Matthew D. Cohn, P.C.
Overview
Matthew D. Cohn is a partner in the M&A/Private Equity Practice Group of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Matt serves as lead counsel representing large and middle market private equity funds, growth funds, and public and private companies in domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, growth equity investments, structured equity and debt financings, joint ventures, sponsor-backed capital markets transactions, and corporate restructurings and workouts. Matt has broad experience counseling clients in a variety of industries, including software and technology, healthcare, financial services, insurance, business services, retail, consumer products, energy, manufacturing, and sports, media and entertainment.
Matt was recognized in the 2021–2023 editions of Chambers USA for his work in Private Equity: Buyouts, where clients described Matt as “a fantastic lawyer.”
Matt is part of a core group of Kirkland partners who opened the Firm’s Boston office in 2017. He serves on various firm-wide and Boston office committees.
Matt lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts with his family. He is an avid sports fan and is a member of the board of directors of the New England Chapter of the Positive Coaching Alliance and a member of the United Way of Mass Bay/Merrimack Valley Tocqueville Society Council.
Experience
Representative Matters
Adviser Investments in its acquisition of Ropes Wealth Advisors.
Providence Equity Partners in its strategic investment in Wasserman.
Genstar Capital in its strategic investment in Inside Real Estate.
Summit Partners in its sale of Harvey Performance Company to Berkshire Partners.
Genstar Capital in its acquisition of 2020 Technologies, and 2020 Technologies in its subsequent merger of equals with Compusoft.
ABRY Partners in its investment in OneCare Media.
Genstar Capital in its acquisition of a majority stake in Vector Solutions, and Vector Solutions in multiple acquisitions.
Genstar Capital in its acquisition and recapitalization of Daxko.
Summit Partners in connection with its investment in AKA Brands and AKA Brands in its initial public offering.
Summit Partners in its $290 million growth investment in Shipmonk.
Summit Partners in its sale of Teaching Strategies to KKR.
Summit Partners in its acquisition of a majority stake in Adviser Investments.
ABRY Partners in its investment in Freestar Technology Solutions.
ABRY Partners in its minority investment in Kingland Systems.
ABRY Partners in its acquisition of Inoapps.
Genstar Capital in its acquisition of MASA Global.
ABRY Partners in its strategic investment in Beacon Point Wealth Advisors.
ABRY Partners in its acquisition of Options Technology Ltd.
Summit Partners as lead investor in a growth equity round in ShipMonk.
ABRY Partners in its investment in United Real Estate Holdings.
Summit Partners in its growth equity investment in Brooklinen.
ABRY Partners in its acquisition of Anju Software from Providence Strategic Growth Partners.
Providence Equity Partners regarding its investment in TopGolf including its pending acquisition by Callaway Golf.
United Road Services, a portfolio company of Carlyle Equity Opportunity Fund, in its acquisition of Fleet Car Services and other add-on acquisitions.
Summit Partners in its sale of Trident University to Career Education Corp.
Summit Partners in its acquisition of Harvey Performance Company from Riverside Company.
Summit Partners regarding its investment in Vivint Solar including in its pending acquisition by Sunrun.
ABRY Partners in its strategic investment in and recapitalization of Aduro, a provider of human performance software solutions to employers and health systems.
ABRY Partners in its strategic investment in and recapitalization of Sermo, a global social platform for physicians and healthcare professional survey company.
ABRY Partners in its sale of HealthSCOPE Benefits to United Health Group.
Summit Partners in its acquisition and recapitalization of Princess Polly.
Summit Partners in its acquisition of Metro Tech Services from Reedy Industries, and Metro Tech in various add-on acquisitions.
Summit Partners in its sale of Perforce Software to Clearlake Capital.
Summit Partners in its acquisition of Teaching Strategies from L Squared Capital Partners.
ABRY Partners in its investment in and recapitalization of Adswerve, a technology solutions provider for online advertisers and marketers.
Carlyle Equity Opportunity Fund in its acquisition of United Road Services and VTV Transmission from Charlesbank Capital Partners.
Providence Equity Partners in dozens of acquisitions, sales, investments and portfolio company matters, including the acquisition and sale of Learfield Communications to Atairos Capital Group, acquisition of a significant equity interest in RentPath from TPG Capital, investments in Topgolf Entertainment Group and EZLinks Golf Holdings, sale of Ascend Learning Holdings to affiliates of
Blackstone Group and Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, sale of World Endurance Holdings (operator of the Ironman Triathlon brand) to Dahlian Wanda Group, and sale of Ikasystems Corporation.*
Providence Strategic Growth Partners in various acquisitions, sales, growth investments and portfolio company matters, including acquisitions of Ministry Brands, Therapy Brands, Property Brands,
PaySimple, Untangle NG Firewall, LogicMonitor, VendorSafe Technologies, Skybox Security, Theranest, and Burning Glass International.*
Ministry Brands and Genstar Capital Management in a significant investment by Insight Venture Partners and various acquisitions by Ministry Brands, including acquisitions of ACTIVE Network’s faith division, Data Diver, Aptify Corporation, Senior Systems and NCS Services.*
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan in a $300 million equity commitment to EdgeMarc Energy Holdings, an upstream oil and gas company, and a joint venture and equity commitment to Anbaric Holdings, an energy infrastructure development company.*
Advent International Corporation in its acquisition of Distribution International.*
Summit Partners in its acquisition of Parts Town and subsequent majority recapitalization with Berkshire Partners, and Parts Town in its acquisitions of Whaley Foodservice Repairs, Food Equipment Services Co. and North American Commercial Parts.*
Thomas H. Lee Partners in the corporate separation and reorganization of Comdata and Ceridian HCM.*
Summit Partners and Grand Design Recreational Vehicle Company in its $500 million sale to Winnebago Industries.*
Costa (formerly A.T. Cross Company) in the sale of its pens and accessories division to Clarion Capital Partners, and subsequent sale of Costa to Essilor International SA.*
American Capital in various transactions, including sales of Pacific Handy Cutters, Inc. to Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, Specialty Brands of America to B&G Foods and Dynojet Research to Irving Place Capital and New Value Capital.*
IDI Gazeley (Brookfield Logistics Properties) in the sale of its industrial real estate portfolio in Mexico, including 35 industrial properties and 395 acres of undeveloped land, to FINSA and Walton Street Mexico.*
Montagu Private Equity in its sale of Centor to Gerresheimer AG.*
* Matters prior to joining Kirkland
Prior Experience
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
More
Thought Leadership
Speaking Engagements
Moderator, State of Private Equity Panel, 27th Annual Harvard Business School Venture Capital & Private Equity Virtual Conference, February 6, 2021
Recognition
Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- Massachusetts
- New York
Education
- Villanova University Charles Widger School of LawJ.D.
- Syracuse UniversityB.A.