REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE
Bert’s recent representative experience includes:
Financial Services
- Representing Hartford Fire Insurance Company, the P&C line holding company for The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., in the sale of First State Management Group Inc., a managing underwriter specializing in commercial excess and surplus insurance coverage.
- Representing Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in the sale of a retirement services third-party administration business.
- Representing Putnam Investments LLC in connection with the restructuring of its relationship with Mercer, related to Mercer’s defined contribution retirement plan business.
- Representing Great-West Lifeco Inc., a financial services holding company controlled by Canada-based Power Financial Corporation, in its acquisition of Putnam Investments from Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., for approximately $3.9 billion.
- Representing The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. in its acquisition of Sun Life Retirement Services (U.S.) Inc., a provider of recordkeeping and administrative services to defined contribution plans.
- Representing a bank in connection with a capital investment by the U.S. Department of Treasury pursuant to the Community Development Capital Initiative, a program under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).
- Representing Teucrium Trading LLC, the sponsor and commodity pool operator of the Teucrium Corn Fund, an exchange-traded fund, in connection with its formation and financing.
Additional Experience Bert also has significant experience representing clients in the restaurant services and energy industries, including:
- Representing Cajun Operating Company and its majority shareholder in connection with the sale of the “Church’s Chicken” business to Friedman Fleischer & Lowe LLC.
- Representing clients such as Cargill Inc., Louis Dreyfus Highbridge Energy LLC, Morgan Stanley, Questar Inc., and Trafigura A.G. in corporate transactions involving energy assets.
- Representing RTM Restaurant Group Inc., Arby’s largest franchisee with 775 Arby’s restaurants, in its acquisition by Triarc Companies Inc. for approximately $727 million.
PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND AWARDS
- Recognized by Chambers USA: Guide to Leading Business Lawyers in the area of mergers and acquisitions (2011)
- Named to The Best Lawyers in America in the areas of mergers and acquisitions (2009–2010) and leveraged buyouts and private equity law (2009–2012)
PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- Member, American Bar Association
- Member, New York City Bar Association
- Member, Life Insurance Council of New York (LICONY)
- Graduate, Leadership Atlanta (Class of 2006)
PUBLICATIONS AND SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
- Speaker, “The Federal Regulation of Insurance” (June 2009)
- Author, “M&A Report,” Restaurant Finance Monitor (June 2008)
- Speaker, “Material Adverse Effect Clauses—the Ramifications in Corporate Transactions,” Southeastern M&A Forum (2006)
- Speaker, “Strategic Considerations in the Private Company Auction,” Southeastern M&A Forum (2005)
- Speaker, “Confidentiality Provisions in the Acquisition Context,” Georgia Continuing Legal Education (2005)