EMERGING LEADER OF THE YEAR HONOREE
MATT KIEL
Senior Counsel
Foley & Lardner LLP
Matt Kiel successfully pitched and secured a mandate from a UK-based, PE-backed events and media company for its US M&A expansion. Following the engagement, he led the formation of a US holding company and initiated a multi-year acquisition pipeline. As deal team lead, Kiel managed all aspects of the transactions, including drafting and negotiating definitive agreements, overseeing due diligence, and advising on complex US-specific legal and commercial issues for a UK private equity client. Kiel has also represented the sponsor in a complex preferred equity financing for a solar and battery storage development platform. The deal involved intricate negotiations due to the interplay with back-leveraged debt and the collateralization of partnership membership interests tied to the preferred equity raise. Kiel provided industry-specific legal counsel on energy-related commercial issues, including tax credit structuring, milestone-based payment mechanics, and multi-party negotiations among the sponsor, investor and lender. He led the drafting and negotiation of key definitive agreements and escrow arrangements, navigating governance rights at critical development and default milestones. Kiel represented a Hong Kong-based manufacturer and distributor of industrial lighting fixtures in a strategic cross-border partnership with a US-based distributor for expansion into the Americas. The transaction involved complex tax structuring and asset transfer considerations, including the contribution of foreign-registered intellectual property. As deal team lead, Kiel managed all client communications, negotiated definitive agreements, and advised on key corporate and commercial supply chain matters critical to the success of the partnership. Kiel’s strategic acumen has quickly established him as a standout in the field of mergers and acquisitions.
