Biography
Ashley Butler is a partner in Weil's Capital Markets practice and is based in New York. Ashley advises issuers, private equity sponsors and underwriters in public and private issuances of securities and other capital markets transactions. Her work includes initial public offerings, secondary and follow-on equity offerings and investment grade and high yield debt offerings. Ashley is also involved in advising companies with respect to SEC filing and reporting obligations, corporate governance and other corporate matters.
Experience
- Advent International, as selling shareholder, in a $137 million secondary sale of 9.8 million shares of common stock of Sovos Brands
- Advent International and Batak LLC, as selling shareholders, in a $201.3 million secondary offering of shares of Sovos Brands
- Advent International and Goldman Sachs as selling stockholders in a $1.2 billion secondary offering of common shares of TransUnion
- AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. in its $600 million issuance of senior unsecured convertible notes to Silver Lake to finance AMC's repurchase of a portion of its stock held by Dalian Wanda Group Co., AMC's majority owner, and to pay a special dividend
- Black Knight Financial Services, Inc. (an indirect partially owned subsidiary of Fidelity National Financial, Inc. and a portfolio company investment of Thomas H. Lee Partners) in its $507 million initial public offering and in a $222 million secondary offering and block trade of common stock
- Black Knight, Inc. in its $501 million follow-on offering of approximately 7.1 million common shares
- Blue Bird Corporation (a portfolio company of American Securities, LLC) in a $250 million senior secured term and revolving facility
- Blue Bird Corporation and an affiliate of American Securities, LLC, as selling stockholder, in a $133 million secondary offering of 4,042,650 shares of common stock
- Blue Bird Corporation and an affiliate of American Securities, LLC, as selling stockholder, in a $63 million secondary offering of 2,500,000 shares of common stock
- Blue Bird Corporation and an affiliate of American Securities, LLC, as selling stockholder, in a $52.5 million secondary offering of 2,500,000 shares of common stock
- Campbell Soup Company in its $1.2 billion waterfall tender offer for repurchase of certain senior notes and $500 million redemption of certain other senior notes to reduce outstanding indebtedness
- Campbell Soup Company in its $1 billion senior unsecured notes offering to reduce outstanding indebtedness
- Citi, as representative of the underwriters, in a $2 billion offering of senior unsecured notes by Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY), and OXY's simultaneous $2 billion tender offer for, and consent solicitations relating to, certain outstanding fixed and floating rate notes of multiple series
- Cannae Holdings, Inc. in its $247 million offering of 7.5 million common shares primarily to fund future acquisitions
- Cannae Holdings, as selling shareholder, in a $186 million Rule 144 sale of 8.5 million shares of Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc. (a public company backed by an investor consortium led by THL Partners, Cannae Holdings, Black Knight and CC Capital)
- Cannae Holdings, Inc., as selling shareholder, in multiple secondary offerings, block trades and Rule 144 sales of common stock of Ceridian HCM Holding Inc.
- Ceridian HCM Holding Inc. (a publicly traded company backed by affiliates of Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. (THL) and Cannae Holdings, LLC) in its $575 million 144A offering of convertible senior notes, to finance capped call transactions and refinance existing debt
- Ceridian HCM Holding Inc. (a portfolio company of Thomas H. Lee Partners and Cannae Holdings) in its $531 million initial public offering and concurrent $100 million private placement of shares of common stock
- Definitive Healthcare Corp. (a portfolio company of Advent International) in its $483 million initial public offering and its $396 million follow-on public offering of 11 million common shares, to fund possible acquisitions and, in a synthetic secondary transaction, to repurchase shares and purchase liability interests from existing holders
- Designated underwriters’ counsel in over $24 billion of investment grade notes offerings for Microsoft Corporation
- First Watch Restaurants, Inc. (a portfolio company of Advent International) in its $196 million initial public offering, a $70 million secondary sale of 4.5 million shares of common stock, a $62.2 million block trade of 4.025 million shares of common stock, a $49.3 million block trade sale of 3 million shares of common stock and a $166 million block trade of 6.9 million shares of common stock
- Foley Trasimene Acquisition Corp., a SPAC sponsored by Bilcar FT, LP and Trasimene Capital FT, LP., in its $1 billion initial public offering
- Goldman Sachs, as selling stockholder, in the $125 million initial public offering of ProSight Global, Inc.
- Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Citi, as a dealer managers, in the $4.6 billion senior notes exchange offer and consent solicitation by S&P Global Inc. in connection with S&P Global's acquisition of IHS Markit Ltd.
- Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Mizuho Securities and the other initial purchasers, in a $5.5 billion issuance of senior unsecured 144A / Reg S notes by S&P Global Inc. to refinance existing indebtedness
- Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan as representatives of the underwriters in the $260 million initial public offering of Camping World Holdings, Inc. and in approximately $564 million of follow-on offerings of common stock of the company
- Gores Holdings V, Inc., a SPAC sponsored by The Gores Group, in its $8.5 billion business combination with Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A.
