Charles Robins joined the firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP laterally in 2002. Mr. Robins spent more than thirty years with the Boston firm of Hutchins, Wheeler & Dittmar where he established and built their private equity practice.
Mr. Robins began his career with the office of the Chief Counsel, Internal Revenue Service in Washington DC where he analyzed and developed policy issues regarding redemptive buyouts, the precursor of the modern leveraged buyout.
Mr. Robins was an early participant in the private equity field, having represented clients in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s in structuring and executing leveraged buyouts. He established a broad private equity practice involving fund formation, fund administration and transaction execution, as well as many portfolio company engagements and dispositions. Mr. Robins represented Tom Lee in forming the Thomas H. Lee Company (now Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P.) and advised Berkshire Partners in its formation. He has represented other well-known private equity investors on specific engagements. Recent fund formations include Thomas H. Lee Equity Partners V L.P., a $6.3 billion buyout fund, and Berkshire Partners Fund VI, a $1.7 billion buyout fund. In addition, Mr. Robins has represented a number of parties in one-time strategic transactions, including the sale of Daniels Printing Co. to Merrill Corp., Garelick Farms, Inc. to Suiza Foods, Inc. (now Dean Foods), and Safety Insurance Company to the Jordan Companies. He has represented private equity clients in unique transactions involving third party investments, such as roll-up of the Thomas H. Lee Company into Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. and the sale of interests to Putnam Investments, Inc.
Mr. Robins has written and spoken extensively on issues relating to private investment funds. He is a member of the American, Massachusetts and Boston Bar Associations and the tax sections of each. Mr. Robins is located in Weil's Boston office and lives in Wellesley, Massachusetts. He is an overseer at the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston and past chairman of his town’s Finance Committee. Mr. Robins is active in a number of other social, community and philanthropic organizations.