Cravath’s New York Office Moves to Two Manhattan West
Michael L. Arnold is a member of the Corporate Governance and Board Advisory Practice. Mr. Arnold counsels clients with respect to their most sensitive and highest‑risk matters, advising boards of directors and senior management on a broad range of corporate governance, public reporting, disclosure and compliance matters, including in connection with restatements and other financial crises, as well as cybersecurity incidents. He also advises companies on matters relating to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues, particularly with respect to investor engagement, ESG shareholder proposals and activism, voluntary and mandatory ESG reporting and ESG‑related governance processes.
Mr. Arnold’s sophisticated understanding and insights into legal and business risks are derived from his broad experience across multiple corporate practices, including capital markets and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Arnold has represented corporate clients and major financial institutions in public and private offerings of equity and debt, including initial public offerings and first‑time issuances, as well as in arranging financing for U.S. and international acquisitions. He has advised public and private companies in connection with mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and complex commercial agreements, including joint ventures, minority investments, supply agreements, strategic collaborations and licensing transactions.
Mr. Arnold is a frequent speaker and author on legal developments impacting the areas of corporate governance and ESG. He has moderated or spoken on panels hosted by the American Bar Association, the University of Delaware’s Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, the American College of Governance Counsel and the Council of Institutional Investors, as well as at events such as the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s Securities Regulation Institute and Ray Garrett / Corporate Counsel Institute, among others. Mr. Arnold has also spoken at events hosted by TechGC, the Florida Bar Association and Cornell Law School, among others. His writings on corporate governance‑related topics have been published by outlets including the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, Columbia Law School’s Blue Sky Blog and Wolters Kluwer’s Insights: The Corporate & Securities Law Advisor. Mr. Arnold currently serves as Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Federal Regulation of Securities Committee in the Business Law Section and as the Co-Chair of the ABA’s ESG Subcommittee, a joint subcommittee of the Corporate Governance Committee and Federal Regulation of Securities Committee. He served as Co‑Chair of the drafting committee for the Federal Regulation of Securities Committee in their comment letter on the SEC’s climate change disclosure rulemaking proposal.
Mr. Arnold has been recognized by Lawdragon as among the “Green 500: Leaders in Environmental Law” and the “500 Leading Global Cyber Lawyers,” and has been named to its 500 X – The Next Generation list for the fields of Corporate Governance and ESG. He received Euromoney Legal Media Group’s 2022 Americas Rising Star Award for “Best in Corporate Governance.”
Mr. Arnold was raised in Longmont, Colorado. He received a B.A. with general honors from the University of Chicago in 2010 and a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2013, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.
Mr. Arnold joined Cravath in 2013 and was elected a partner in 2020. He worked in the Firm’s London office in 2017 and 2018.
Mr. Arnold’s sophisticated understanding and insights into legal and business risks are derived from his broad experience across multiple corporate practices, including capital markets and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Arnold has represented corporate clients and major financial institutions in public and private offerings of equity and debt, including initial public offerings and first‑time issuances, as well as in arranging financing for U.S. and international acquisitions. He has advised public and private companies in connection with mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and complex commercial agreements, including joint ventures, minority investments, supply agreements, strategic collaborations and licensing transactions.
Mr. Arnold is a frequent speaker and author on legal developments impacting the areas of corporate governance and ESG. He has moderated or spoken on panels hosted by the American Bar Association, the University of Delaware’s Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, the American College of Governance Counsel and the Council of Institutional Investors, as well as at events such as the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s Securities Regulation Institute and Ray Garrett / Corporate Counsel Institute, among others. Mr. Arnold has also spoken at events hosted by TechGC, the Florida Bar Association and Cornell Law School, among others. His writings on corporate governance‑related topics have been published by outlets including the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, Columbia Law School’s Blue Sky Blog and Wolters Kluwer’s Insights: The Corporate & Securities Law Advisor. Mr. Arnold currently serves as Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Federal Regulation of Securities Committee in the Business Law Section and as the Co-Chair of the ABA’s ESG Subcommittee, a joint subcommittee of the Corporate Governance Committee and Federal Regulation of Securities Committee. He served as Co‑Chair of the drafting committee for the Federal Regulation of Securities Committee in their comment letter on the SEC’s climate change disclosure rulemaking proposal.
