Overview

Jodi Simala serves co-leader of Mayer Brown's Global M&A/PE practice. She has over 25 years' experience representing sellers and buyers in connection with domestic and international stock and asset acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures, public and private mergers, tender and exchange offers, consent solicitations, recapitalizations and reorganizations technology licensing transactions and venture capital and private equity investments. She represents clients engaged in a wide range of industries, including gaming, hospitality and leisure, financial services, fintech, IoT, food and beverage and automotive.

Jodi's practice includes representation of issuers and selling securityholders in connection with public and private sales of debt and equity securities. She also counsels boards of directors and management regarding fiduciary duties, corporate governance and defensive measures, including stockholders' rights plans and other matters, and she advises public companies regarding SEC reporting, compliance and disclosure issues.

Jodi is recognized as a leading M&A lawyer in Chambers USA (2012-2021), characterizing her as "highly experienced in corporate securities and M&A, with a great sense of market terms."Clients in Chambers USA 2021 also note "she is a well-rounded adviser who is very knowledgeable, super responsive, extremely creative, and she never misses a detail" and "she's able to do complex thinking in a short amount of time and quickly gets her head around issues." Jodi was selected by Law360, a leading industry publication, as one of the "Top 10 Female DealMakers" in M&A. The honorees "have helped complete some of the biggest deals in the business and established themselves as leaders in their field," the publication said. Jodi was also named a 2022 “Client Service All-Star” in M&A by BTI Consulting Group.

Lenguajes Hablados

  • English

Experiencia

  • Represented Cummins Inc., a global power technology leader, in its acquisition of NYSE-listed Meritor, Inc., a global leader in drivetrain, mobility, braking, aftermarket and electric powertrain solutions, in a transaction valued at $3.7 billion.
  • Represented YUM! Brands, Inc. (KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut) in connection with various matters, including its acquisition of Nasdaq-listed Habit Restaurants, Inc., its acquisitions of technology companies in the ordering and AI consumer insights spaces, $10 billion spin-off of its China business, its commercial partnership with food delivery aggregator Grubhub and related $200 million investment and its global collaboration/development agreement with Beyond Meat.
  • Represented Pernod Ricard S.A. in connection with various matters, including acquisitions of controlling interests in various liquor companies and a brand marketing and distribution joint venture.
  • Represented CDK Global, Inc. in the $1.6 billion sale of its International business, its $360 million acquisition of Roadster, Inc., a leading provider of digital retail solutions for the automotive industry and its acquisition of Salty Dot, Inc., a provider of automobile insurance technology solutions.
  • Represented Caesars Entertainment in connection with various matters, including $1.7 billion acquisition of Centaur Holdings, LLC, its joint venture to develop a $1 billion integrated resort-casino in Korea, the sale-leaseback of the Octavius Tower and Harrah's Philadelphia real property, venture capital investments in various technology and other early stage companies and various agreements relating to its online gaming and sports betting activities.
  • Represented Tenneco Inc. in connection with a variety of corporate transactional matters, including the disposition of its energy, packaging and shipbuilding businesses and joint ventures in China, Europe and India. Also represented Tenneco in various securities and financing transactions, including the refinancing of its $4.9 billion senior credit facility and its issuances of common stock, senior notes, senior secured notes and senior subordinated notes.
  • Represented Capital One in connection with various matters, including its agreement to acquire ING Direct, the acquisition of a national originator and servicer of commercial real estate loans and various fintech acquisitions.
  • Represented Chemtura Corporation in various matters, including the sale of its Optical Monomers business with operations in the US, Italy, the Netherlands and France, its purchase of 46.5 percent of Baxenden Chemicals Limited and the sale of its Refined Products business, with operations in the US and Europe.
  • Represented Baxter Healthcare in connection with various matters, including the sale of its generic injectibles business and its acquisition of a minority interest in Sigma International, a manufacturer of pumps, and the related long-term supply agreement and option to acquire the balance of the company.
  • Represented leading solid waste company Allied Waste Industries, Inc. in its merger agreement with Republic Services, Inc., including the unsolicited offer by Waste Management, Inc. and Macquarie Infrastructure Partners in its acquisition of Nasdaq-listed WCA Waste Corporation.

Educación

Boston University, BA/MA, summa cum laude
Phi Beta Kappa

Harvard Law School, JD, cum laude

Admisiones

Bar

  • Illinois