Michael H.Knight (Mike)

Partner

Washington + 1.202.879.5553

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With more than 25 years of experience as an antitrust lawyer in both government and private practice, Mike Knight advises clients on a full range of competition law matters including mergers, joint ventures, competitor collaborations, distribution issues, price discrimination, monopolization, and intellectual property restraints. He routinely represents clients before federal and state antitrust agencies and federal courts. Mike also co-heads Jones Day's Hart-Scott-Rodino Act premerger notification team.

Mike's recent representations include securing antitrust clearance for Cintas Corporation's acquisition of G&K Services and the long-fought acquisition by Hertz of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group. He also has represented Aetna, Axiall, Conagra, and Indivior, among other clients, on antitrust matters.

Mike served as an assistant director of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Competition from 2003 to 2007, heading the Bureau's Mergers II Division, where he oversaw hundreds of investigations across an array of industries including technology, chemical manufacturing, mining, and agriculture. He was a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division from 1997 to 2000. In private practice before joining Jones Day, Mike represented technology firms Adobe, NVIDIA, and Synopsys, among other clients.

Mike has held various leadership positions in the American Bar Association's Section of Antitrust Law over the past 18 years and currently serves on the editorial board of the Section's Antitrust Source publication. He writes and speaks frequently on antitrust enforcement topics.

Experience

  • WEG acquires industrial electric motors and generators business from Regal Rexnord CorporationJones Day is advising WEG S.A. in the $400 million acquisition of the industrial electric motors and generators business of Regal Rexnord Corporation.
  • Asbury Automotive Group acquires Jim Koons AutomotiveJones Day is advising Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE: ABG), one of the largest automotive retail and service companies in the U.S., in its definitive agreement with the Jim Koons Automotive Group of Companies to acquire Jim Koons Automotive for approximately $1.2 billion in cash.
  • Sega acquires Rovio EntertainmentJones Day advised Sega Corporation with the international aspects of the acquisition of Finland’s Rovio Entertainment (the creators of 'Angry Birds').
  • TotalEnergies completes PIPE investment in NextDecade Corporation and investment in $18.5 billion Rio Grande LNG ProjectJones Day represented TotalEnergies in connection with its PIPE investment in NextDecade Corporation and investment in the Rio Grande LNG (RGLNG) Project, a planned natural gas liquefaction project in South Texas.
  • Sonepar Group acquires Billows Electric SupplyJones Day represented Sonepar in the acquisition by its U.S. subsidiary, Cooper Electric, of Billows Electric Supply, an electrical distribution business operating 19 branch locations in the Philadelphia, South New Jersey, and Wilmington, Delaware, markets.
  • Evoqua merges with Xylem in $7.5 billion all-stock transactionJones Day advised Evoqua Water Technologies Corp. (NYSE: AQUA) in its $7.5 billion stock-for-stock merger with Xylem Inc. (NYSE: XYL).
  • NioCorp combines with GX Acquisition Corp. IIJones Day advised NioCorp Developments Ltd. (TSX: NB; OTCQX: NIOBF) in its business combination with GX Acquisition Corp. II (Nasdaq: GXII), a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition corporation.
  • Flowers Foods acquires Papa Pita BakeryJones Day advised Flowers Foods, Inc. in its acquisition of Papa Pita Bakery, a leading manufacturer and distributor of high-quality bagels, tortillas, breads, buns, English muffins, and flat breads.
  • Horizon Global merges with First Brands GroupJones Day represented Horizon Global Corporation in its acquisition by First Brands Group, LLC, a global automotive parts manufacturer that serves the worldwide automotive aftermarket.
  • J.F. Lehman & Company backed NorthStar Group acquires Trans Ash Inc.Jones Day advised NorthStar Group, a portfolio company of J.F. Lehman & Company, in the acquisition and financing of Trans Ash Inc., a leading provider of coal ash (or coal combustion residuals) services to utilities customers across North America.
  • Sonepar acquires NEDCO SupplyJones Day represented Sonepar, a global market leader in B-to-B distribution of electrical products, in its acquisition of NEDCO Supply, a full-line distributor of electrical products and services operating throughout southern Nevada.
  • Hard Rock International acquires The Mirage Las Vegas Hotel and CasinoJones Day represented Hard Rock International (Hard Rock) on the acquisition of The Mirage Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas from MGM Resorts International.
  • Roper Technologies sells majority stake in industrial businesses to Clayton Dubilier & Rice, LLC for $2.6 billionJones Day advised Roper Technologies, Inc. on the sale of a majority stake in its industrial businesses, including its entire Process Technologies segment and the industrial businesses within its Measurement & Analytical Solutions segment, to an affiliate of Clayton Dubilier & Rice, LLC, for $2.6 billion in cash and contingent consideration of up to $51 million.
  • Nordson Corporation acquires CyberOptics CorporationJones Day advised Nordson Corporation in the acquisition of CyberOptics Corporation, a leading global developer and manufacturer of high-precision 3D optical sensing technology solutions.
  • Centre Lane Partners acquires personalization business of Kibo Software, Inc.Jones Day advised Centre Lane Partners, LLC in the acquisition and financing of the personalization business of Kibo Software, Inc., a market leader in modern, omnichannel commerce and a platform company of Vista Equity Partners.
  • MassMutual enters into approximate $840 million transaction for purchase and financing of natural gas assets located in Pennsylvania and West VirginiaJones Day represented Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company and MassMutual Ascend Life Insurance Company in connection with (a) the acquisition and financing of asset-backed notes and certificates the proceeds of which were used to acquire proved, developed, and producing ("PDP") natural gas assets in Pennsylvania and West Virginia and (b) the formation of a limited partnership and the subsequent acquisition of six proven-undeveloped natural gas wells located in Pennsylvania and West Virgina.
  • ACI Worldwide divests corporate online banking solutionsJones Day advised ACI Worldwide, Inc. in the $100 million divestiture of its corporate online banking solutions to One Equity Partners.
  • TotalEnergies enters into Strategic Alliance and Investment Agreement with Sunix and Tropigas in the Dominican RepublicJones Day advised TotalEnergies in the strategic alliance and investment agreement with Omaha Beach Investment Corp., Sunix Petroleum, S.R.L. and Tropigas Dominicana, S.R.L. in the Dominican Republic.
  • iSTAR Medical enters into strategic alliance with AbbVieJones Day advised iSTAR Medical SA in its strategic alliance with AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV).
  • Infobase receives majority investment from Northlane Capital PartnersJones Day represented Centre Lane Partners, LLC in connection with the majority investment from Northlane Capital Partners in Infobase.
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    July 2023 White Paper

