Gerald V. Thomas, II Partner

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As chair of McGuireWoods’ Tax & Employee Benefits Department, Gerald focuses his practice on complex transactional tax matters. He offers significant experience with mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and reorganizations, private equity funds, joint ventures, real estate investment trusts (REITs), financing transactions, and corporate and partnership tax planning.

Gerald frequently represents independent sponsors and private equity funds in M&A deals and has extensive experience in structuring such deals in a tax efficient manner. Gerald also has represented numerous REITs in public offerings, joint ventures, and mergers and acquisitions totaling billions of dollars.

Gerald previously chaired the Real Estate Investment Trust Committee of the ABA Section of Real Property, Trust and Estate Law (“RPTE”) and RPTE’s Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies Committee. Also, Gerald currently co-leads McGuireWoods’ Black Professionals in Private Equity & Finance initiative to help such professionals develop business opportunities and work towards a more diverse and inclusive financial and business community.

Experience

Private Equity Transactions

  • Representation of LLR Partners, a middle market private equity firm, in its acquisition of all of the equity interests of Learn-It Systems, an educational services company.
  • Representation of LLR Partners, a middle market private equity firm, in its $30 million investment in Schweiger Dermatology Group.
  • Representation of Sheridan Capital Partners, a private equity firm, in its majority recapitalization of Smile Doctors, the largest orthodontic dental support organization.
  • Representation of an investment advisory firm in its $57.2 million acquisition of a designer, manufacturer and distributor of personal consumer products.
  • Representation of O2Cool, a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of personal consumer products, in its acquisition of bobble, a manufacturer of hydration and filtration products, from Unilever, a publicly traded transnational consumer goods company.
  • Representation of O2Cool, a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of personal consumer products, in its acquisition of Zing Anything, an innovative hydration brand.

REIT Transactions

  • Representation of the Special Committee of Griffin-American Healthcare REIT II Inc. in its $4 billion merger transaction with NorthStar Realty Corp.
  • Representation of a publicly traded REIT in an $11 billion merger with another REIT.
  • Representation of a public, non-traded apartment, hospitality and office REITs in numerous real estate acquisitions and financing, including several UPREIT transactions and CMBS financings, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, including negotiation of third party management and franchise agreements.

Securities Transactions

  • Representation of Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), one of the largest energy and utility companies in the U.S., and one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Virginia Electric and Power Company, in two registered senior note offerings totaling $1.2 billion and one registered common stock offering totaling approximately $200 million.
  • Representation of Virginia Electric and Power Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), in a $750 million registered public offering of its 2016 Series A 3.15 percent Senior Notes due 2026.
  • Representation of Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), one of the largest energy and utility companies in the U.S., in a registered offering of $650 million of 2015 Series B 3.90% Senior Notes due 2025.
  • Representation of CNX Coal Resources (NYSE: CNXC), a growth-oriented master limited partnership formed by CONSOL Energy Inc. (NYSE: CNX), in its $750 million shelf registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
  • Representation of Haier US Appliance Solutions Inc., a subsidiary of China-based home appliance maker Qingdao Haier Co. Ltd., in a $450 million trade receivables securitization transaction.

M&A Related

  • Representation of American Woodmark (NASDAQ: AMWD), a manufacturer of kitchen and bath cabinets, in its $1.08 billion acquisition of RSI Home Products, a manufacturer of kitchen, bathroom and home organization cabinetry.
  • Representation of Park Sterling Corp. (NASDAQ: PSTB), a Charlotte, NC-based community bank, in its $691 million merger with South State Corp., a Columbia, SC-based bank holding company.
  • Representation of Tesoro Logistics LP in its $444 million acquisition of Alaska petroleum storage and terminal assets from Tesoro Corp.
  • Representation of a leading food service and support services company in its $350 million acquisition of a majority of the stock of a food and dining management services company.
  • Representation of Compass Group USA, a leading food and support services company, in its acquisition of SpenDifference, a full-service group purchasing organization and restaurant supply chain management company.
  • Representation of a leading foodservice and support services company in its acquisition of a major independent contract management firm.
  • Representation of Schneider National (NYSE: SNDR), a premier provider of transportation and logistics services, in its simultaneous acquisitions of Watkins & Shepard and Lodeso.
  • Representation of Hooker Furniture Corp. (NASDAQ: HOFT), a national manufacturer and producer of furniture, in its $105 million acquisition of the business of Home Meridian International.
  • Representation of one of the largest providers of Outpatient Surgery in the U.S. in its reorganization of a California-based surgical center.
  • Representation of Surgical Care Affiliates (NYSE: SCAI), one of the largest providers of Outpatient Surgery in the U.S., in its equity investment in Midlands Orthopaedics Surgery Center, a South Carolina-based orthopaedic and spine surgery center.
  • Representation of Domain Timber Holdings, LLC and its affiliates in connection with the acquisition of the fund management business of Timbervest, LLC, a real estate investment firm specializing in timberland funds management, and its affiliates.
  • Representation of Millennium Healthcare Management in the sale of its urgent care and occupational medicine businesses to Ochsner Health System, Louisiana’s largest, non-profit, academic, healthcare system.
  • Representation of Simpson Housing in its $81.9 million purchase of TwentyOne |01, a 226-unit apartment complex.
  • Representation of Simpson Housing in its $62 million purchase of a private REIT owning Battery on Blake Street, a 164-unit apartment complex.