Phillip R. Mills
Lawyers
Advises on U.S. and cross-border M&A transactions for public and private companies across all industries.
Phillip advises on U.S. and cross-border M&A transactions for public and private companies across all industries. He also advises on stockholder activism, corporate governance, fiduciary duties and takeover defense.
Experience highlights
- Emerson Electric’s:
- Acquisition of National Instruments
- Acquisition of control of Aspen Technology
- Sale of control of Climate Technologies
- Acquisition of Pentair’s Valves & Controls business
- Disposition of its network power and power transmission solutions businesses
- Sale of its InSinkErator business
- Acquisition of Textron’s Tools and Test Equipment business
- Acquisition of Paradigm
- Successful hostile acquisition of Chloride Group plc
- FirstGroup’s:
- sale of First Student and First Transit to EQT Infrastructure
- sale of Greyhound Lines to FlixMobility
- acquisition of Laidlaw International
- Triple-S Management’s acquisition by GuideWell
- Mobile Mini’s all-stock merger of equals with WillScot
- Mitsubishi HC Capital’s acquisition of CAI International
- Mitsubishi Leasing’s acquisitions of Jackson Square Aviation and ENGS Holdings
- Tokyo Century’s acquisition of Aviation Capital
- Heineken’s acquisition of Brasil Kirin from Kirin
- ABB’s acquisition of GE Industrial Solutions
- PartnerRe’s:
- Contested merger of equals with AXIS Capital and subsequent sale to EXOR
- Acquisition of ParisRe
- Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s sale of its Asset Management Business to Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation
- Ruby Tuesday’s contested acquisition by NRD Capital
- MHR Fund Management with respect to Lions Gate Entertainment and acquisition of Starz
- Royalty Pharma’s hostile bid for Elan
- Dalian Wanda’s acquisition of AMC Entertainment
- Cigna’s acquisition of HealthSpring
- Citigroup’s:
- Rescue transaction with Wachovia
- Consortium acquisition of Guangdong Development Bank
- MCI’s acquisition by Verizon
- Kingdom of Sweden’s sale of Absolut vodka maker, V&S Group
- Alliance Capital’s acquisition of Sanford Bernstein
- Assurant’s acquisitions of:
- American Financial & Automotive Services
- American Financial Warranty Corporation
- HYLA Mobile
- BRP Group’s acquisitions of:
- Amfield, Harrison & Thomas
- Burnham Benefits Insurance Services / Burnham Gibson Wealth Advisors
- Keebler Foods’ acquisition by Kellogg
- EMI’s agreement to combine with AOL Time Warner’s music business
- Private equity clients Phillip has advised include EQT on various cross-border transactions; Quadrangle on various media and telecom investments; Lindsay Goldberg & Bessemer; and Tailwind Capital
- Financial advisory assignments for J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, Lazard and Wells Fargo
Insights
Credentials
Recognition
Chambers Global – Corporate M&A (International & Cross-Border), USA
Chambers USA – Corporate/M&A, New York
IFLR1000 – M&A, New York, Highly regarded
American Lawyer – “Dealmaker of the Week,” 2011, 2015
Education
LL.B., University of Queensland, TC Beirne School of Law
- first-class honours
B.Com., University of Queensland
Professional history
- Partner, 1993-present
- Davis Polk since 1986
Qualifications and admissions
- State of New York