William H. Gump is a partner in the Corporate and Financial Services Department and currently serves as the firm's General Counsel and the co-chair of the Conflicts and Ethics Committee and the Risk Management & Insurance Committee. Prior to assuming the role of General Counsel, Bill served as the Co-Chair of Willkie's Corporate and Financial Services Department for over a decade, concentrating his practice in the areas of merger and acquisition transactions involving public and private companies, focusing on both private equity and strategic acquirer transactions, as well as bankruptcy-based asset sales. He also regularly handled public and private offerings of equity and debt securities, and advised boards of directors and senior management on strategic and governance matters.
Bill has worked extensively in most areas of corporate law in various industries, including media, healthcare/life sciences, telecommunications, technology and financial services, including insurance. Bill practiced for six years in Willkie’s London office.
Experience
Bill has spoken at conferences and seminars on a variety of topics, including SPACs, Private Equity Developments, Corporate Governance, M&A Trends, Negotiating Corporate Agreements, Earnouts, U.S. securities offerings by non-U.S. issuers, NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchange listings, and American Depositary Receipt offerings. He has also published numerous articles on similar topics relating to U.S. securities laws and practices.
Bill is a member of the American and New York State Bar Associations.
Private Equity
Bill has significant private equity experience, having represented numerous sponsors such as Warburg Pincus, D.E. Shaw, 3i Group, Lime Rock Partners, Oracle Investment Partners, The Sterling Group, Avanti Capital and Seven Mile Capital Partners, as well as private equity buyout targets and portfolio companies. Recent transactions include:
- the 2022 acquisition of HungerRush, a portfolio company of The CapStreet Group, by Corsair
- the 2020 acquisition of Ontellus, a portfolio company of The CapStreet Group, by Aquiline Capital Partners
- the 2017 acquisition of United Subcontractors by Trilantic Capital Partners
- the 2016 purchase by Sterling Group of both DYK Automotive and AAHC
- the sale of United Site Services by a consortium of investors to Calera Capital in 2014
- Seven Mile Capital Partners’ 2013 acquisition of Microporous Products from Polypore International Inc.
Strategic M&A
Bill also has significant experience in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions including:
- Galata Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company led by Callaway Capital, in its business combination with Marti Technologies Inc., Turkey’s leading mobility app
- Genesis Park Acquisition Corp., a SPAC, in its 2021 $615 million merger with Redwire, in which Redwire will become a publicly traded company
- Holley in its 2021 merger with SPAC Empower Ltd., in which Holley will become a publicly traded company
- ITE Management in its 2018 acquisition of American Railcar Industries from Icahn Enterprises in a transaction valued at approximately $1.75 billion, and ARI in the 2019 sale of its manufacturing business to Greenbrier Companies for $430 million
- Brookfield Business Partners in its $4.6 billion acquisition of Westinghouse Electric Company in 2018
- Dormakaba Group, as U.S. counsel, in its $725 million acquisition of Stanley Black & Decker’s Mechanical Security businesses in 2016
- Time Warner/Turner Broadcasting’s 2015 acquisition of iStream Planet
- the sale by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina of its subsidiary, Companion Property and Casualty, to an affiliate of Enstar in 2015
- Clovis Oncology’s 2013 acquisition of Ethical Oncology Sciences
- Scotsman Industries’ 2012 acquisition by ALI Group
- Turner Broadcasting System’s 2012 acquisition of Bleacher Report
Bill represents both issuers and underwriters in domestic and international securities offerings, including representing Clovis Oncology in its 2011 initial public offering and its 2012 and 2013 public offerings of its common stock. Bill has also represented several special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), including Sarissa Capital Acquisition Corp., Genesis Park Acquisition Corp., Sports Properties Acquisition Corp. and Oracle Healthcare Acquisition Corp. Bill also has extensive experience in the areas of venture capital investment and corporate domestic and international joint ventures. He also provides clients with advice on commercial contracts.
In addition, Bill represented Time Warner as a primary shareholder in the sale of 90.1 percent of privately held ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. to Pendrell Corporation in 2011, its equity investments in Central European Media Enterprises in 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2009, and its refinancing transactions with CME in 2016, 2015 and 2014. Bill has also established ADR programs for Zurich Insurance Companies, Denison Hydraulics, Liberty International plc and British Land plc, and has represented numerous purchasers in PIPE transactions.
In the area of international privatizations, Bill worked on the privatizations of Banca Commerciale Italiana, and the national telephone companies of the Republic of Moldova and the Kingdom of Jordan.
Bill has significant experience representing clients in the establishment of corporate joint ventures, including Agusta SpA in its joint venture with Bell Helicopter Textron to build a civilian tiltrotor helicopter.
Credentials
Education
Harvard Law School, J.D., 1989 Harvard University, B.A., 1985