Biography

Brian has broad experience counseling alternative investment management firms on transactions and other matters of strategic importance and is a frequent author and speaker on topics affecting the private equity and alternative asset management industry.
Prior to joining Weil, Brian spent over six years at Goldman Sachs where he was responsible for executing strategic M&A on behalf of Goldman Sachs Asset Management and advised multiple business units (growth equity, secondaries and GP-stakes) on investing activities and private fund matters.
Experience*
Asset Management and Financial Services
- Regular representation of sponsors and the “buy-side” on GP-led secondary transactions and GP-stake sales
- TPG Inc. in its $1.1 billion initial public offering
- TPG Global in various matters, including its agreement with Sixth Street Partners, to become independent, unaffiliated businesses, with TPG retaining a passive minority economic stake in Sixth Street
- Brookfield Asset Management Inc. in its approximately $4.8 billion acquisition of a 61.2% stake in Oaktree Capital Group, LLC
- Goldman Sachs, the founding and largest shareholder of Global Atlantic Financial Group Limited, in KKR’s acquisition of a controlling interest in Global Atlantic in a transaction valued at approximately $4.7 billion
- Goldman Sachs in its pending acquisition of NextCapital Group, Inc.
- CBAM in the sale of a portfolio of its assets to The Carlyle Group, in a transaction valued at approximately $800 million
- Genstar Capital, together with TA Associates, in the acquisition of Orion Advisor Solutions and the simultaneous acquisition of Brinker Capital
- InfraRed Capital Partners in its $396 million sale of a majority stake to Sun Life Financial Inc.
- Thomas H. Lee Partners in the sale of THL Credit Advisors LLC to First Eagle Investment Management, LLC
- Goldman Sachs (as in-house counsel) in connection with its acquisitions of Rocaton Investment Advisors, Aptitude Investment Management, Honest Dollar, Imprint Capital, Pacific Global Advisors’ OCIO business, Verus Investors’ OCIO business and Deutche Bank’s stable value business and the dispositions of GSAM Australia’s equity business to TA Associates and GSAM India’s mutual fund business to Reliance Capital
- Allied Capital Corp. in its $650 million all-stock merger with Ares Capital Corporation
- IPC Holdings in its $1.7 billion sale to Validus Holdings
- Sempra Energy in the sale of its RBS-Sempra natural gas and power trading joint venture to J.P. Morgan
Consumer
- Bridgeport Partners, as co-investor with Orangewood Partners, in Orangewood’s acquisition of Pacific Bells, LLC
- Campbell Soup Company in its $2.2 billion sale of Campbell International to KKR and its sale of Kelsen Group A/S
- AB InBev in connection with its sale of Busch Entertainment to Blackstone for $2.3 billion
- Gildan Activewear in connection with its acquisitions of GoldToe Moretz from Blackstone for $350 million and its acquisition of Anvil for $88 million
- Stripes Group, as sponsor, in the formation of Stripes Continuation Fund I, LP and in such fund's single asset acquisition of Stella & Chewy’s, LLC
Healthcare
- Cimarron Healthcare Capital in the formation of a single asset continuation vehicle for Advanced Medical Pricing Solutions Inc.
- Alcon and Alcon’s independent directors in connection with its sale of Nestle’s Alcon stake to Novartis and Novartis’ acquisition of the remaining publicly held minority interest in Alcon for $52.9 billion
- UnitedHealth in connection with its acquisition of XLHealth from Matlin Paterson
TMT
- AT&T in the sale of its Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive businesses to Cerberus
- CIC International, Boyu and CITIC Capital, as lead investors, in connection with the equity financing of Alibaba’s repurchase of Yahoo!’s stake in Alibaba
- GS Acquisition Holdings Corp II, a SPAC sponsored by an affiliate of Goldman Sachs, in its $2.6 billion business combination with Mirion Technologies, Inc. (at the time, a portfolio company of Charterhouse Capital Partners)
- Verifone Systems in its $1 billion acquisition of Point and the acquisitions of ChargeSmart, Global Bay Mobile Technologies and the assets of Show Media
Brian was named to the 2021 “40 Under 40: Future Leaders of Private Equity” list by Private Equity International, where he was one of just four honorees from leading law firms recognized. He was also named a 2020 Secondaries “Next Generation Leader” by Secondaries Investor, where clients note he is “…a star and would not consider a transaction without him as counsel.”
Brian received his J.D., magna cum laude and as a member of the Order of the Coif, from New York University School of Law and his B.A., magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Delaware.
*Includes matters handled prior to joining Weil.
Awards and Recognition, Latest Thinking, Firm News & Announcements
Awards and Recognition
- Brian Parness Named a Secondaries "Next Generation Leader" Award Brief — Secondaries Investor 2020
Latest Thinking
-
Creative Financing Solutions to Support Portfolio Companies in Challenging Times: Fund-Level Preferred Equity
Blog Post — Global Private Equity Watch
— By
Brian Parness
— April 06, 2020
In the wake of COVID-19’s disruption and the attendant uncertainty with respect to future liquidity needs and available funding sources, numerous private equity firms have encouraged their portfolio companies to draw down on their credit lines. With many credit lines fully drawn and, as the current crisis continues to evolve, we expect private equity sponsors […] ...
Firm News & Announcements
- Weil Advised CBAM in the Sale of a Portfolio of Its Assets to The Carlyle Group Deal Brief — March 21, 2022
- Weil Advised GS Acquisition Holdings Corp II in its $2.6B Business Combination with Mirion Technologies, Inc. Deal Brief — October 20, 2021