Josh Dubofsky, a leading M&A lawyer and Global Co-Chair of the firm’s market-leading Shareholder Activism & Takeover Defense Practice, advises clients on a full spectrum of strategic transactions and corporate governance matters.

Josh draws on almost 25 years of experience representing companies and private equity firms in their most complex domestic and cross-border transactions. A trusted boardroom advisor, he helps boards of directors, management, and shareholders navigate:

  • Mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic transactions
  • Activism defense and takeover planning
  • Growth investing
  • Public and private equity and debt financing
  • General corporate representation of both publicly traded and privately held companies

Josh regularly represents leading global companies across a range of industries, including technology, life sciences, retail, financial services, and transportation. A former software engineer, he also brings a sophisticated understanding of emerging technologies to a range of matters involving artificial intelligence, digital media, Web3, semiconductors, and other advanced systems.

A recognized thought leader, Josh frequently speaks to board and C-suite audiences on M&A, activism, and corporate governance matters. 

Josh's representative experience includes advising:

Technology

  • NVIDIA in its:
    • US$40 billion proposed acquisition of Arm
    • Acquisitions of DeepMap, Oski, and Bright Computing
  • Mellanox Technologies in its:
    • US$6.9 billion sale to NVIDIA
    • Acquisition of Cumulus Networks
    • Activism defense against Starboard Value
  • Integrated Device Technology in its:    
    • US$6.7 billion sale to Renesas Electronics
    • US$250 million acquisition of GigPeak 
  • IronSource in a US$4.4 billion acquisition by Unity
  • CyberArk in its US$1.54 billion acquisition of Venafi
  • NeoGames in a US$1.2 billion sale to Aristocrat Leisure
  • Cradlepoint in a US$1.1 billion sale to Ericsson
  • Palo Alto Networks in its US$550 million acquisition of Talon Cyber Security
  • Innovid in its US$500 million acquisition by Mediaocean
  • DXC Technology in a US$2 billion acquisition of Luxoft Holding
  • The independent directors of Rackspace Hosting in Rackspace’s US$4.3 billion acquisition by Apollo Global Management
  • A special committee of the board of directors of Google in the class C non-voting common stock recapitalization of Google
  • Netsmart, a Genstar Capital portfolio company, in a US$950 million sale to GI Partners and Allscripts
  • Adobe Systems in a US$1.8 billion acquisition of Omniture

Healthcare and Life Sciences

  • Syneos Health in a US$7.1 billion sale to a private equity consortium of Patient Square Capital, Elliot Management, and Veritas Capital
  • Siemens Healthineers in a US$16.4 billion acquisition of Varian Medical Systems
  • Revolution Medicines in a US$1.1 billion stock acquisition of EQRx
  • Coherus BioSciences in the divestment of its CIMERLI business to Sandoz, its YUSIMRY business to Hong Kong King-Friend Industrial, and its UDENYCA business to Intas
  • GenesisCare in an acquisition of 21st Century Oncology
  • Relypsa in a US$1.5 billion sale to Galenica AG
  • Kythera Biopharmaceuticals in a US$2.1 billion sale to Allergan plc
  • Menlo Therapeutics in a merger with Foamix Pharmaceuticals
  • Blue Sprig in an acquisition of Trumpet Behavioral Health
  • Encore Vision in a US$465 million acquisition by Novartis AG
  • Allergan in the US$40.5 billion sale of its Actavis Generics business to Teva
  • ArthroCare Corporation in a US$1.7 billion sale to Smith & Nephew
  • Conceptus in a US$1.1 billion sale to Bayer AG
  • Medicis Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition by Valeant Pharmaceuticals for US$2.6 billion
  • ZymoGenetics in a US$885 million acquisition by Bristol-Meyers Squibb
  • Sorrento Therapeutics in its sale in connection with its chapter 11 bankruptcy of interests in Scilex Holding Company, ImmuneOncia Therapeutics, Elsie Biotechnologies, and Celularity
  • A special committee of the board of directors of Genentech in the US$47 billion acquisition of the outstanding publicly held stock of Genentech by Roche

