Marissa B. Wiley is a partner in the Business & Finance Group. Marissa advises companies and individuals around the world on private equity transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and corporate governance. Marissa has particular experience in the fashion, beauty, entertainment, technology, manufacturing, clean energy, health care, and food and beverage industries.
I provide counsel to companies, investors, and founders at every stage in a business’s lifetime—from inception to liquidation, and everything in between. In particular, I bring significant value by guiding my clients through each major milestone in a business’s life—formation, investments/fundraisings, mergers, and exit. My goal is to achieve optimal results for my clients, drawing upon my extensive experience on all sides of these transactions across a diverse range of industries and balancing my formidable attention to detail with my business savvy.
I help entrepreneurs and investors coalesce their vision and relationship into an advantageous legal entity. I work to create a thoughtful foundation, with clear and delineated rights and obligations, which is critical to the future of any successful enterprise. For example, I assist my clients in the fashion, beauty, and entertainment industries to structure and build joint ventures as they branch out into other revenue streams and create new lines of business to further monetize their brand and intellectual property.
I help my clients capitalize on growth. I partner with companies through their equity fundraisings, advise investors in connection with their financing of such companies, and collaborate on equity awards for the key individuals contributing to the companies’ growth. For example, I assist my clients in the technology industry to bring additional investors into their companies, thereby acquiring the funds required to breathe life into their expanding visions. On the other end of the spectrum, I negotiate advantageous equity awards for my fashion, beauty, and entertainment clients in connection with their brand-building and promotional activities for other companies.
I partner with my clients to build bigger, stronger businesses by orchestrating mergers and acquisitions, strategically positioning my clients for exponential advancement through combination with synergistic targets or acquirers. For example, I assist health care facilities in acquiring attractive targets to drive efficiencies and help regional craft breweries in combining forces with other producers and distributors with a national reach.
I help my clients realize and monetize the value of their long-term investments. When equity holders are ready to exit their investments and access capital, I effectuate sales of assets or ownership interests, enabling my clients to extract maximum value, while mitigating the ongoing risk associated with the business. For example, I represent solar developers in connection with their sales of solar panel projects to buyers who are looking to expand in the clean energy market.
In 2021, we saw a year of extremely high deal volume growth in the private equity space. In 2022, volume will taper down slightly, but I expect to see a continued focus on technology in investments in every industry, particularly healthcare. As businesses and our day-to-day lives become more and more dependent upon technology, private equity players will see continued growth in opportunities to invest in that ever-evolving industry. I also anticipate that we are in the first act of an economic boom, with an abundance of energy, activity, and capital to match the accelerated innovation brought about by recent global and national challenges.
Marissa’s extensive experience across a variety of industries includes representing:
Law360 | January 03, 2022
Albany Corporate partner Marissa Wiley is quoted in this article for her outlook on several trends in the private equity space including potential changes to the tax code, a continued focus on the tech and healthcare IT sectors, and how target companies approach environmental, social, and governance issues.
Law360 | July 09, 2021
In this article covering the post-pandemic rebound in private equity, Albany Corporate partner Marissa Wiley explains why we’re seeing a sharp rise in investment activity, and how firms are taking precautionary steps to shape risk-averse agreements.
Albany Business Review | June 25, 2021
This article summarizes the Business Review’s annual Leaders in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion event Friday, where Albany Corporate partner Marissa Wiley served as a panelist. The panel discussion follows NP Albany recently being named as one of the region’s leaders in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Capital Foundation of New York | December 15, 2020
In this blog post from the Capital Foundation of New York, Albany Corporate attorney Marissa Wiley responds to a submitted question concerning setting up a legal business agreement.
Albany Business Review | November 12, 2020
This profile of Albany Corporate partner Marissa Wiley highlights her early interest in law, her career trajectory and professional development, and her journey as an LGBTQ person.
Albany Business Review | August 19, 2020
Albany and New York City Corporate & Finance attorney Marissa Wiley is quoted in this article containing highlights from a discussion with members of the Albany Business Review's "40 under 40" list.
Upstate Capital Association of New York | August 07, 2020
Albany Corporate attorney Marissa Wiley is profiled in this article for her appointment to the Upstate Capital Association’s board of directors.
The Deal | August 07, 2020
Albany Corporate partner Marissa Wiley is included in this executive news roundup for her appointment to Upstate Capital Association’s board of directors.
Albany Business Review | March 02, 2020
Albany Corporate partner Marissa Wiley has been selected as one of the 40 Under 40 business and community leaders in the region by the Albany Business Review.
Hofstra University School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude
Vassar College, B.A., English and Hispanic Studies
New York
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
Marissa is a board member and executive committee member, as well as the secretary, of the Upstate Capital Association of New York, an organization that connects capital providers to opportunities across New York.
Within the firm, she serves as co-chair of the LGBTQA Committee, helping to advance the firm’s mission of attracting, retaining and promoting talented people with exceptional abilities from a broad range of backgrounds.