F. Douglas Raymond

Chambers USA has noted the high esteem of his peers, with one reporting that Doug is “one of the finest lawyers I’ve ever worked with.” Doug is particularly valued for his work in mergers and acquisitions, securities transactions, and other complex corporate matters. He also has the judgment and perspective to address the unexpected and provide informed, practical solutions in acute situations and on an ongoing basis. Doug is one of only three attorneys to receive a “Band 1” designation from Chambers USA in Corporate/M&A: Securities in Pennsylvania, and he is also ranked in Band 1 in Corporate/M&A & Private Equity in Pennsylvania: Philadelphia & Surrounds.

Corporate Transactions

Clients rely on Doug to seamlessly execute the largest, most sophisticated mergers, strategic acquisitions, corporate divestitures, cross-border deals and joint ventures. Whether advising on a multibillion-dollar, debt-and-equity offering on the New York Stock Exchange or a strategic asset sale, Doug prioritizes client goals at every stage.

Doug has worked extensively in the area of social impact investing. He helped establish (and subsequently served on the board of directors of) one of the leading organizations that provides social impact ratings to investors and other constituencies. He has worked for more than 20 years with Opportunity Finance Network, which works with Community Development Financial Institutions and others to ensure that low-income, low-wealth and other under-served people and communities have access to affordable, responsible financial products and services. He has also provided counsel to boards of directors and others considering forming or converting to a benefit corporation format.

Disclosure and Governance Counsel

Doug is an authority on corporate governance, compliance and disclosure. He advises boards of directors and special committees on complex governance challenges and writes a regular column on governance matters for Directors & Boards magazine that highlights his pragmatic approach to boardroom issues.

Doug also has experience in the area of sophisticated family enterprises and is himself an independent (nonfamily) director of a seventh-generation family business with interests in industrial abrasives and related businesses.

Representative M&A Experience

• Sale to a private equity fund of a high-tech digital infrastructure platform
• Acquisition by a publicly traded international specialty chemical company of a competing enterprise
• Acquisition by a family-controlled company of an international automotive parts manufacturer and distributor
• Divestiture by a publicly traded financial services firm of a real estate services business
• Sale, through a prepackaged bankruptcy transaction of a publicly traded REIT, to a financial services firm
• U.S. counsel to an offshore private equity buyer and other buyers with respect to U.S. aspects of several international acquisitions
• Sale of a wetlands-mitigation banking company to a private equity buyer (which ultimately failed to close)
• Acquisition by a financial services firm of a software and advisory firm focused on the real estate, consumer and mortgage markets
• Pennsylvania counsel to a private equity firm in its acquisition by merger of a widely held consulting business
• Sale of a family-controlled automotive parts business to a financial services firm
• Divestiture of a market research and intelligence business to a global strategic competitor
• Sale of a publicly traded death care company, where we represented a special committee of the board in a going-private transaction with a controlling stockholder
• Multiple acquisitions by a transportation and logistics company of transportation, logistics and leasing businesses
• Sale of a company producing puzzles and games magazines and associated websites
• Acquisitions and divestitures of various printing businesses for a family holding company
• Sale by a family-owned industrial manufacturing company of a coated abrasives business to a private equity buyer
• Divestiture of a tank trailer manufacturer for a private equity fund
• Divestitures of over $1 billion of energy-related infrastructure businesses
• Acquisition for a global technology company of a logistics and services business
• Acquisition of a multi-line catalogue retailer for a strategic buyer and subsequent divestitures of that business
• Divestitures for a high-tech company of a principal business segment
• Acquisition of a property and casualty insurance company for a publicly traded insurer
• Dual track (IPO versus auction) process for a private equity seller of a global transportation and logistics company, which resulted in a successful sale
• Acquisitions of print and media businesses for strategic buyers
• Establishing a joint venture between a strategic and financial partner in the energy infrastructure business
• Acquisition of a national retailer for a strategic buyer
• Divestiture by a strategic seller of a sophisticated outsourcing business in the technology space
• Acquisitions by private equity buyers in a consolidation of niche manufacturing companies in a highly specialized market

Personal Interests

A classics and history major at Harvard University, Doug had early aspirations of becoming a rare book dealer. In his spare time he hikes and backpacks.