Mr. Arnold has been recognized by Lawdragon as among the “Green 500: Leaders in Environmental Law” and the “500 Leading Global Cyber Lawyers,” and has been named to its 500 X – The Next Generation list for the fields of Corporate Governance and ESG. He received Euromoney Legal Media Group’s 2022 Americas Rising Star Award for “Best in Corporate Governance.”
Mr. Arnold was raised in Longmont, Colorado. He received a B.A. with general honors from the University of Chicago in 2010 and a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2013, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.
Mr. Arnold joined Cravath in 2013 and was elected a partner in 2020. He worked in the Firm’s London office in 2017 and 2018.
American Bar Association
International Bar Association
Society for Corporate Governance
Americas Rising Star Awards - Best in Corporate Governance, Euromoney Legal Media Group (2022)
Lawdragon
Deals & Cases
May 28, 2024
On May 28, 2024, United States Cellular Corporation (“UScellular”) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its wireless operations and select spectrum assets to T‑Mobile for a purchase price of $4.4 billion, including a combination of cash and up to approximately $2 billion of assumed debt. Under the terms of the agreement, T‑Mobile will acquire UScellular’s wireless operations and approximately 30% of its spectrum assets across several spectrum bands. In addition, T‑Mobile will enter into a new master license agreement with UScellular on more than 2,000 towers. The agreement follows a thorough strategic review process announced in August 2023 and has been unanimously recommended by the independent directors of UScellular and unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of UScellular. Cravath is representing the independent directors of UScellular in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
December 18, 2023
On December 18, 2023, ZimVie Inc. (“ZimVie”), a global life sciences leader in the dental and spine markets, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its spine business to H.I.G. Capital, a leading global alternative investment firm. Under the terms of the agreement, upon the closing of the transaction, ZimVie will receive $375 million in total consideration, comprised of $315 million in cash, subject to certain customary adjustments as set forth in the agreement, and $60 million in the form of a promissory note that will accrue interest at a rate of 10% per annum, compounded semi‑annually, payable in kind. Cravath is representing ZimVie in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
November 21, 2023
On November 20, 2023, Amentum, a portfolio company of Lindsay Goldberg and American Securities, announced a definitive agreement to merge with Jacobs’ Critical Mission Solutions and Cyber and Intelligence businesses, creating a new leader in systems integration and technology solutions. The transaction, which is structured as an all‑stock, Reverse Morris Trust transaction, will result in a publicly traded combined organization with $13 billion in revenue and more than 53,000 employees in 83 countries. Cravath is representing Amentum in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
October 16, 2023
On October 16, 2023, Vista Outdoor Inc. (“Vista Outdoor”), the parent company of 41 renowned brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor products to consumers around the globe, announced a definitive agreement to sell its Sporting Products business to Czechoslovak Group a.s. (“CSG”), a leading industrial technology holding company, for an enterprise value of $1.91 billion in an all-cash transaction. This transaction represents the next step in Vista Outdoor’s plan to split the company into separate entities. Cravath is representing Vista Outdoor in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
September 01, 2023
Cravath represented Robinhood Markets, Inc. (“Robinhood”) in its Share Purchase Agreement (the “Share Purchase Agreement”) with the United States Marshals Service (the “USMS”), acting for and on behalf of the United States, pursuant to which Robinhood agreed to purchase 55,273,469 shares of the company’s Class A common stock (the “Shares”) from the USMS for an aggregate purchase price of $605,694,411.59, or approximately $10.96 per share. The transaction closed on August 31, 2023.
Activities & Publications
July 02, 2024
Cravath partner Michael L. Arnold was featured as a guest on the June 28, 2024 episode of Slaughter and May’s podcast, “ESG in the Year of the Election.” In the interview, Michael discussed the politicization of ESG against the backdrop of elections in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States, including the ESG issues that are coming up in election cycles; key ESG sectors in the regulatory hotseat; how activism and novel litigation techniques might affect how companies view ESG; and the continued and increasing focus on good governance.
