Cathy Birkeland is the Deputy Office Managing Partner in the Chicago office of Latham & Watkins. She has practiced with the firm since 1997 and is a member of the Corporate Department.
Ms. Birkeland's practice focuses on capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance matters and public company representation. She has represented a number of issuers in public offerings and private placements and a number of investment banks in their capacity as underwriters. In the mergers and acquisitions area, Ms. Birkeland has represented multiple buyers and sellers in mergers and acquisitions. She also advises public companies on a day-to-day basis, including assisting them in the preparation and filing of '34 Act reports and advising them on corporate governance and securities law issues. Additionally, Ms. Birkeland represents a number of privately held companies in corporate matters. Ms. Birkeland is admitted to practice in the state of Illinois.
Ms. Birkeland is a member of the Heart Leadership Council of Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.
In recent transactions, Ms. Birkeland has advised:
- Hyatt Hotels Corporation in a US$400 million repurchase of Hyatt stock from trusts for the benefit of certain Pritzker family members and Pritzker family business interests in the distribution of US$4 billion of Hyatt stock from Pritzker family trusts to personal trusts for the benefit of Pritzker family members. She represented Hyatt in its US$1.1 billion initial public offering, the second largest initial public offering by a US issuer in 2009 by proceeds. Additionally, Ms. Birkeland routinely advises Hyatt and its Board of Directors on '34 Act, securities law and corporate governance related matters.
- TransUnion Corp. in its proposed initial public offering (registration withdrawn) and corporate governance matters. Ms. Birkeland also recently represented TransUnion Corp. in a consent solicitation of holders of its senior notes. She also worked on the sale of a 51 percent interest in TransUnion Corp. to Madison Dearborn Partners on behalf of the company and Pritzker Family Business Interests in 2010. In addition, Ms. Birkeland represented TransUnion Corp. in stock repurchase transactions totaling US$1.3 billion from its stockholders.
- Triton Container International Limited (TCIL) and Pritzker Family Business Interests in the sale of an 80 percent interest in TCIL to Warburg Pincus and Vestar Capital Partners
- Pritzker Family Business Interests in the restructuring of family-owned assets
- Virgin Media Inc. and its Board of Directors in corporate governance matters
Education
- JD, Northwestern University School of Law, 1997 (cum laude)
- BA, Dartmouth College, 1994 (cum laude)