Craig Levine, Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell associate
Image: courtesy photo
Craig Levine, 31, associate
Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell
Despite a challenging financing environment for micro-to-small-cap companies throughout the Great Recession, Los Angeles-based Levine has carved out the $10 million to $500 million transaction space as his M&A sweet spot. He recently represented Web Service Co. in a $500 million recapitalization by CHS Capital and has advised investment group NAXOS Capital Partners in a variety of transactions for their small- to midmarket portfolio. He works with clients ranging from private equity funds to closely held corporations in many diverse industries such as consumer goods and services, high-tech, renewable sciences and cleantech, apparel and aerospace and defense. His principal areas of practice are M&A transactions, corporate finance and securities law, and joint ventures and contractual matters (including licensing and distribution arrangements). The 2006 graduate of University of Southern California Law School served a clerkship with U.S. District Judge Nora Manella and also studied in the Honors Law Program at the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Word that best describes you?
Passionate.
Toughest moment in law school or as a lawyer?
The final days leading up to the closing of a $500 million reorganization for our client at the end of August 2008. The transaction eventually closed only a few weeks before Lehman Brothers collapsed in September.
Most interesting place you've traveled?
After I took the bar, I went to Europe with some friends. One place that we found amazing was the Cinque Terre, which is composed of five villages on the beaches of the Italian Riviera. You can get lost in the history and culture as you walk among these five towns.
Most unusual hobby?
While I spent my junior year abroad at Oxford, I started playing a lot of snooker — unfortunately it's hard to find a snooker table in Southern California pool halls.
Best advice you ever got?
"There is no point of doing something for someone if they don't know you've done it for them." — David B. Stern (colleague at JMBM) on developing productive business relationships.
Trial or deal you wish you could have worked on?
I'd love to have been involved in KKR's $31 billion takeover of RJR Nabisco. Not only did this leveraged buyout set a precedent and inspire a cultural phenomenon as the largest LBO in history, but I'd be curious to see how the lawyers accomplished this feat in the days before scanning and email.
