Since joining Nixon Peabody more than 22 years ago, Phil has had the pleasure of advising investors, middle market private companies, large public companies, entrepreneurs and C-level executives in many different kinds of corporate transactions, all over North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Phil was born in Southern Africa and finished his secondary education in the United States. His love of family, travel, outdoor adventure and community permeates everything he does.
Phil has been described as “the consummate trusted advisor,” who is “very practical and determined to get the deal closed,” and who “consistently excels at solving client’s complex problems.” Phil routinely taps into a broad network of middle market contacts to help clients source new transaction opportunities, identify sources of capital, hire key employees and engage other key service providers from investment bankers to accountants. Phil believes that: “as lawyers we have to do a lot more than just provide excellent service and work; we need to understand our client’s business and find ways to add value to their business.”
At Nixon Peabody, Phil has served in many prior leadership roles, including chair of the Business Department and on the firm’s Management Committee. Phil currently leads the firm’s nationally acclaimed Private Equity practice group. This is a dynamic and experienced group comprised of private equity lawyers around the firm, ranging in skills from fund formation, to transactions, to representing portfolio companies, to resolving claims among investors.
Phil is a frequent lecturer and presenter on the latest trends in mergers and acquisitions, business strategies and issues most important to CEOs, CFOs and general counsel. Phil is also a former president of the local bar association and is active in his community, currently serving on the boards of the Granite State Children’s Alliance and the Derryfield School, and previously having served on a number of nonprofit boards. In 2015, Phil co-founded a bank called Primary Bank, a full-service community bank located in Bedford, NH and currently serves on the board. Most recently, Phil and his wife Julie started a new charity to benefit veterans called Swim With A Mission.
When Phil is not on his phone or in front of his computer, he is likely spending time with his family or walking his English Springer Spaniels through the woods, occasionally skeet shooting, sometimes competing in triathlons and always happy to share a single malt scotch. If not for the complete intellectual engagement of working with a wonderful group of clients, Phil would enjoy being a safari guide in the Okavango Delta.
I have almost 20 years of experience in middle market corporate transactional work, including mergers, acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures, startups, shareholder disputes and venture capital financing. Nixon Peabody’s platform enables our team to represent the full range of clients at any one time. By way of example, we recently worked on the following transactions:
This is just a small sample of recent work, but illustrates the breadth of experience and our capabilities. Often I find myself in a familiar negotiation that I have been involved in before, but wearing a different hat. Sometimes it is advising the investor, but other times it is the target in a similar type of transaction. Sometimes it is advising the seller on how to secure the best deal, but often it is the buyer on how to become the winning bidder. Sometimes it is the board of directors on how to best deal with an important issue, but other times it is representing the management team on how best to manage their board of directors. The experience of sitting on each side of the table has been invaluable in providing practical and relevant advice to each client.
Our clients continue to be tested to manage in a very unsettled market, especially given the uncertainty created by the change in the Executive Branch. Both strategics and financial sponsors are going to have a tougher time identifying good prospective sellers and then winning and closing the transaction. Prospective buyers are going to be challenged to be very thoughtful on how to assess and allocate risk in their transactions. Through it all, I think the middle market continues to present great opportunities for savvy dealmakers to find and create value for their investors and stockholders.
Law360 | November 19, 2014
Partner and co-head of the Private Equity Transactions group Phil Taub is quoted in this article discussing how smaller private equity firms are impacted by auctions for a limited number of quality targets.
Law360 | September 25, 2014
Partner and co-head of the Private Equity Transactions group Phil Taub is quoted in this article on how the imbalance in the number of investors looking quickly close deals and the number of targets has forced bankers to elongate the auction process and potential buyers to adapt.
Law360 | July 30, 2014
Partner and co-head of the Private Equity Transactions group Phil Taub is featured in this Q&A, part of Law360’s series with dealmaking movers and shakers.
George Washington University National Law Center, J.D.
Boston University, B.S.
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
District of Columbia
U.S. District Court, District of New Hampshire
Philip has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2017 for Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law in Manchester, NH, and Boston, MA. He has been listed in Best Lawyers since 2010.
Philip has been recognized for exceptional standing in the legal community in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2016 for Corporate/Commercial (New Hampshire). He has also been recognized in Chambers in previous years.
Philip has also been recognized as a “New England Super Lawyer” in business and corporate law based on a peer-review survey by Thomson Reuters (2007-2016). He was also listed in The Legal 500 U.S. 2012-2016 as a leading attorney in mergers, acquisitions, and buyouts.
Philip is a former president of the local bar association. He currently serves on the board of the Granite State Children’s Alliance. He is an active member of the Association for Corporate Growth. He has formerly served on other community boards, including the Board of Trustees of the Greater Manchester Family YMCA.
