Garland “Sonny” W. Allison

Sonny Allison is co-chair of Cooley’s private equity practice group. He advises private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies on mergers, acquisitions and business transactions. He also serves as outside corporate counsel to the portfolio companies of his private equity fund clients. Sonny is a trusted business adviser who brings a commercial approach to transactions, always looking for creative solutions to drive transactions forward to closing. 

Sonny recognizes the importance of the partnership that is created between the private equity sponsor and rollover sellers, and clients often comment on his positive and collaborative “bedside manner” with opposing counsel and sellers – even during difficult negotiations. He has extensive experience with leveraged buyouts and recapitalizations, mergers, equity acquisitions, asset acquisitions, and dispositions, and he’s active in the boardroom, advising directors on their fiduciary duties and providing input from a legal and business perspective.   

Sonny’s experience involves deals across several high-growth industries, including technology, software, telecommunications, healthcare, life sciences, financial services, fintech and business services. He is widely recognized as a go-to M&A lawyer and is ranked by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers and The Legal 500 US. He was named a 2023 Lawyer of the Year for Mergers and Acquisitions Law by Best Lawyers.

Sonny’s recent representative transactions include advising: 

• 11:11 Systems and Tiger Infrastructure Partners in the recapitalization of 11:11 Systems, as well as subsequent acquisitions of Green Cloud Technologies, iland Internet Solutions, and Static1, carve out assets from Cleareon Fiber Networks, carve out assets from Unitas Global, and the Cloud and Managed Services and Recovery Services divisions from Sungard Availability Services*
• Peloton Capital Management in multiple transactions, including its:
  • Acquisition of Glass Lewis*
  • Investment in Unison Risk Advisors*
• Rockwood Equity Partners in its leveraged acquisition of Next Generation Construction & Environmental*
• Excellere Partners in multiple transactions, including its:
  • Leveraged acquisition of Two Labs Marketing to form new platform company TL Life Science Solutions, subsequent add-on acquisitions of MKO Global Partners and Pennside Partners, and ultimate sale of TL Life Science Solutions to Envision Pharma Group, a portfolio company of GHO Capital Partners*
  • Leveraged acquisitions of G2 Partners and FES Investments to form new portfolio company G2 Integrated Solutions, subsequent add-on acquisitions of Eagle Information Mapping and NRG Technologies, and ultimate sale of G2 Integrated Solutions to EN Engineering (now known as ENTRUST Solutions Group), a portfolio company of Kohlberg & Company*
  • Recapitalization of Align Financial Group to form new platform company PGIA Holdings, subsequent add-on acquisitions of Network Holdings and Endeavor General Agency, and ultimate sale of PGIA Holdings to Confie Seguros Holding II Co., a portfolio company of Abry Partners*
• Hawthorn Equity Partners in multiple transactions, including its:
  • Leveraged acquisition of Hydrofarm and subsequent initial public offering*
  • Acquisition of controlling interest in Ice Services*
  • Sale of portfolio company Waterworks to Restoration Hardware Holdings*
  • Sale of portfolio company Front Porch Digital to Oracle Corporation*
• Christy Sports, a portfolio company of TZP Group, in its acquisition of Grizzly Outfitters*
• CAI International in its $2.9 billion sale to Mitsubishi HC Capital*
• Hydrofarm Holdings Group in its acquisitions of Aurora Innovations, Aurora International and Gotham Properties*
• Mantos Copper (Bermuda) in its merger with Capstone Mining to create Capstone Copper*
• Special committee of the board of directors of Barkerville Gold Mines in the sale of all of Barkerville’s issued and outstanding stock to Osisko Gold Royalties*
• Thompson Creek Metals, a North American mining company, in its $1.1 billion acquisition by Centerra Gold, a Canadian-based gold mining company*
• Special committee of the board of directors of US Gold Corporation in its merger with Minera Andes to form McEwen Mining*

* Representation handled prior to joining Cooley