- Iron Mountain Incorporated in its $2.4 billion private placement of senior unsecured notes to repay existing indebtedness
- Kronos Acquisition Holdings Inc. (a portfolio company of Centerbridge Partners), as the parent of KIK Custom Products, Inc. in its $1 billion 144A/Reg S offering of senior and senior secured notes, simultaneously with an amended $900 million senior secured term facility, to refinance existing indebtedness and for other corporate purposes
- A leading corporation in its multi-tranche $1.15 billion senior unsecured notes offering
- Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs in high grade commitment letters
- Morgan Stanley and the other managers in a $500 million Rule 144A private offering of senior unsecured notes by Great-West Lifeco Inc. to finance in part the $1 billion acquisition of Personal Capital Corporation by its subsidiary, Empower Retirement LLC
- Neogen Corporation in a Rule 144A $350 million private placement of senior notes to finance in part Neogen's $5.3 billion combination with the Food Safety business of 3M
- Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board, as selling shareholder, in multiple block trade sales of subordinate voting shares of GFL Environmental Inc. totaling over $875 million
- PSP Investments in, together with the issuer and other selling shareholders, a $25 million follow-on, and $73 million secondary, sale of shares in Noodles & Company
- Signet Jewelers Limited in a $400 million tender offer for purchase of its 4.700% senior notes due 2024 and related consent solicitation.
- Sovos Brands (a portfolio company of Advent International) in its $322 million initial public offering
- Thomas H. Lee Partners, as selling shareholder, in a $300 million secondary underwritten public offering of shares in Syneos Health, Inc.
- Thomas H. Lee Partners, as selling shareholder, in multiple secondary offerings, block trades and Rule 144 sales of common stock of Ceridian HCM Holding Inc.
- TPG Pace Energy Holdings Corp., a SPAC sponsored by TPG Pace Group that seeks a target business in the energy, or energy-related, industries, in its $650 million initial public offering
- TPG Pace Holdings Corp., a SPAC sponsored by TPG Pace Group that seeks a target business in the technology, media or business services industries, in its $450 million initial public offering
- Wex Inc. in its repurchase of $310 million in principal amount of its convertible senior notes from WP Bronco Holdings, LLC
- WPX Energy, Inc. in its $1 billion senior notes offering, $303 million common stock offering and $350 million mandatory convertible preferred stock offering to finance its acquisition of RKI Exploration & Production and in its $670 million common stock offering to finance its acquisition of Panther Energy Company II, LLC and CP2 Operating LLC
Ashley is recognized as “Best Lawyers: One to Watch” for Securities/Capital Markets Law by Best Lawyers in America* 2024. Ashley is also recognized as a “Rising Star” lawyer for Capital Markets in the U.S. by IFLR1000 2024.
Ashley received her J.D., cum laude, from University of Michigan Law School, where she served as an editor on the Michigan Law Review. She received her B.A. from Brown University.
* Best Lawyers (in America) is by Levine Leichtman Capital Partners
Awards and Recognition, Speaking Engagements, Guides and Resources, Latest Thinking, Firm News & Announcements
Awards and Recognition
- Ashley Butler Recognized as a “Rising Star” Lawyer for Capital Markets in the U.S. Award Brief — IFLR1000 2024
- Ashley Butler Recognized for Securities/Capital Markets Law Award Brief — Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch 2024 (Best Lawyers (in America) is by Levine Leichtman Capital Partners)
Latest Thinking
- 2023 Pipe Survey Publication — By Ashley Butler, Heather L. Emmel, Arnie Fridhandler, Adé Heyliger, Christopher R. Machera, Jenna McBain, Jakub Wronski, Brittany Butwin, Douglas P. Warner, Jeffrey Fu, Dylan J. Hans, Niko A. Lane, Rob Meyer, James M. Pierre-Louis, Melinda Root and Gracy Wang — PDF — March 21, 2024
- Current Financial Statements – What’s Necessary to Price An Offering 2024 Calendar Alert — Global Finance Practice — By Alex Lynch, Corey Chivers, Daniel S. Dokos, Michael B. Hickey, Frank R. Adams, Heather L. Emmel, Barbra J. Broudy, Merritt S. Johnson, Ashley Butler and Michael Stein — PDF — November 15, 2023
- Form 8-K Triggering Events Alert — PDF — November 2022
Firm News & Announcements
- Weil Advises First Watch and Advent International on $165.53M Block Trade Deal Brief — March 12, 2024
- Weil Advises Blue Bird and American Securities on $133M Block Trade Deal Brief — February 22, 2024