Brian Finnegan is a partner in the Paul, Weiss Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity M&A Groups. He represents private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in a variety of transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, strategic investments, recapitalizations and opportunistic financings. Finnegan has represented clients in the logistics, chemicals, energy, packaging, gaming, financial services, airline, air cargo, education, publishing, home building, firearms and general industrials fields, among others.
Prior to practicing law, Finnegan spent eight years as an officer in the U.S. Navy, flying in the carrier-based E-2C Hawkeye aircraft, and later serving as a military advisor to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s South America section.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2027 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers | 2027 | Corporate, M&A |
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America | 2026 | Corporate, M&A |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America | 2025 | Corporate, M&A |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America | 2024 | Corporate, M&A |
| The 2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America | 2022 | Corporate, M&A |
| Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America | 2021 | Corporate, M&A |
Representative experience includes:
- Funds managed by Apollo Global Management and its affiliates in their strategic minority investment in The GoodLife Group, a Canada-based fitness company with over 400 clubs around the country
- New Home Co., a homebuilder and portfolio company of funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, in its $1.2 billion take-private acquisition of Landsea Homes, a residential homebuilder
- Blume Global, a company majority-owned by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, in its $414 million sale to WiseTech Global
- Funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management in its $700 million capital solution to Sony Music Group, an affiliate of Sony Group Corporation, for investments in the music industry
- Funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management and an investor group of affiliates of J.F. Lehman & Company and Hill City Capital, in their $5.2 billion take-private acquisition of Atlas Air Worldwide
- Funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management in a $600 million preferred financing in connection with the $7 billion acquisition of W.R. Grace & Co. by Standard Industries Holdings
- Funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management in the acquisition of a majority interest in Direct ChassisLink, a provider of marine and domestic container chassis and asset management services to the U.S. intermodal industry, from EQT Infrastructure
- Hexion, a specialty chemicals company, in the sale of its Phenolic Specialty Resin, Hexamine and European-based Forest Products Resins businesses to investment firms Black Diamond and Investindustrial
- Consortium of investors, including The Vistria Group and funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management in their $1.1 billion take-private acquisition of Apollo Education Group, one of the world’s largest private education providers
- Time Warner Cable in its $3 billion acquisition of Insight Communications
- Liz Claiborne, Inc. (now Kate Spade & Company) in its sale of the Liz Claiborne family of brands and the Monet brand to J. C. Penney Corporation
- Caesars Entertainment in its formation of a new growth-oriented entity, Caesars Growth Partners, and a related $1.1 billion rights offering
- Harrah’s Entertainment in its acquisition of the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino