Private Briefing: Anixter Battle Highlights PE’s Growing Clout

Jeff Kateman, a shareholder in Stradling’s Corporate practice group, was quoted in an article published by TheStreet, “Private Briefing: Anixter Battle Highlights PE’s Growing Clout.” Fueled by dry powder and frothy deal prices in private markets, more PE firms are wading into higher-profile take-private contests against strategics and taking the fight into the final rounds. Strategic players can extract more synergies with a company that’s already in their business. “The feeling is that all else being equal, the strategic is more likely to win because of the synergies,” said Jeffrey Kateman, “That continues to be true on some level, but private equity firms are also becoming more aggressive. They know how to get deals done and get the most out of companies, and they’re willing to work harder to get deals done.”