Settlement

Jun 29, 2015 | Videos

Media & Entertainment Headlines: Variety Features Paul, Weiss Partners

Jun 15, 2015 | Publications

M&A at a Glance (June 2015)

May 26, 2015 | News

Charter Communications to Merge With Time Warner Cable

May 21, 2015 | Publications

May 2015 Private Equity Digest

May 19, 2015 | Publications

Delaware Supreme Court Clarifies That Plaintiffs Must Plead a Non-Exculpated Claim of Breach of Fiduciary Duty to Survive Motion to Dismiss, Even Where Entire Fairness Applies

May 15, 2015 | Publications

M&A at a Glance (May 2015)

Apr 28, 2015 | News

Spectrum Brands Agrees to Acquire Armored AutoGroup for $1.4 Billion

Apr 15, 2015 | Publications

M&A at a Glance (April 2015)

Apr 08, 2015 | Publications

Delaware M&A Quarterly

Mar 30, 2015 | News

Sky Acquires 60 Percent Stake in Jupiter Entertainment

Mar 31, 2015 | News

TowerBrook to Acquire J.Jill

Mar 23, 2015 | Publications

March 2015 Private Equity Digest

Mar 16, 2015 | Publications

M&A at a Glance (March 2015)

Mar 04, 2015 | Publications

Delaware Court of Chancery Holds That Minority Stockholders Did Not Waive Appraisal Rights in a Merger Where the Company Failed to Properly Exercise Drag-Along Rights

Feb 24, 2015 | Publications

Proxy Advisory Firms Clarify Voting Policies on Proxy Access and Unilateral Bylaw Amendments

Feb 20, 2015 | Publications

February 2015 Private Equity Digest

Feb 13, 2015 | Publications

M&A at a Glance (February 2015)

Jan 22, 2015 | Publications

January 2015 Private Equity Digest

Jan 16, 2015 | News

Grupo Salinas Completes $2.5 Billion Sale of Mexican Wireless Provider

Jan 21, 2015 | Publications

Delaware M&A Quarterly

Jan 20, 2015 | Publications

SEC Chair White Directs Staff to Review Position on Excluding Conflicting Proxy Proposals under Rule 14a-8

Of Note

Nov 10, 2015

Four Paul, Weiss Partners Win Law360 MVP Awards

Apr 17, 2015

Ariel Deckelbaum and Chuck Googe Featured in Variety’s Legal Impact Report

Mar 30, 2015

Ariel Deckelbaum Recognized by Multichannel News

Feb 12, 2015

Three Paul, Weiss Lawyers Named BTI Client Service All-Stars 

Mar 31, 2010

Ariel Deckelbaum Named to Crain's New York Business "40 Under 40" List for 2010

Thank you for your interest in Lawdragon.