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Philip A. Cooper

Philip A. Cooper

Partner

Atlantic Station
201 17th Street NW
Suite 1700
Atlanta, GA 30363
T 404.322.6471
phil.cooper@nelsonmullins.com
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Phil focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, debt and equity financings, and general corporate counseling. With more than three decades of experience, he advises founders, business owners, middle-market companies, private equity funds, and portfolio companies on strategic transactions and complex business matters. His experience spans the financial services, energy, staffing, business services,...

Phil focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, debt and equity financings, and general corporate counseling. With more than three decades of experience, he advises founders, business owners, middle-market companies, private equity funds, and portfolio companies on strategic transactions and complex business matters. His experience spans the financial services, energy, staffing, business services, insurance, manufacturing, technology, and sports and entertainment industries. Phil has served as lead or co-lead counsel on more than 250 transactions ranging in value from less than $1 million to more than $3 billion.

Philip A. Cooper

insurance, manufacturing, technology, and sports and entertainment industries. Phil has served as lead or co-lead counsel on more than 250 transactions ranging in value from less than $1 million to more than $3 billion.

Experience

The following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.

Experience

  • Advised publicly and privately held companies, founders, business owners, private equity funds, portfolio companies, lenders, and investors across a broad range of industries, including financial services, energy, staffing, business services, insurance, manufacturing, technology, and sports and entertainment
  • Served as lead counsel or co-lead counsel on more than 250 transactions, ranging in value from less than $1 million to more than $3 billion
  • Represented clients in structuring, negotiating, and completing mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, recapitalizations, and joint ventures
  • Represented borrowers in obtaining operating capital through commercial lending transactions, private equity investments, venture capital financings, and other debt and equity financing transactions
  • Represented lenders, private equity funds, venture capital investors, and other providers of capital in connection with loans, credit facilities, and equity investments
  • Represented clients in structuring, negotiating, and documenting loans, credit facilities, private placements, and equity investments
  • Served as outside corporate counsel, advising companies in matters relating to
    • Company formation, capitalization, and corporate governance
    • Ownership structures and shareholder, partnership, and limited liability company agreements
    • Commercial contracts and strategic business relationships
    • Employment agreements, services agreements, loan and credit agreements, private placement documentation, and other material business agreements

Representative Transactions

  • Served as outside general counsel for a multi-state staffing company throughout its life cycle, advising its founders in connection with the company's formation and initial capital raise, counseling the company on employment agreements and material contracts, representing the company in connection with acquisitions, joint ventures, and credit facilities, and ultimately representing the founders in the sale of the company to a private equity firm.
  • Represented a private equity firm in connection with its acquisition program involving founder-owned business services companies.
  • Represented a national fuel and energy supply, logistics, and services company in connection with multiple strategic acquisitions, financing transactions, and other corporate matters.
  • Represented founder-owned companies in a variety of industries, including business services, financial and payment services, travel, and technology, in connection with their sales to private equity sponsors and strategic acquirers.
  • Served as special counsel to management groups in connection with sale transactions and recapitalizations involving rollover equity and ongoing equity ownership.
  • Represented a financial services company in connection with its recapitalization and related debt and equity refinancing transactions.
  • Represented a diversified regional energy company in connection with the sale of three separate business divisions to three separate strategic acquirers.
  • Represented a national insurance brokerage and risk management firm in connection with a series of acquisitions in the insurance brokerage industry and multiple acquisition, term loan, and working capital credit facilities.
  • Represented a national mortgage lender in connection with a series of acquisitions and joint ventures in the mortgage and banking industries.
The following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.

Experience

  • Advised publicly and privately held companies, founders, business owners, private equity funds, portfolio companies, lenders, and investors across a broad range of industries, including financial services, energy, staffing, business services, insurance, manufacturing, technology, and sports and entertainment
  • Served as lead counsel or co-lead counsel on more than 250 transactions, ranging in value from less than $1 million to more than $3 billion
  • Represented clients in structuring, negotiating, and completing mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, recapitalizations, and joint ventures
  • Represented borrowers in obtaining operating capital through commercial lending transactions, private equity investments, venture capital financings, and other debt and equity financing transactions
  • Represented lenders, private equity funds, venture capital investors, and other providers of capital in connection with loans, credit facilities, and equity investments
  • Represented clients in structuring, negotiating, and documenting loans, credit facilities, private placements, and equity investments
  • Served as outside corporate counsel, advising companies in matters relating to
    • Company formation, capitalization, and corporate governance
    • Ownership structures and shareholder, partnership, and limited liability company agreements
    • Commercial contracts and strategic business relationships
    • Employment agreements, services agreements, loan and credit agreements, private placement documentation, and other material business agreements

