Mark Pflug is a Partner in Simpson Thacher's Mergers and Acquisitions Practice. Based in the Firm's New York office, he advises on a wide variety of mergers and acquisitions transactions, including strategic business combinations, leveraged buyouts and other private equity sponsor-led transactions, minority investments in public and private companies, joint ventures, spin-offs and split-offs, divestitures, and other corporate matters. While Mark’s practice has crossed multiple sectors, he has particular and significant experience in the healthcare/life sciences, real estate services, TMT and industrials sectors, as well as cross-border transactions in numerous European and Asian jurisdictions.
Mark regularly represents both corporate clients, including CSL, CBRE, Alibaba and others, and private equity sponsors, both large-cap and middle-market, including KKR, CVC, Blackstone, TruArc Partners, LongRange Capital, CapVest and Lexington Partners. Mark also regularly works for many of the portfolio companies of his private equity clients.
Mark has been recognized by IFLR1000 as a “Highly Regarded” attorney for his work in M&A and private equity. Mark previously spent ten years resident in the Firm’s London office and practiced as a registered foreign lawyer in the Firm’s Hong Kong office.
Work Highlights
- KKR in numerous transactions, including the $1.4 billion acquisition of PharMerica and in PharMerica’s strategic combination with BrightSpring Health Services; acquisition of Heartland Dental; $2 billion sale of Aricent; acquisition of PetVet Care Centers; $5.5 billion sale of Capsugel; acquisition of Epicor Software; sale of Ipreo Holdings; $21.2 billion acquisition of Alliance Boots (UK) and its subsequent business combination with Walgreen Co.; $7.2 billion acquisition of Samson Resources; $5.8 billion sale of Oriental Brewery (Korea); sale of a majority stake in A-Gas; combination of NielsenIQ and GfK; and acquisitions of or investments in Qingdao Haier Co., Ltd. (China), Gland Pharma Limited (India), Weststar Aviation Services Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia), PT Tiga Pilar Sejahtera Food Tbk. (Indonesia), Alliance Tires Group B.V. (India), Fotolia Holdings, Inc. (Germany), and BMG Rights Management GmbH (Germany)
- CBRE in numerous transactions, including its acquisition of a 60% interest in and strategic partnership with Turner & Townsend and subsequent combination of its Project Management Business with Turner & Townsend; investment in Industrious; acquisition of Facility Source; acquisition of J&J Worldwide Services; acquisition of Full Spectrum Group; $125 million Series E investment in VTS
- CBRE Acquisition Holdings (a SPAC sponsored by CBRE) in its business combination with Altus Power
- CSL in multiple transactions, including its acquisition of Vifor Pharma; acquisition of Vitaeris; exclusive license of a novel late-stage gene therapy candidate for hemophilia B patients from uniQure; and formation of the CoVIg-19 Plasma Alliance
- Blackstone in multiple transactions, including its investment in and subsequent sale of Blue Yonder (formerly JDA Software);investment in PEM Manufacturing; sale of Emcure Pharmaceuticals (India); and investment in Agile Electric (India)
- Lexington Partners in multiple secondary transactions, including TPG Asia V and VI, Metalmark and interests in Asian-based portfolio companies owned by Warburg Pincus Private Equity XI L.P.
- TruArc Partners (formerly Snow Phipps) in multiple transactions, including its acquisition of Prototek; acquisition of BlackHawk Industrial Distribution; and acquisition and subsequent disposition of Winchester Electronics Corporation
- Ambipar Group and Ambipar Response in its merger with HPS Corp.
- Gardner Denver Holdings, Inc. in its merger with Ingersoll-Rand plc’s Industrial segment
- Alibaba Group in several acquisitions and investments
- Global Medical Response (formerly Air Medical Group), in its acquisition of Air Medical Resources Group and other investments
- PRA Health Sciences in a technology investment
- Toshiba Medical Systems in its acquisition of Vital Images
From 2000 to 2008, Mark was resident in the Firm’s London office, during which time he worked on many European cross-border transactions, including the acquisitions of U.N Ro-Ro Isletmeleri AS (Turkey, 2007); Alliance Boots plc (UK, 2007); ProSiebenSat.1 AG (Germany, 2007); Tarkett SA (France, 2007); NXP BV (Netherlands, 2006); PagesJaunes Groupe SA (France, 2006); BIS Cleanaway Ltd (Australia, 2006); FL Selenia SpA (Italy, 2005); SBS Broadcasting Sarl (Luxembourg, 2005); Maxeda (f/k/a Vendex KBB) (Netherlands, 2004); MTU Aero Engines GmbH (Germany, 2003); and Legrand (France, 2002). Several of these transactions were the largest transactions of their kind at the time of announcement. The Alliance Boots acquisition was the first relating to an FTSE 100 company.
Mark received his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1995, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He received his B.S., high honors, from Rochester Institute of Technology in 1992.