SPAC Business Combination Transactions

  • Planet Labs in a US$2.8 billion business combination with dMY Technology Group IV
  • Offerpad in a US$3 billion business combination with Supernova Partners Acquisition Company
  • Taboola in a US$2.6 billion business combination with Ion Acquisition Corp
  • Apex Technology Acquisition in a US$2 billion business combination with AvePoint
  • Opendoor in a US$4.8 billion business combination with Social Capital Hedosophia II
  • Virgin Galactic in a US$1.5 billion business combination with Social Capital Hedosophia
  • ChaSerg Technology Acquisition in a US$515 million business combination with Grid Dynamics
  • Eleusis in a US$415 million business combination with Silver Spike Acquisition

Other Industries Including Transportation, Communications, Retail, Education, Defense, and Real Estate

  • Tapestry in a US$8.5 billion acquisition of Capri Holdings
  • T-Mobile US in its:
    • US$26 billion merger with Sprint
    • US$5 billion divestiture of Sprint’s prepaid businesses to DISH
  • US Airways in a US$17 billion merger with American Airlines
  • American Airlines in a US$200 million investment in China Southern Airlines
  • Farfetch in a US$2.1 billion sale to Greenoaks and Coupang
  • Arcline Investment Management in its US$1.8 billion acquisition of Kaman Corporation
  • Teachers’ Curriculum Institute in an equity investment by Francisco Partners
  • Casper Sleep in a US$300 million sale to Durational Capital
  • Troon Golf in a sale to Kohlberg & Company and Great White Shark Enterprises
  • Skechers USA in :
    • A $US9.4 billion acquisition by 3G Capital
    • The 3:1 split of its Class A and Class B common stock
  • Guitar Center in a sale to Bain Capital for US$1.9 billion

Private Equity and Venture Capital Clients

Josh's representative private equity clients include:

  • Arcline
  • The Carlyle Group
  • Centerbridge
  • Genstar Capital
  • Indigo Partners
  • Khosla Ventures
  • KKR
  • NVentures
  • One Equity Partners
  • Spectrum Equity
  • Technology Crossover Ventures
  • Weston Presidio

Activism Defense

  • Abcam in its engagement with Jonathan Milner and Starboard Value
  • AECOM in its engagement with Starboard Value
  • Alico in its engagement with JCP Investment Management 
  • Cars.com in its engagement with Starboard Value
  • Cerner in its cooperation agreement with Starboard Value
  • Cheesecake Factory in its engagement with JCP Investment Management
  • e.l.f. Beauty in its:
    • Engagement with Marathon Partners and in its response to short sellers Spruce Point and Muddy Waters
    • Cooperation agreement with Marathon Partners
  • Grail in its response to short seller NINGI Research
  • IHS Holding in its engagement with Wendel, MTN, and Blackwells
  • Innovative Food Holdings, Inc in its agreement with JCP Investment Management
  • Kaltura in its engagement with K1 Investment Management and Panopto
  • Marketwise in its engagement with F. Porter Stansberry
  • Mellanox in its settlement agreement with Starboard Value
  • Mercury Systems in its cooperation agreements with Jana Partners and Starboard Value
  • Mereo BioPharma in its cooperation agreement with Rubric Capital
  • Nevro in its:
    • Cooperation agreement with Engaged Capital
    • Settlement agreement with Broadfin Capital
  • PACS in its response to short seller Hindenburg Research
  • Rent the Runway in its engagement with Yisroel M. Goldstone
  • Sculptor in its engagement with Daniel Och and with Boaz Weinstein
  • Sealed Air in its response to short seller Bleecker Street Research
  • Shift Technologies in its engagement with Maruthi Venkata
  • Switch in its engagement with Elliott Management
  • Vita Coco in its response to short seller NINGI Research
  • Wolfspeed in its engagement with JANA Partners and Starboard
  • Xperi in its engagement and proxy fight with Rubric Capital
  • Zevra in its engagement with Daniel Mangless

Financial Advisor Representation

 

  • JPMorgan in the:
    • US$68 billion merger of Analog Devices and Maxim Integrated Products
    • Acquisition by Cisco of ThousandEyes
    • Acquisition by Salesforce of Salesforce.org
  • Centerview in the US$1.1 billion acquisition of Convey Health by TPG
  • Credit Suisse in the:
    • US$1.4 billion acquisition by New Media of Gannett
    • Reclassification by Comcast of its Class A common stock
  • Morgan Stanley in the US$2.1 billion acquisition of Carbon Black by VMWare

Bar Qualification

  • California
  • New York

Education

  • JD, Columbia University School of Law, 2001
  • BS, Stanford University, 1997