Richard C. Witzel, Jr. is head of Skadden’s Chicago M&A/Corporate Group. He practices in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and general corporate and securities matters.
Witzel has represented buyers, sellers and their financial advisors in negotiated and contested public acquisitions, private acquisitions and divestitures, management buyouts, restructurings, joint ventures and other strategic transactions. He also has represented issuers and investment banks in public offerings and private placements of equity and debt securities.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2027 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers | 2027 | M&A |
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2026 | M&A |
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America | 2026 | M&A |
| The 2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America | 2022 | M&A, Corporate Finance, Securities |
| Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America | 2021 | M&A, Corporate Finance, Securities |
| The 2019 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2019 | |
| The 2018 Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America | 2018 |
Witzel has represented, among others:
- Exact Sciences Corporation in its $23 billion acquisition by Abbott Laboratories
- James Hardie Industries plc in its $8.75 billion acquisition of The AZEK Company Inc.
- Steelcase Inc. in its $2.2 billion acquisition by HNI Corporation
- Hillenbrand, Inc. in its $3.8 billion acquisition by affiliates of Lone Star Funds
- Rockwell Collins, Inc. in its $30 billion acquisition by United Technologies Corp. and $8.6 billion acquisition of B/E Aerospace, Inc.
- Hospira, Inc. in its $17 billion acquisition by Pfizer Inc.
- Cardinal Health, Inc. in its $6.1 billion acquisition of the medical supplies business of Medtronic PLC
- Ecolab in the $4.4 billion merger of its upstream energy business with Apergy
- CF Industries in its $4.7 billion acquisition of Terra Industries and CF’s related $1.1 billion common stock and $1.6 billion senior note offerings. The transaction included an exchange offer and proxy contest for seats on Terra’s board of directors as well as defense of an intervening unsolicited takeover proposal by Agrium Inc. to acquire CF
- Stryker Corporation in its $5.4 billion acquisition of Wright Medical Group N.V.; $1.7 billion acquisition of Mako Surgical, Inc.; $1.6 billion acquisition of K2M Group Holdings, Inc.; $1.5 billion acquisition of the neurovascular division of Boston Scientific, Inc.; $1.3 billion acquisition of Physio-Control, Inc.; and various other matters
- the special committee of the board of directors of Tribune Company in its $8.2 billion going-private transaction through the use a leveraged-ESOP structure
- CME Group Inc. in connection with its $4 billion joint venture with The McGraw Hill Companies
- Archer Daniels Midland Company in its $3.1 billion acquisition of WILD Flavors GmbH
- TOMY Company Ltd. in its $680 million acquisition of RC2 Corporation