Activities & Publications
June 07, 2024
On June 6, 2024, Cravath partner Michael L. Arnold participated in a webinar titled “Biodiversity and Nature: What Investors Need to Know,” which was hosted by the Council of Institutional Investors. The virtual panel examined the state of biodiversity and nature‑related disclosure requirements; Taskforce on Nature‑related Financial Disclosures reporting; and potential issues investors and companies may have in preparing and analyzing biodiversity disclosures.
Activities & Publications
June 04, 2024
On June 4, 2024, Cravath partner Michael L. Arnold participated in Tech Week 2024, which was presented by Andreessen Horowitz in New York. The event convened industry leaders and startups in New York City to discuss the latest in technology and innovation across diverse sectors. Michael spoke on a panel entitled “How Tech Companies Can Use Data to Advance Impact,” where he discussed the ESG regulatory environment and the importance of data in ESG reporting.
Accolades
April 29, 2024
On April 26, 2024, Cravath partners David J. Kappos, John D. Buretta, Noah Joshua Phillips, Sasha Rosenthal‑Larrea, Evan Norris, Michael L. Arnold and Kimberley S. Drexler were named to Lawdragon’s list of “500 Leading Global Cyber Lawyers” in recognition of their work advising clients on corporate governance, investigations and regulatory enforcement, intellectual property and competition matters related to data privacy and cybersecurity. The list recognizes “the legal world’s leading minds in national security” who “connect it all – data and security, innovation and inspiration, litigation and exploration.”
Activities & Publications
April 09, 2024
On April 8, 2024, Cravath prepared a memo for its clients entitled “CISA Proposes Federal Cyber Incident Reporting Requirements for Businesses Across 16 Sectors.” The memo examines the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s recently proposed rule, entitled “Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA) Reporting Requirements,” which sets forth the nation’s first broadly applicable federal cyber incident reporting requirements. The memo summarizes the criteria that will determine what entities will be covered if the rule is adopted as proposed; what will need to be reported; when reports will need to be filed; and other key aspects of the proposed rule.
Michael L. Arnold is a member of the Corporate Governance and Board Advisory Practice. Mr. Arnold counsels clients with respect to their most sensitive and highest‑risk matters, advising boards of directors and senior management on a broad range of corporate governance, public reporting, disclosure and compliance matters, including in connection with restatements and other financial crises, as well as cybersecurity incidents. He also advises companies on matters relating to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues, particularly with respect to investor engagement, ESG shareholder proposals and activism, voluntary and mandatory ESG reporting and ESG‑related governance processes.
Mr. Arnold’s sophisticated understanding and insights into legal and business risks are derived from his broad experience across multiple corporate practices, including capital markets and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Arnold has represented corporate clients and major financial institutions in public and private offerings of equity and debt, including initial public offerings and first‑time issuances, as well as in arranging financing for U.S. and international acquisitions. He has advised public and private companies in connection with mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and complex commercial agreements, including joint ventures, minority investments, supply agreements, strategic collaborations and licensing transactions.
Mr. Arnold is a frequent speaker and author on legal developments impacting the areas of corporate governance and ESG. He has moderated or spoken on panels hosted by the American Bar Association, the University of Delaware’s Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, the American College of Governance Counsel and the Council of Institutional Investors, as well as at events such as the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s Securities Regulation Institute and Ray Garrett / Corporate Counsel Institute, among others. Mr. Arnold has also spoken at events hosted by TechGC, the Florida Bar Association and Cornell Law School, among others. His writings on corporate governance‑related topics have been published by outlets including the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, Columbia Law School’s Blue Sky Blog and Wolters Kluwer’s Insights: The Corporate & Securities Law Advisor. Mr. Arnold currently serves as Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Federal Regulation of Securities Committee in the Business Law Section and as the Co-Chair of the ABA’s ESG Subcommittee, a joint subcommittee of the Corporate Governance Committee and Federal Regulation of Securities Committee. He served as Co‑Chair of the drafting committee for the Federal Regulation of Securities Committee in their comment letter on the SEC’s climate change disclosure rulemaking proposal.