    DOJ/FTC Propose Massive Changes to HSR Premerger Filings: What You Need to Know

    January 2023 Alert

    U.S. Merger Notification Threshold Increases to $111.4 Million

    January 2023 Alert

    Congress Enacts Substantial Increase in U.S. Merger Notification Filing Fees for Large Deals

    October 2022 Newsletters

    Global Merger Control Update | Fall 2022

    January 2022 Alert

    U.S. Merger Notification Threshold Increases to $101 Million

    April 2021 Alert

    Supreme Court Blocks FTC from Obtaining Monetary Remedies in Most Antitrust and Consumer Protection Cases

    February 2021 Alert

    Antitrust Agencies Suspend Early Termination of HSR Waiting Period

    February 2021 Alert

    U.S. Merger Notification Threshold Falls to $92 Million

    February 2021 Newsletters

    Global Merger Control Update | Winter 2021

    June 2020 External Publications

    Regulators and M&A: Two Months into the Pandemic, The M&A Lawyer, Volume 24, Issue 6
    View All

    Speaking Engagements

    • November 9, 2016
      Jones Day Global Life Sciences Conference – 2016 Issues & Trends
    • March 10, 2015
      What You Absolutely Positively Must Know About HSR
    • May 21, 2014
      The Interface Between Sector Regulation and Competition Law: The Experience in the US, Europe And Elsewhere, panelist, Canadian Bar Association's 2014 Competition Law Spring Forum
    • November 13, 2013
      2013-2014 Life Sciences Webinar Series: Intellectual Property, Regulatory, and Antitrust Issues in Life Sciences M&A and Capital Markets Transactions
    • September 5, 2013
      Risk Factors for Second Request Merger Investigations by the DOJ and FTC, panelist, ABA Section of Antitrust Program
    • September 12, 2013
      Merger Practice Workshop, panelist, ABA Section of Antitrust Law Program
    • March 27, 2012
      Antitrust for Deal Lawyers, guest lecturer, Boston College Law School
    • January 31, 2012
      Budgeting for eDiscovery: Exploring your Approach to Cost Control and Transparency, panelist, LegalTech New York 2012
    • July 19, 2011
      New DOJ Merger Remedies: Expanded Antitrust Enforcement Tools, panelist, Strafford CLE Webinar
    • June 22, 2011
      Executive Roundtable Series - Growing Your Business: How to Handle Legal and Regulatory Hurdles Both Before and After They Arise
    • March 10, 2011
      TransPerfect Legal Solutions/FTI Technology Second Request Panel, panelist
    • September 27, 2010
      International Competition/Antitrust Update, panelist, CCCA 2010 Corporate Counsel World Summit
    • July 1, 2010
      Horizontal Merger Guidelines: Operating Within the New Antitrust Framework, panelist
    • February 16, 2010
      Executive Roundtable Series: Antitrust in the Obama Administration: Developments in the First Year and What to Expect Next
    • September 15, 2009
      Annual seminar on Antitrust for the Westchester/Southern Connecticut chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel (WESFACCA)

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