• Christian E. Witzke advises private equity funds and their portfolio companies, public companies and private businesses in mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, equity financings and other investment transactions. Commercial, objective-driven and unflappable no matter the timeline, Christian works to get challenging and complex deals over the finish line. He guides clients through the inevitable and often unique complications arising at every stage of these transactions, from strategic structuring and negotiation of deal and corporate governance documents through due diligence and to closing. Some of his notable recent work has included syndicate acquisitions involving the structuring and negotiation of intricate multiparty investment relationships.

    Handling both core business acquisitions and portfolio company transactions, Christian is often called upon to represent his private equity clients in multiple transactions throughout the full investment life cycle, from acquisition to exit, and across a variety of industries. He has advised Stone Point Capital LLC, Blackrock and Sentinel Capital Partners in numerous acquisitions, investments and sales, working as an essential member of the core client team in these transactions.

    Experience

    • Represented BlackRock Impact Opportunities Fund as a co-lead investor in a syndicate acquisition of Acelero Learning, a leading provider of Head Start and early learning services.

    • Advised The NPD Group, a global market information provider, in its acquisition by private equity firm Hellman & Friedman.

    • Represented Sentinel Capital Partners in the sale of Pet Supplies Plus to Franchise Group Inc., in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $700 million.

    • Advised Alliant Insurance Services in its acquisition of Confie, a leading privately owned personal lines insurance distributor in the United States.

    • Represented BlackRock in its strategic partnership with Virtu, a global market maker, broker and leading provider of global financial services technology; MarketAxess, a leading fixed-income electronic trading platform for institutional investors and dealers; and certain other consortium members, to support the growth of RFQ-Hub, a bilateral multi-asset and multi-dealer request-for-quote platform.

    • Represented Capstar SPAC in its merger with Gelesis, a biotherapeutics weight management company using proprietary biomimetic superabsorbent hydrogel technology, in a $900 million transaction.

    • Advised Sentinel Capital Partners in its acquisition of Controlled Products, a manufacturer and distributor of premium synthetic turf products.

    • Represented BlackRock in its strategic investment in Acorns Grow, developer of the country’s fastest-growing micro-investing app.

    • Advised SitusAMC in the acquisition of LogicEase Solutions Inc., the parent company of leading residential regulatory compliance technology provider ComplianceEase.

    • Advised BlackRock on its strategic investment in MEMX, the country’s fastest-growing equity exchange.

    • Represented Stone Point Capital LLC and its Trident Funds in the acquisition of a majority interest in PrismHR, the leading human resources technology platform.

    • Advised Stone Point Capital LLC and its Trident Funds in the acquisition of Eliassen Group, a leading provider of IT staffing and consulting services.

    • Represented Kestra Financial, an industry-leading independent broker-dealer, in the sale of a majority stake to private equity firm Warburg Pincus.

    • Advised Stone Point Capital LLC and its Trident Funds in the acquisition of Grace Hill, a leading provider of online training courseware and administration for the property management industry.

    • Represented Stone Point Capital LLC and its Trident Funds in the acquisition of LegalShield, a subscription-based provider of legal plans and a provider of identity theft solutions, from funds controlled by MidOcean Partners.

    • Advised Alliant Insurance Services in the acquisition of Crystal & Co., a leading global provider of insurance and employee benefits consulting services.

    • Advised Atlantic Street Capital in its acquisitions of a number of portfolio companies and add-ons, including John C. Cassidy Air Conditioning, Zips Car Wash and Enhanced Medical Services.

    Credentials

    Education

    • J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 2015
      • Member, The Tax Lawyer
    • B.A., Psychology, Amherst College, 2009

    Bar Admissions

    • New York, 2017

    Focus Areas

  • Perspectives

    • Defining Matters
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      Kramer Levin Advises Strategic Management Solutions in Sale to Bernhard Capital Partners
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    • Announcements
      Dec. 04, 2023
      Kramer Levin Elevates Three Lawyers to Partner
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    • Defining Matters
      Jan. 11, 2022
      Kramer Levin Advises The NPD Group in Acquisition by Hellman & Friedman
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    • Defining Matters
      Nov. 01, 2021
      Kramer Levin Advises Sentinel Capital Partners in Acquisition of Controlled Products
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    • Defining Matters
      June 10, 2021
      Kramer Levin Advises Alliant in its Acquisition of Confie
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    • Defining Matters
      Jan. 29, 2021
      Kramer Levin Advises Sentinel Capital Partners in Sale of Pet Supplies Plus to Franchise Group
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    • Defining Matters
      Sept. 25, 2020
      Kramer Levin Advises SitusAMC in the Acquisition of ComplianceEase
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    • Defining Matters
      Jan. 30, 2020
      Kramer Levin Advises Stone Point Capital in Acquisition of PrismHR
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    • Defining Matters
      Feb. 28, 2019
      Kramer Levin Advises Kestra Advisor Services in Sale of Majority Stake to Warburg Pincus
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    • Defining Matters
      Nov. 05, 2018
      Kramer Levin Advises Stone Point Capital in Acquisition of Eliassen Group
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    • Defining Matters
      April 17, 2018
      Kramer Levin Advises Alliant in Acquisition of Crystal & Company
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    • Defining Matters
      March 12, 2018
      Stone Point Capital Acquires Grace Hill
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    • Defining Matters
      Feb. 28, 2018
      Kramer Levin Advises Stone Point Capital in Acquisition of LegalShield
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