Lisa G. Watts

Vice Chair
She/Her/Hers

New York
lisa.watts@lw.com
+1.212.906.1200

PRACTICES

  • International Tax
  • Tax
  • Transactional Tax

INDUSTRIES

  • Energy & Infrastructure
  • Entertainment, Sports & Media
  • REITs
  • Retail & Consumer Products

BAR QUALIFICATIONS

  • New York

EDUCATION

  • LLM, New York University School of Law, 2001
  • JD, New York University School of Law, 1999
  • BA, Brown University, 1996

PROFILE

Lisa Watts, Vice Chair of Latham & Watkins and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, focuses on the development of the firm’s strategic direction and manages its global presence. In addition, she advises clients on corporate and partnership taxation. Lisa brings more than two decades of experience with complex transactional tax issues to her work advising clients.

Lisa regularly serves private equity firms, US-based and foreign public and private companies, REITs and UPREITs, partnerships and limited liability companies, as well as investment banks.

Specifically, Lisa helps clients navigate the tax aspects of significant US and cross-border transactions, including:

  • Mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures
  • Joint ventures
  • Recapitalizations
  • Public financings, including initial public offerings
  • Corporate restructurings

Lisa handles a broad range of transactional tax matters, with experience advising clients on all matter of M&A transactions, through the dual-track process, offering enhanced flexibility when planning an exit transaction, as well as clients contemplating an up-C structure. Lisa also has considerable experience advising on sophisticated transactions involving special purpose acquisition companies (SPAC).

Select private equity clients include:

  • ArcLight Capital
  • Consonance Capital Partners
  • One Equity Partners
  • Onex Partners
  • Platinum Equity
  • Riverstone Holdings
  • Shamrock Capital Advisors
  • Silver Lake Partners
  • The Blackstone Group

Select public companies and privately owned corporation clients include:

  • CoreSite Realty Corporation
  • Cotiviti Holdings, Inc.
  • Endeavor
  • Landmark Health
  • Moran Foods, LLC
  • Siemens AG
  • Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc.
  • Toys “R” Us, Inc.

Accolades

  • Named a Dealmaker of the Year by New York Law Journal 2021
  • Named to the Notable Women in Law list by Crain’s New York Business 2020 and 2022
  • Recommended for US Taxes: Non-contentious by The Legal 500 US 2020
  • Recommended for M&A/Corporate and Commercial – PE Buyouts by The Legal 500 US 2020
  • Ranked for New York: Tax by Chambers USA 2018-2022
  • Named a Law360 2019 Tax MVP
  • “One of the most intelligent attorneys with an encyclopedic knowledge of tax law and a unique ability to express complex issues and structure in digestible terms. She is an invaluable resource in working through and suggesting solutions for often complicated, problematic tax and structural issues.” The Legal 500 US 2020
  • “She advocates well for her clients, she’s commercial in addressing issues and she’s a pleasure to work with.” Chambers USA 2020

EXPERIENCE

Lisa's experience includes advising: 

