John L. Robinson is a partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. He focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and general corporate and securities matters. Robinson’s practice includes cross-border and domestic mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures, carve-outs and private equity transactions. He also advises companies on takeover defense and in responding to shareholder activism and proxy contests.
Robinson has been recognized by Lawdragon as one of the leading 500 dealmakers in America. Robinson had leading roles in the $6.4 billion acquisition of Maxar Technologies by Advent International and British Columbia Investment Management Corp., and in the $12.2 billion combination of Tim Hortons with Burger King Worldwide. Robinson was also named one of Hollywood’s Top Dealmakers by The Hollywood Reporter in 2022.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2027 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers | 2027 | M&A, Corporate Governance |
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America | 2026 | M&A, Corporate Governance |
Robinson has represented clients in a variety of industries, including:
Diversified Manufacturing
- Rockwell Automation in its response to a $29 billion unsolicited takeover bid by Emerson Electric
- United Technologies in its $3.5 billion sale of its Hamilton Sundstrand industrial products businesses to BC Partners and Carlyle
Technology, Media and Telecommunications
- Charter Communications in its $34.5 billion merger with Cox Communications
- Michael Jordan in the sale of the Charlotte Hornets to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall
- Creative Artists Agency in:
– the acquisition by Groupe Artémis of a majority stake in Creative Artists Agency, previously held by TPG Capital.
– its acquisition of ICM Partners
– the investment by TPG Capital to acquire a controlling interest in CAA, and related debt and equity recapitalization transactions; and
– a $120 million investment and joint venture transaction with a consortium led by China Media Capital. - Goldman Sachs Capital Partners in the sale of its interests in a joint venture with Canwest Global Communications Corp. in connection with Canwest’s approximately C$2 billion sale of its broadcasting assets to Shaw Communications
Healthcare and Biotechnology
- Pacira BioSciences in the withdrawal by DOMA Perpetual of its proxy fight for the company’s 2025 annual meeting
- Cardinal Health in:
– its $1.9 billion acquisition of Johnson & Johnson’s Cordis business; and
– its $2.1 billion acquisition of AssuraMed
Financial Institutions
- Visa in its €21.2 billion acquisition of Visa Europe Ltd.
- MetLife in its disposition of $7.5 billion in retail banking deposits, representing the majority of its depository business, to GE Capital
- Bank of America in its $2.5 billion sale of Grupo Financiero Santander to Banco Santander
Utilities
- MDU Resources Group in:
– its spin-off of Knife River Corporation, including a related debt-for-equity exchange and the secondary offering of MDU’s retained stake in Knife River; and
– the announced spin-off of its construction services business, MDU Construction Services Group - Duke Energy in its $32 billion merger with Progress Energy
Retail and Consumer Goods
- American Eagle Outfitters in its $350 million acquisition of Quiet Logistics and other strategic supply chain investments
- Tim Hortons in its $12.2 billion combination with Burger King Worldwide, Inc.
- DSW in:
– its $375 million acquisition of Camuto Group’s operations; and
– a joint venture with Authentic Brands Group for the Camuto Group intellectual property