Representative Transactions

  • Served as outside general counsel for a multi-state staffing company throughout its life cycle, advising its founders in connection with the company's formation and initial capital raise, counseling the company on employment agreements and material contracts, representing the company in connection with acquisitions, joint ventures, and credit facilities, and ultimately representing the founders in the sale of the company to a private equity firm.
  • Represented a private equity firm in connection with its acquisition program involving founder-owned business services companies.
  • Represented a national fuel and energy supply, logistics, and services company in connection with multiple strategic acquisitions, financing transactions, and other corporate matters.
  • Represented founder-owned companies in a variety of industries, including business services, financial and payment services, travel, and technology, in connection with their sales to private equity sponsors and strategic acquirers.
  • Served as special counsel to management groups in connection with sale transactions and recapitalizations involving rollover equity and ongoing equity ownership.
  • Represented a financial services company in connection with its recapitalization and related debt and equity refinancing transactions.
  • Represented a diversified regional energy company in connection with the sale of three separate business divisions to three separate strategic acquirers.
  • Represented a national insurance brokerage and risk management firm in connection with a series of acquisitions in the insurance brokerage industry and multiple acquisition, term loan, and working capital credit facilities.
  • Represented a national mortgage lender in connection with a series of acquisitions and joint ventures in the mortgage and banking industries.

Media

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Recognitions

The bar rules of some states require that the standards for an attorney's inclusion in certain public accolades or recognitions be provided. When such accolades or recognitions are listed, a hyperlink is provided that leads to a description of the respective selection methodology.

Professional Activities

  • State Bar of Georgia
  • American Bar Association
  • Atlanta Bar Association

Leadership

  • Member, Executive Committee, Conexx: American Israel Business Connector

Phil focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, debt and equity financings, and general corporate counseling. With more than three decades of experience, he advises founders, business owners, middle-market companies, private equity funds, and portfolio companies on strategic transactions and complex business matters. His experience spans the financial services, energy, staffing, business services,... insurance, manufacturing, technology, and sports and entertainment industries. Phil has served as lead or co-lead counsel on more than 250 transactions ranging in value from less than $1 million to more than $3 billion.

Experience

The following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.

Experience

  • Advised publicly and privately held companies, founders, business owners, private equity funds, portfolio companies, lenders, and investors across a broad range of industries, including financial services, energy, staffing, business services, insurance, manufacturing, technology, and sports and entertainment
  • Served as lead counsel or co-lead counsel on more than 250 transactions, ranging in value from less than $1 million to more than $3 billion
  • Represented clients in structuring, negotiating, and completing mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, recapitalizations, and joint ventures
  • Represented borrowers in obtaining operating capital through commercial lending transactions, private equity investments, venture capital financings, and other debt and equity financing transactions
  • Represented lenders, private equity funds, venture capital investors, and other providers of capital in connection with loans, credit facilities, and equity investments
  • Represented clients in structuring, negotiating, and documenting loans, credit facilities, private placements, and equity investments
  • Served as outside corporate counsel, advising companies in matters relating to
    • Company formation, capitalization, and corporate governance
    • Ownership structures and shareholder, partnership, and limited liability company agreements
    • Commercial contracts and strategic business relationships
    • Employment agreements, services agreements, loan and credit agreements, private placement documentation, and other material business agreements

Representative Transactions

  • Served as outside general counsel for a multi-state staffing company throughout its life cycle, advising its founders in connection with the company's formation and initial capital raise, counseling the company on employment agreements and material contracts, representing the company in connection with acquisitions, joint ventures, and credit facilities, and ultimately representing the founders in the sale of the company to a private equity firm.
  • Represented a private equity firm in connection with its acquisition program involving founder-owned business services companies.
  • Represented a national fuel and energy supply, logistics, and services company in connection with multiple strategic acquisitions, financing transactions, and other corporate matters.
  • Represented founder-owned companies in a variety of industries, including business services, financial and payment services, travel, and technology, in connection with their sales to private equity sponsors and strategic acquirers.
  • Served as special counsel to management groups in connection with sale transactions and recapitalizations involving rollover equity and ongoing equity ownership.
  • Represented a financial services company in connection with its recapitalization and related debt and equity refinancing transactions.
  • Represented a diversified regional energy company in connection with the sale of three separate business divisions to three separate strategic acquirers.
  • Represented a national insurance brokerage and risk management firm in connection with a series of acquisitions in the insurance brokerage industry and multiple acquisition, term loan, and working capital credit facilities.
  • Represented a national mortgage lender in connection with a series of acquisitions and joint ventures in the mortgage and banking industries.

Education

  • Duke University School of Law, JD, with high honors
    • Articles Editor, Duke Law Journal
  • Tulane University, BA, cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
    • Omicron Delta Kappa honorary society

Admissions

  • Georgia

Practice Areas

Industries

The bar rules of some states require that the standards for an attorney's inclusion in certain public accolades or recognitions be provided. When such accolades or recognitions are listed, a hyperlink is provided that leads to a description of the respective selection methodology.

  • State Bar of Georgia
  • American Bar Association
  • Atlanta Bar Association
  • Member, Executive Committee, Conexx: American Israel Business Connector