Robert B. Knauss

Profile

Robert Knauss is a partner in the Los Angeles firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson.

Mr. Knauss joined Munger Tolles in 1981 and has concentrated on general corporate and partnership law, focusing primarily on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and corporate finance. He represents several major private equity funds and both publicly traded and privately held companies. He has assisted these clients in a variety of corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, the structuring of equity and debt financings and corporate governance. He has extensive experience in representing boards of directors and special committees of boards of directors, in buy-out and other corporate governance matters. He has also represented a number of investment banking firms in corporate securities transactions.  

Representative transactions include:

  • Mr. Hugh Hefner in his 2011 going private transaction of Playboy. 
  • The estate of Craig Neilsen in its 2011 sale of its majority interest in Ameristar Casinos for $460 million.
  • Air Lease Corporation’s filing of an IPO in January 2011. 
  • Internet Brands Inc. in its $640 million sale to a private equity fund (and previously Internet Brands in its 2007 IPO). 
  • The Yucaipa Cos., an investment fund controlled by Ron Burkle, in connection with the $2 billion restructuring of Hf. Eimskipafelag Islands, Iceland’s largest shipping and logistics company, in which Yucaipa acquired, among other things, an interest in Versacold International Corp., an international cold storage warehouse company. 
  • The Yucaipa Cos. in its acquisition of Americold Realty Trust, a cold storage warehouse company.   
  • Americold Realty Trust’s acquisition of Versacold and its concurrent $950 million financing. 
  • Source Interlink Cos. Inc. in its $1.3 billion acquisition of the Enthusiast Media division of Primedia Inc.  
  • Michael Eisner’s investment fund in its acquisition of The Topps Co.
  • The independent directors of Yahoo! in connection with Microsoft’s unsolicited offering for Yahoo!  
  • The special committee of independent directors in a proposed going private transaction of Herbalife Ltd.
  • Oaktree Capital Management in its acquisition of an interest in Cannery Casino Resorts, a gaming company, and subsequently CCR in its acquisition of The Meadows, a racino in Pennsylvania, and in CCR’s contemplated sale to Crown Ltd.  

Mr. Knauss has been repeatedly recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as a leading mergers and acquisitions attorney and in S. Naifeh & G. Smith, The Best Lawyers in America. He is a frequent panel speaker on mergers and acquisitions, corporate and securities law topics.

Mr. Knauss is a member of the Supreme Court Fellows Commission. The Commission is responsible for selecting outstanding individuals to serve a year-long term as a Supreme Court Fellow.

Mr. Knauss received his A.B. degree in government from Harvard College (magna cum laude) in 1975 and received his J.D. degree from the University of Michigan Law School (magna cum laude) in 1979, where he served as a note editor of the Michigan Law Review.  

Mr. Knauss served as a law clerk to Judge Walter R. Mansfield of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit during the 1979-1980 term and as a law clerk for Justice William H. Rehnquist of the U.S. Supreme Court during the 1980-1981 term. 

 

Robert Knauss is a partner in the Los Angeles firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson.

Mr. Knauss joined Munger Tolles in 1981 and has concentrated on general corporate and partnership law, focusing primarily on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and corporate finance. He represents several major private equity funds and both publicly traded and privately held companies. He has assisted these clients in a variety of corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, the structuring of equity and debt financings and corporate governance. He has extensive experience in representing boards of directors and special committees of boards of directors, in buy-out and other corporate governance matters. He has also represented a number of investment banking firms in corporate securities transactions.  

Representative transactions include:

  • Mr. Hugh Hefner in his 2011 going private transaction of Playboy. 
  • The estate of Craig Neilsen in its 2011 sale of its majority interest in Ameristar Casinos for $460 million.
  • Air Lease Corporation’s filing of an IPO in January 2011. 
  • Internet Brands Inc. in its $640 million sale to a private equity fund (and previously Internet Brands in its 2007 IPO). 
  • The Yucaipa Cos., an investment fund controlled by Ron Burkle, in connection with the $2 billion restructuring of Hf. Eimskipafelag Islands, Iceland’s largest shipping and logistics company, in which Yucaipa acquired, among other things, an interest in Versacold International Corp., an international cold storage warehouse company. 
  • The Yucaipa Cos. in its acquisition of Americold Realty Trust, a cold storage warehouse company.   
  • Americold Realty Trust’s acquisition of Versacold and its concurrent $950 million financing. 
  • Source Interlink Cos. Inc. in its $1.3 billion acquisition of the Enthusiast Media division of Primedia Inc.  
  • Michael Eisner’s investment fund in its acquisition of The Topps Co.
  • The independent directors of Yahoo! in connection with Microsoft’s unsolicited offering for Yahoo!  
  • The special committee of independent directors in a proposed going private transaction of Herbalife Ltd.
  • Oaktree Capital Management in its acquisition of an interest in Cannery Casino Resorts, a gaming company, and subsequently CCR in its acquisition of The Meadows, a racino in Pennsylvania, and in CCR’s contemplated sale to Crown Ltd.  

Mr. Knauss has been repeatedly recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as a leading mergers and acquisitions attorney and in S. Naifeh & G. Smith, The Best Lawyers in America. He is a frequent panel speaker on mergers and acquisitions, corporate and securities law topics.

Mr. Knauss is a member of the Supreme Court Fellows Commission. The Commission is responsible for selecting outstanding individuals to serve a year-long term as a Supreme Court Fellow.

Mr. Knauss received his A.B. degree in government from Harvard College (magna cum laude) in 1975 and received his J.D. degree from the University of Michigan Law School (magna cum laude) in 1979, where he served as a note editor of the Michigan Law Review.  

Mr. Knauss served as a law clerk to Judge Walter R. Mansfield of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit during the 1979-1980 term and as a law clerk for Justice William H. Rehnquist of the U.S. Supreme Court during the 1980-1981 term.