Phil Cooper is a Partner in the Corporate and Securities Group of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP in Atlanta, focusing his practice on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, debt and equity finance, and general corporate counseling.  Mr. Cooper advises both publicly and privately held companies in a wide variety of industries, including financial services, insurance, staffing, and technology, among others.  He has served as lead counsel or co-lead counsel on over 100 transactions, ranging in transaction value from under $1 million to $3 billion.

Mr. Cooper assists businesses in structuring, negotiating and completing mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures.  He often represents clients in obtaining operating capital, whether it be in the form of debt financing from commercial lenders or equity financing from private equity groups or venture capitalists.  In addition, Mr. Cooper has significant experience representing providers of capital, assisting clients in structuring and documenting loans and equity investments.

As outside corporate counsel, Mr. Cooper advises companies in matters relating to company formation and corporate governance, and drafts, reviews and negotiates commercial contracts and other material agreements, including shareholder agreements, partnership agreements, limited liability company operating agreements, services agreements, employment agreements, loan and credit agreements and private placement documentation.

Mr. Cooper currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce (Southeast Region), and is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the American Bar Association and the Atlanta Bar Association.  He also maintains a Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rating, the highest available rating for legal ability and ethical standards.

Mr. Cooper earned his law degree, with high honors, from Duke University School of Law, where he served as Articles Editor for the Duke Law Journal.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Tulane University, where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa honorary societies.  Mr. Cooper is a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Mr. Cooper’s representative transactions include the following:

• Represented a publicly traded global operator of regulated exchanges, trading platforms and clearing houses in connection with its $2.6 billion syndicated senior credit facilities and its $400 million debt private placement.
• Represented a large national insurance brokerage and risk management firm in connection with a series of acquisitions in the insurance brokerage industry, and in connection with its secured term loan, acquisition and working capital credit facilities.
• Served as outside general counsel for a multi-state staffing company, advising its founders in connection with its formation and initial capital raise, counseling the company on employment agreements and material contracts, and representing the company in connection with acquisitions, joint ventures and credit facilities.
• Represented a large national mortgage lender in connection with a series of acquisitions and joint ventures in both the mortgage and banking industries.
• Represented a large national fuel supply, distribution and delivery company in connection with its senior secured credit facilities and receivables securitization.
• Served as outside general counsel for an emerging technology company, advising the company in connection with its formation, Series A Preferred round of equity financing, customer contracts and other general company matters.
• Represented a large life settlement provider company in connection with its sale of 50% of its equity interests to the U.S. subsidiary of an Israeli public holding company.
• Represented a global agricultural company in connection with its $1.4 billion acquisition of the international seed business of a second global agricultural company.