Robert E. Burwell
(he/him/his)
Member / Co-chair, Retail and Consumer Products
+1.415.432.6107
Rob, who serves as Co-Chair of Mintz's Retail & Consumer Products Industry Group, advises corporate and private equity clients on significant M&A transactions, financings and governance matters. He counsels clients in a range of sectors, including retail and consumer, life sciences, manufacturing, financial services and energy and sustainability. Drawing on more than two decades of experience handling a wide variety of transactions, he combines strong negotiation skills, a practical, commercial mindset, sensitivity to tax and accounting issues and a proven ability to lead teams of the firm’s industry and subject-matter experts to help clients achieve their objectives in a cost-efficient manner.
His clients include private equity firms, an international retailer that owns and operates membership warehouse clubs in Latin America and the Caribbean and various branded personal care and lifestyle companies. Before joining the firm, Rob was a partner in the San Francisco office of another international law firm.
Experience
- Represented Tatcha, a privately held prestige skincare company, in connection with its 2019 sale to Unilever in transaction valued at approximately $500 million
- Represented Presidio Investors, an Austin, TX and Oakland, CA-based capital investment firm focused on buyouts in lower middle market companies, in the simultaneous acquisition of 15 regional home automation companies
- Represented Brooks Automation, a Nasdaq-listed leader in automation solutions for the semiconductor manufacturing and life sciences industries, in the sale of the company's Semiconductor Cryogenics business to Edwards Vacuum LLC ( a member of the Atlas Copco Group) for $675 million in cash
- Represented Myriad Genomics, a Nasdaq-listed molecular diagnostics company, in its acquisition of Counsyl, Inc., a molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine company for $375 million in cash and Myriad common stock
- Represented lead investor in Great Brands, a Brooklyn-based direct-to-consumer sneaker brand, in its sale to Steve Madden
- Represented Tatcha, a privately held skincare company, in connection with a minority investment by Castanea Partners
- Represented Series A and Series B investors in Draper James LLC, a lifestyle brand company formed by Reese Witherspoon
- Represented Myriad Genomics, a Nasdaq-listed molecular diagnostics company, in its acquisition of Assurex Health, an informatics-based precision medicine company for up to $410 million
- Represented Calera Capital, a leading middle market private equity firm, in a leveraged recapitalization of a supplier of wallcoverings to the corporate, healthcare, hospitality and education building markets
- Represented original founding team in reacquiring Salary.com from IBM in a leveraged acquisition transaction
- Represented Blue Belt Technologies, a medical device company, in a $275 million sale to Smith & Nephew
- Represented a staffing company in a leveraged recapitalization transaction involving publicly traded principal debt and equity investor Main Street Capital
- Represented LinQuest Corporation, a space- and communications-related engineering services company, in a leveraged recapitalization transaction
- Represented a consulting and technology services company in a sale to a strategic acquirer
- Represented co-founder in recapitalization and buyout transaction led by technology-focused investment firm
- Represented Charlotte Russe in the acquisition of a children’s clothing company through a pre-packaged bankruptcy transaction
- Represented a privately held food service company in its acquisition of the franchisor of the Shakey's chain of pizza restaurants
- Represented Jurlique, an Australian skincare company controlled by a private equity firm, in connection with its $335 million sale to a Japanese buyer
- Represented JH Partners, a private equity firm, focused on consumer and marketing-driven growth companies, on its investments in 12 different companies
- Represented Italian luxury linens company Frette SRL in a sale to a London-based private equity firm
- Represented lifestyle brand NapaStyle in the sale of its flagship store and related assets
- Represented Tatcha, a San Francisco-based skincare company, and Peace Love World LLC, a Florida apparel company, in the negotiation of multi-year master sales agreements with QVC
- Represented Genstar Capital, a middle-market private equity firm, on its leveraged acquisitions of a spring manufacturer and a leading supplier of enterprise software and software as a service (SaaS) solutions for health services providers
- Represented a music publisher, a private equity portfolio company, in connection with its sale to a leading music rights management company
- Represented Bumble Bee Foods, North America’s largest branded seafood company, on acquisition matters
viewpoints
Making “Material Adverse Change” Mean What You Choose It to Mean — Neither More nor Less
April 9, 2014 | Alert | By Robert Burwell, Scott Ford
A recent decision by the Court of Chancery of Delaware provides a reason to pause before agreeing to standard, boilerplate “material adverse change” clauses in purchase agreements.
Read more
When a Non-binding Term Sheet Becomes Binding
July 8, 2013 | Alert | By Robert Burwell
Tire-kickers, prevaricators and those who might otherwise agree on a term sheet with little intention of closing the deal beware: A “non-binding” term sheet is sometimes binding.
Read more
News & Press
Five Mintz Attorneys Named 2020 BTI Client Service All-Stars
December 11, 2020
Service Providers: Fashion and Retail Lawyers
March 24, 2020
An article published by Women’s Wear Daily included commentary from Mintz Member and Co-chair of the firm's Retail and Consumer Products Industry Group Robert Burwell on top concerns for retail companies during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two Mintz Members Named BTI Client Service All-Stars
March 28, 2019
Mintz Represents Myriad Genetics in Acquisition of Assurex Health
September 08, 2016
Attorneys from Mintz represented Myriad Genetics, Inc. in its acquisition of Assurex Health, an informatics-based precision medicine company providing treatment decision support to health care providers for mental health patients.
Events & Speaking
Speaker
Speaker
Dec
6
2016
American College of Corporate Directors Director Education Forum
American College of Corporate Directors
Panelist
Read less
Jan
22
2015
The 12th Annual Winter Forum on Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Investing
Information Management Network (IMN)
Laguna Beach, CA
Recognition & Awards
- BTI Client Service All-Star (2019)
- San Diego Super Lawyers: Corporate and Securities Law (2007 – 2010)
- Lawdragon Magazine: “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” (2007)
Involvement
- Co-chair, Stanford Law Society of San Diego (2006 – 2008)
- Member, Stanford Law School Board of Visitors (2006 – 2008)
- Member, Stanford Associates (2013 – present)
Recent Insights
