Stephen Koval structures and negotiates complex business and private equity transactions, including public and private mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, carveouts, and recapitalizations. He is particularly focused on industries in which he has substantial experience, including retail, consumer goods and luxury brands, transactional health care, industrials, and services.
As a highly sought-after dealmaker who has been active in the private equity arena since its inception in the early ’80s, Mr. Koval serves as trusted advisor to leading private equity firms across the middle-market, including Prospect Hill Growth Partners, Castle Harlan, NexPhase Capital, Verus Investment Partners, and Halifax Capital Partners.
His considerable experience involves counseling on public offerings and private placements of debt and equity securities; representing financial institutions and US issuers of all sizes in the United States, as well both US and international entities, in cross-border offerings; restructuring the debt of financially distressed public and private companies; and serving as a skilled corporate counselor to boards of directors and their committees on governance, executive compensation and a broad range of other issues.
In addition to operating an active practice, Mr. Koval also provides leadership to the firm’s practices. He previously served as co-head of the Corporate Department and is currently the co-head of the firm’s global Private Equity practice.
Experience
- Comoto Holdings and its private equity sponsor Prospect Hill Growth Partners (f/k/a J.W Childs Equity Growth Partners) in the acquisition of J&P Cycles, the industry's largest omni-channel retailer or aftermarket products for the American V-Twin rider.
- Verus Investment Partners (f/k/a Uni-World Capital) in its sale of VanDeMark Chemical Inc., one of the world's largest, independent manufacturers of phosgene and phosgene derivatives, to Comvest Investment Partners.
- Union Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, in its combination with Bioceres, Inc., a Latin American agricultural biotech company and subsidiary of Bioceres S.A., named Private Equity Deal of the Year for 2019 by Latin Lawyer.
- J.W. Childs Equity Partners and J.P. Morgan Partners in the acquisitions and associated financings of Pinnacle Foods and Aurora Foods in separate acquisitions, one through the going-private bankruptcy of Aurora Foods, and the combination of those businesses, in transactions aggregating several billion dollars.
- J.W. Childs Equity Partners and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity in the acquisition of Advantage Sales & Marketing Inc. (ASM) for approximately $1.05 billion, and its subsequent sale to Apax Partners for $1.8 billion.
- Veracen LP, a private investment firm, in its merger-of-equals with Turner Investments.
- NexPhase Capital in its acquisition of Zing Zang LLC, a leading independent marketer of non-alcoholic cocktail mixes.
- Verus Investment Partners (f/k/a Uni-World Capital) in its sale of CAPS Payroll, a leading payroll provider in multiple entertainment markets, to Cast & Crew Entertainment Services.
- J.W. Childs Equity Partners in an investment in Comoto Holdings Inc., a holding company housing its portfolio company Cycle Gear Inc. and Revzilla Motorsports LLC, two of the nation's leading retailers of apparel, accessories and parts for motorcycle enthusiasts.
- Halifax Capital Partners in the sale of Caring Brands International, a leading worldwide franchisor of home healthcare services, to Levine Leichtman Capital Partners.
- Verus Investment Partners (f/k/a Uni-World Capital) in its acquisition of Drake Manufacturing Services Co., a leading manufacturer of precision CNC machine tools.
- J.W. Childs Equity Partners in the sale of JA Holding, Inc., the parent company of the American clothing brand Joseph Abboud, to Men's Wearhouse for approximately $97.5 million in cash.
- NexPhase Capital (f/k/a Moelis Capital Partners) in a growth investment in Dr. Fresh Inc. and an add-on acquisition of the Reach brand toothbrush assets of Johnson & Johnson.
Perspectives
Recognition
M&A/Corporate and Commercial: M&A Middle-Market (sub-$500m) (2016-2019)
M&A/Corporate and Commercial: Private Equity Buyouts (2016-2019)
Credentials
Education
- J.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1984
- M.B.A., University of Pennsylvania, 1984
- B.S., St. John's University, 1979, summa cum laude
Admissions
- New York
Activities
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, New York State Bar Association
- Member Emeritus, Board of Directors, Smithsonian Institution Libraries
- Member, Museum Advisory Council, American Museum of Natural History
- Member Emeritus, Board of Directors, The Metropolitan Opera Guild
- Member, Fundraising committees for numerous educational and philanthropic institutions