Milwaukee Office
411 East Wisconsin Avenue Suite 2350
Milwaukee,
Wisconsin
53202
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Professional Experience
Kathie Buono is a partner in the Corporate Services Group. Previously, Kathie served as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and both as National Chair of the Corporate Services Group and as Leader of its M&A Team. She focuses her practice in the areas of mergers and acquisitions and private equity investments, in addition to general corporate work. For approximately four years early in her career, Kathie litigated commercial disputes. As a result, she brings a unique perspective to bear on her clients’ transactions. Her experience includes:
- Representing Mason Wells Private Equity in dozens of portfolio company acquisitions and divestitures, including its 2012 acquisition of A&R Logistics, Inc., the 2012 acquisition by its portfolio company, NEX Performance Films, Inc., of Charter Films, Inc., Mason Wells’ 2011 acquisitions of Mullinix Packages, Inc. and Eddy Packing Co., its 2010 acquisitions of Paragon Development Systems, Inc., Paris Presents Incorporated and the Performance Packaging Division of Appleton Papers, Inc., its 2012 sale of Oliver Products Company to Berwind Corporation, its 2007 sale of Converting, Inc. to Kohlberg & Co., and its 2005 sale of Sturm Foods, Inc. to Hicks Muse.
- Representing Briggs & Stratton Corporation in connection with its acquisitions of Generac Portable Products and Simplicity Manufacturing.
- Representing Modine Manufacturing Company in a “reverse Morris Trust” transaction in which Modine spun off its Aftermarket Division to its shareholders, followed immediately by the merger of the Aftermarket Division with Transpro, Inc., to create a new company called Proliance International, Inc. In December 2005, the transaction won two awards at the annual deal competition hosted by The M&A Advisor – the Manufacturing-Industrial Deal of the Year and the overall U.S. Middle Market Deal of the Year.
- Representing the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Trustee in connection with a Section 363 sale of the restaurant and real estate assets of Giordano’s Enterprises, Inc. and its affiliates in 2011.
- Representing WE Energies in connection with negotiation of the project documentation for its biomass powered co-generation facility located at the Domtar Paper Company mill in Rothschild, Wisconsin.
- Representing other buyers and sellers (strategic and financial) in dozens of acquisition and divestiture transactions, principally in manufacturing and service businesses.
- Representing individual investors, other institutional investors and management in private equity investments.
- Regularly advising publicly and privately held businesses in general corporate and commercial matters.
Education and Honors
- Marquette University Law School (J.D., 1986)
Class Valedictorian. Marquette Law Review (Student Articles Editor, 1985-1986).
- University of Dayton (B.S., 1983)
Bar Admissions
Wisconsin,
1986
Court Admissions
U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, 1988
U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin, 1986
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1986
Professional Recognition
- Named the Best Lawyers’ 2012 Milwaukee Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law Lawyer of the Year.
- Listed in Chambers USA® (2004-present: Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions).
- Named as a 2006 “Woman of Influence” by The Business Journal (Milwaukee).
- Recognized as a “Volunteer of the Year” in 2005 by the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee.
- Martindale-Hubbell AV® Peer Review Rated.
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® (2007-present: Corporate Law / Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law / Mergers & Acquisitions Law).
- Selected for inclusion in the 2005-2012 Wisconsin Super Lawyers® lists (Mergers & Acquisitions).
Professional and Civic Activities
- Association for Corporate Growth (Wisconsin Chapter Member).
- M7 Venture Debt Advisory Board (Member).
- Marquette Law Alumni Board (Member).
- Milwaukee Bar Association (Member).
- American Bar Association (Member).
- State Bar of Wisconsin (Member).
Selected Presentations/Publications
- Presenter, “A Little D&O for D&O: Duties & Obligations of Directors & Officers – An Ethics Update,” Quarles & Brady Annual Ethics Seminar, November 2011.
- Presenter, “Antitrust Considerations in the M&A Context,” M&A Forum, February 2004.
- Panelist, “Mergers & Acquisitions,” seminar sponsored by Marsh, May 2001.
- Presenter, “Private Equity Investing from a Legal, Tax and Business Perspective,” Corporate Practice Institute, December 1997.
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