Mr. Arnold has been recognized by Lawdragon as among the “Green 500: Leaders in Environmental Law” and the “500 Leading Global Cyber Lawyers,” and has been named to its 500 X – The Next Generation list for the fields of Corporate Governance and ESG. He received Euromoney Legal Media Group’s 2022 Americas Rising Star Award for “Best in Corporate Governance.”
Mr. Arnold was raised in Longmont, Colorado. He received a B.A. with general honors from the University of Chicago in 2010 and a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2013, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.
Mr. Arnold joined Cravath in 2013 and was elected a partner in 2020. He worked in the Firm’s London office in 2017 and 2018.
Mr. Arnold’s sophisticated understanding and insights into legal and business risks are derived from his broad experience across multiple corporate practices, including capital markets and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Arnold has represented corporate clients and major financial institutions in public and private offerings of equity and debt, including initial public offerings and first‑time issuances, as well as in arranging financing for U.S. and international acquisitions. He has advised public and private companies in connection with mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and complex commercial agreements, including joint ventures, minority investments, supply agreements, strategic collaborations and licensing transactions.
Mr. Arnold is a frequent speaker and author on legal developments impacting the areas of corporate governance and ESG. He has moderated or spoken on panels hosted by the American Bar Association, the University of Delaware’s Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance, the American College of Governance Counsel and the Council of Institutional Investors, as well as at events such as the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s Securities Regulation Institute and Ray Garrett / Corporate Counsel Institute, among others. Mr. Arnold has also spoken at events hosted by TechGC, the Florida Bar Association and Cornell Law School, among others. His writings on corporate governance‑related topics have been published by outlets including the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, Columbia Law School’s Blue Sky Blog and Wolters Kluwer’s Insights: The Corporate & Securities Law Advisor. Mr. Arnold currently serves as Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Federal Regulation of Securities Committee in the Business Law Section and as the Co-Chair of the ABA’s ESG Subcommittee, a joint subcommittee of the Corporate Governance Committee and Federal Regulation of Securities Committee. He served as Co‑Chair of the drafting committee for the Federal Regulation of Securities Committee in their comment letter on the SEC’s climate change disclosure rulemaking proposal.
Mr. Arnold has been recognized by Lawdragon as among the “Green 500: Leaders in Environmental Law” and the “500 Leading Global Cyber Lawyers,” and has been named to its 500 X – The Next Generation list for the fields of Corporate Governance and ESG. He received Euromoney Legal Media Group’s 2022 Americas Rising Star Award for “Best in Corporate Governance.”
Mr. Arnold was raised in Longmont, Colorado. He received a B.A. with general honors from the University of Chicago in 2010 and a J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2013, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.
Mr. Arnold joined Cravath in 2013 and was elected a partner in 2020. He worked in the Firm’s London office in 2017 and 2018.
American Bar Association
International Bar Association
Society for Corporate Governance
Americas Rising Star Awards - Best in Corporate Governance, Euromoney Legal Media Group (2022)
Lawdragon
Deals & Cases
May 28, 2024
On May 28, 2024, United States Cellular Corporation (“UScellular”) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its wireless operations and select spectrum assets to T‑Mobile for a purchase price of $4.4 billion, including a combination of cash and up to approximately $2 billion of assumed debt. Under the terms of the agreement, T‑Mobile will acquire UScellular’s wireless operations and approximately 30% of its spectrum assets across several spectrum bands. In addition, T‑Mobile will enter into a new master license agreement with UScellular on more than 2,000 towers. The agreement follows a thorough strategic review process announced in August 2023 and has been unanimously recommended by the independent directors of UScellular and unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of UScellular. Cravath is representing the independent directors of UScellular in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
December 18, 2023
