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Leonard Kreynin
Partner
Mr. Kreynin is a partner in Davis Polk’s Corporate Department. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, joint ventures, restructurings, spinoffs, corporate governance and related matters.
Contact
  • New York
    450 Lexington Avenue
    New York, NY 10017
    P: 212-450-4937
    F: 212-701-5937
Bar Admissions
  • State of New York
Education
  • B.A., Columbia University, 1986
  • M.A., Columbia University, 1987
    • Phi Beta Kappa
  • J.D., Columbia Law School, 1989
    • Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
    • Notes and Comments Editor, Columbia Law Review
Languages
  • Russian
  • Ukrainian

Work Highlights
Representations
  • Financial Partners Fund in a management buyout of Jefferson National
  • Metalmark Capital in its acquisition of Hoffmaster
  • Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners in its disposition of a 50% stake in SAESA, a Chilean electric utility
  • Metalmark Capital in its acquisition and subsequent disposition of Tegrant
  • Transaction Committee of Quicksilver Resources in connection with a potential “going private” transaction proposed by its Chairman and CEO
  • Quicksilver Resources in the disposition of Quicksilver Gas Services, a natural gas exploration and processing company, to First Reserve
  • Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners in its acquisition of a cogeneration plant and distribution system from NSTAR and formation of a related joint venture with Veolia
  • Corsair Capital in its minority investment in East West Bancorp
  • GHL Acquisition Corp. in its acquisition of Iridium
  • Citigroup in its rescue transaction with Wachovia
  • Sallie Mae in its proposed acquisition by an investor group led by J.C. Flowers
  • Health Medical Associates in its recapitalization
  • AIG in the acquisition of Kinder Morgan by an investor group, which included AIG 
  • Gillette in its acquisition by Procter & Gamble
  • Shire Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition of Transkaryotic Therapies
  • Honeywell in its acquisition and disposition of several businesses
  • Syngenta in a number of several transactions, including technology exchanges and joint venture with DuPont
  • Comcast in a number of transactions, including At Home restructuring, the proposed merger with MediaOne, a number of cable systems acquisitions and the unwinding of Comcast’s joint venture with Insight
  • J.P. Morgan in its acquisition of Microsoft employee stock options and the related tender offer
  • Independent committee of board of directors of Wackenhut Corrections Corporation (now GEO Group) in repurchase of the common stock held by the majority shareholder
  • MascoTech in its leveraged buyout by Heartland Industrial Partners
  • Qwest Communications in its hostile bids for US WEST and Frontier and its merger with US WEST
  • The Limited in its spinoff of Too, Inc.
  • Echlin in its defense against a hostile bid by SPX and its merger with Dana
  • Shell Oil in its joint ventures with Texaco and Saudi Aramco
  • Roche in its joint venture with Bayer relating to certain OTC brands in the U.S. and subsequent sale to Bayer of Roche’s stake in the joint venture

Mr. Kreynin has also represented Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, Metalmark Capital Partners, DLJ Merchant Banking, Avista Capital Partners, Tailwind Capital Partners and other private equity funds in their acquisitions and investments. His other representations have included a variety of cross-border transactions, special committees in transactions involving controlling shareholders and financial institutions in their M&A advisory activities.

Recognition

Mr. Kreynin is recognized as a leading lawyer in:

  • Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business
  • Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
  • The Legal 500, United States
Professional History
  • Partner, 1999-present
  • Associate, 1991-1999
  • Law Clerk, Hon. Laurence H. Silberman, U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit 1990-1991