M&A / Joint Venture Transactions

  • Taboola in its pending US$2.6 billion merger with Ion Acquisition Corp.
  • Latch in its pending US$1.56 billion merger with TS Innovation Acquisitions Corp.
  • Talkspace in its pending US$1.4 billion merger with Hudson Executive Investment Corp.
  • Ouster in its pending US$1.9 billion merger with Colonnade Acquisition Corp.
  • The Beachbody Company in its pending US$2.9 billion merger with Forest Road Acquisition Corp. and Myx Fitness
  • Matterport in its pending US$2.9 billion merger with Gores Holding VI
  • Property Solutions Acquisition Corp. in its pending US$3.4 billion merger with Faraday Future
  • Acies Acquisition Corp. in its pending US$1 billion merger with PlayStudios
  • Aeva in its pending US$1.7 billion merger with InterPrivate Acquisition Corp.
  • Ardian in its US$2.25 billion strategic investment in Agnus Chemical Company
  • The Blackstone Group in its US$1.5 billion investment in Cheniere Energy and subsequent US$7 billion sale
  • RMG Acquisition Corp. in its pending merger with Romeo Power Technology
  • Grail, Inc. in its US$8 billion sale to Illumina
  • Virgin Galactic in its US$1.5 billion merger with Social Capital Hedosophia
  • Ra Pharmaceuticals in its US$2.1 billion sale to UCB Pharma
  • Platinum Equity in a number of transactions, including the:
    • US$1.55 billion merger of Pacific Architects and Engineers (PAE) with Gores Holdings III, a SPAC sponsored by The Gores Group
    • US$2.5 billion acquisition of Multi-Color Corporation
    • US$3.8 billion acquisition of Husky IMS International
    • US$1.2 billion acquisition of Jostens
    • US$2.1 billion sale of BlueLine Rental to United Rentals
    • Acquisition of Livingston International
    • Joint venture with Ball Corporation to form Ball Metalpack
    • US$2.4 billion sale of BWAY to Stone Canyon Industries
  • Momenta Pharmaceuticals in its US$6.5 billion sale to Johnson & Johnson
  • Opendoor Labs in its US$4.8 billion merger with Social Capital Hedosophia
  • GCM Grosvenor in its US$2 billion pending merger with CF Finance Acquisition Corp.
  • DXC Technology in a number of transactions, including the:
    • US$5 billion sale of its US State and Local Health and Human Services Business to Veritas Capital
    • US$2 billion acquisition of Luxoft Holding
  • Endeavor in a number of transactions, including the:
    • Acquisition of On Location Events
    • Sale of Droga5 to Accenture
  • Consonance Capital Partners in a number of transactions, including the:
    • Acquisition of Turn-Key Health by CareCentrix
    • Acquisition of Orsini Pharmaceutical Services
    • Sale of Enclara Healthcare
    • Acquisition of Psychiatric Medical Care
  • Silver Lake in a number of transactions, including the:
    • US$1.35 billion investment in Jio Platforms
    • US$650 million equity funding round by Klarna
    • US$500 million investment in City Football Group (CFG)
    • Acquisition of TEG
  • Siemens in a number of transactions, including the:
    • US$4.5 billion acquisition of Mentor Graphics Corporation
    • Acquisition of Mendix
  • Onex Corporation in a number of transactions, including the:
    • US$4.3 billion merger of portfolio company Clarivate Analytics with Churchill Capital, a SPAC
    • US$1.3 billion acquisition of the Save-A-Lot business of SUPERVALU
    • Acquisition of SMG Holdings
  • ArcLight Capital Partners in a number of transactions, including the:
    • US$2.17 billion acquisition of four power plants to a newly formed joint venture between ArcLight and Blackstone
    • Joint venture between Leeward Renewable Energy Financing, a portfolio company of ArcLight, and Wells Fargo Wind Holdings
  • CVC Capital Partners in its acquisition of The Alpha Corporation of Tennessee
  • Cotiviti Holdings in its US$4.9 billion sale to Verscend Technologies, a portfolio company of Veritas Capital
  • Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. in its merger with Keryx Biopharmaceuticals
  • Israel Chemicals in its US$1 billion sale of its fire safety and oil additives business units to SK Capital Partners
  • Capitol Acquisition Corp. III in its US$2.4 billion acquisition of Cision
  • Capitol Acquisitions II in its US$439 million acquisition of Lindblad Expeditions
  • Capitol Investment Corp. IV, a SPAC, in its US$1.1 billion acquisition of Nesco Holdings
  • GENBAND in its merger of equals with Sonus Networks
  • Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited in the US$1.1 billion merger between GTWY Holdings and Leisure Acquisition Corp., a SPAC

Corporate Finance Transactions

Lisa represents both issuers and underwriters in equity and debt offerings. She also has significant experience advising on initial public offerings.

Issuer Representation

  • Aziyo Biologics 
  • Camping World
  • Capitol Investment Corp. (V, VI, and VII)
  • Casper Sleep Inc.
  • CoreSite Realty Corporation
  • Funko
  • Group Nine Acquisition Corp.
  • Manchester United
  • Press Ganey Holdings
  • RMG Acquisition Corp.
  • RMG Acquisition Corp. III
  • Shift4 Payments
  • Supernova Partners Acquisition Company Inc.
  • Supernova Partners Acquisition Company II, Ltd.
  • Tanger Properties
  • Toys “R” Us, Inc.
  • USHG Acquisition Corp.
  • Vroom, Inc.

Underwriter Representation

  • Academy Sports and Outdoors 
  • ACCO Brands Corporation
  • DXC Technology Company
  • InterGlobe Aviation Limited
  • ZoomInfo Technologies
  • Party City Corporation
  • Sirius XM Radio Inc.
  • SmileDirectClub
  • Southeastern Grocers