Matthew J. Heiser – Biography
Matt is a corporate transactional lawyer who has extensive experience representing
financial sponsors and public and private companies in a variety of transactional
matters, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, leveraged buyouts,
minority investments, joint ventures, debt financings and other strategic
transactions. His practice includes advising clients on a wide range of
general corporate matters, including corporate governance, commercial
contracts, employment agreements and equity compensation plans.
Matt is also a member of the firm's Electronic Transactions Processing
Group. In that capacity, Matt assists merchant bank card independent sales
organizations, payment processors and acquirers in a variety of matters
relating to electronic payments transactions.
Matt attended the University of Virginia where he received his B.A. in
Economics with High Distinction in 2002 and the Columbia University School
of Law where he received his J.D. in 2005. During law school, Matt served
as Design & Layout Editor of the
Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems.
Additionally, Matt has been recognized in
Super Lawyers magazine as a New York Metro Rising Star.
Following his graduation from law school, Matt spent six years in the New
York office of Bingham McCutchen LLP where he was an Associate in the
private equity group and a member of the hiring committee, and one and
one-half years in the New York office of Paul Hastings LLP where he was
an Associate in the mergers and acquisitions group. Matt joined Berkowitz,
Trager & Trager, LLC as Counsel in 2013, and was admitted as a Member in 2016.
Education
- Columbia University School of Law, J.D., 2005
- University of Virginia, B.A. with High Distinction, 2002
Admissions
- State of New York
- State of Connecticut
Affiliations
- New York State Bar Association
- Connecticut Bar Association
Distinctions
-
Super Lawyers, New York Metro Rising Star (2014–2017)
- Member, Winning Team, M&A Advisor’s Turnaround Awards, "Distressed
M&A Deal of the Year (Over $25MM to $100MM)” for the Sale of
Phoenix Payment Systems (EPX) to North American Bancard, 2015
Publications
-
“What's Good for the Goose Isn't Always Good for the Gander:
A Study of the Inefficiencies of a Single Default Rule for Delivery of
Possession of Leasehold Estates,”
Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems, Vol. 38 (Winter 2004)
Representative Transactions
- Represented a national auto-parts retailer in numerous add-on acquisitions
- Represented a national auto-parts retailer in its sale to a financial sponsor
- Represented a merchant bank card acquirer in its sale to a strategic buyer
- Represented investors in a sale of a New York-based creative agency.
- Represented a global e-commerce solutions business in its sale to a multi-national
public corporation.
- Represented a merchant bank card acquirer in its $50M purchase of substantially
all of the assets of a payment processor pursuant to chapter 11 of the
Bankruptcy Code.
- Represented a merchant bank card acquirer in its joint venture with an
Oklahoma City-based independent sales organization.
- Represented a data center servicing firm in the $7M contribution of substantially
all of its assets.
- Represented two financial sponsors in the $295M sale of a leading mall-based retailer.
- Represented an investment partnership in its $18M minority investment in
a racetrack.
- Represented a financial sponsor in the $180M acquisition of a dental management business.
- Represented a financial sponsor in the $241M sale of a foods company.
- Represented a Maryland-based education company in the $5M acquisition of
a publishing company.
- Represented a financial sponsor in the $31M acquisition of the assets of
a producer and installer of simulated and live-fire shooting ranges.
- Represented an investor in its $1.5M majority investment in a Long Island hotel.
- Represented a Massachusetts-based marketing company in an $11.3M preferred
stock equity financing.
- Represented a New York-based secure printing company as borrower in connection
with a $15M credit facility and a sale of subordinated notes in the aggregate
amount of $6.5M.
- Represented a Massachusetts-based borrower in a sale of senior convertible
notes in the aggregate amount of $1.5M.
- Represented a Massachusetts-based borrower in a sale of subordinated secured
notes in an aggregate principal amount of $4M.