On December 18, 2023, ZimVie Inc. (“ZimVie”), a global life sciences leader in the dental and spine markets, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its spine business to H.I.G. Capital, a leading global alternative investment firm. Under the terms of the agreement, upon the closing of the transaction, ZimVie will receive $375 million in total consideration, comprised of $315 million in cash, subject to certain customary adjustments as set forth in the agreement, and $60 million in the form of a promissory note that will accrue interest at a rate of 10% per annum, compounded semi‑annually, payable in kind. Cravath is representing ZimVie in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
November 21, 2023
On November 20, 2023, Amentum, a portfolio company of Lindsay Goldberg and American Securities, announced a definitive agreement to merge with Jacobs’ Critical Mission Solutions and Cyber and Intelligence businesses, creating a new leader in systems integration and technology solutions. The transaction, which is structured as an all‑stock, Reverse Morris Trust transaction, will result in a publicly traded combined organization with $13 billion in revenue and more than 53,000 employees in 83 countries. Cravath is representing Amentum in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
October 16, 2023
On October 16, 2023, Vista Outdoor Inc. (“Vista Outdoor”), the parent company of 41 renowned brands that design, manufacture and market sporting and outdoor products to consumers around the globe, announced a definitive agreement to sell its Sporting Products business to Czechoslovak Group a.s. (“CSG”), a leading industrial technology holding company, for an enterprise value of $1.91 billion in an all-cash transaction. This transaction represents the next step in Vista Outdoor’s plan to split the company into separate entities. Cravath is representing Vista Outdoor in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
September 01, 2023
Cravath represented Robinhood Markets, Inc. (“Robinhood”) in its Share Purchase Agreement (the “Share Purchase Agreement”) with the United States Marshals Service (the “USMS”), acting for and on behalf of the United States, pursuant to which Robinhood agreed to purchase 55,273,469 shares of the company’s Class A common stock (the “Shares”) from the USMS for an aggregate purchase price of $605,694,411.59, or approximately $10.96 per share. The transaction closed on August 31, 2023.
Activities & Publications
July 02, 2024
Cravath partner Michael L. Arnold was featured as a guest on the June 28, 2024 episode of Slaughter and May’s podcast, “ESG in the Year of the Election.” In the interview, Michael discussed the politicization of ESG against the backdrop of elections in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States, including the ESG issues that are coming up in election cycles; key ESG sectors in the regulatory hotseat; how activism and novel litigation techniques might affect how companies view ESG; and the continued and increasing focus on good governance.
Activities & Publications
June 07, 2024
On June 6, 2024, Cravath partner Michael L. Arnold participated in a webinar titled “Biodiversity and Nature: What Investors Need to Know,” which was hosted by the Council of Institutional Investors. The virtual panel examined the state of biodiversity and nature‑related disclosure requirements; Taskforce on Nature‑related Financial Disclosures reporting; and potential issues investors and companies may have in preparing and analyzing biodiversity disclosures.
Activities & Publications
June 04, 2024
On June 4, 2024, Cravath partner Michael L. Arnold participated in Tech Week 2024, which was presented by Andreessen Horowitz in New York. The event convened industry leaders and startups in New York City to discuss the latest in technology and innovation across diverse sectors. Michael spoke on a panel entitled “How Tech Companies Can Use Data to Advance Impact,” where he discussed the ESG regulatory environment and the importance of data in ESG reporting.
Accolades
April 29, 2024
On April 26, 2024, Cravath partners David J. Kappos, John D. Buretta, Noah Joshua Phillips, Sasha Rosenthal‑Larrea, Evan Norris, Michael L. Arnold and Kimberley S. Drexler were named to Lawdragon’s list of “500 Leading Global Cyber Lawyers” in recognition of their work advising clients on corporate governance, investigations and regulatory enforcement, intellectual property and competition matters related to data privacy and cybersecurity. The list recognizes “the legal world’s leading minds in national security” who “connect it all – data and security, innovation and inspiration, litigation and exploration.”
Activities & Publications
April 09, 2024
On April 8, 2024, Cravath prepared a memo for its clients entitled “CISA Proposes Federal Cyber Incident Reporting Requirements for Businesses Across 16 Sectors.” The memo examines the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s recently proposed rule, entitled “Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA) Reporting Requirements,” which sets forth the nation’s first broadly applicable federal cyber incident reporting requirements. The memo summarizes the criteria that will determine what entities will be covered if the rule is adopted as proposed; what will need to be reported; when reports will need to be filed; and other key aspects of the proposed rule.
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