All Professionals
Overview
John H. Cobb is the co-chair of the Global Finance practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Cobb’s practice focuses on handling leveraged loan and capital markets transactions. He has extensive experience representing banks, and private credit funds, as well as issuers, in connection with a broad range of banking and securities transactions, including first and second lien credit facilities, bridge loan facilities, high-yield and investment grade debt offerings, mezzanine financings, liability management transactions, and restructurings and reorganizations. He also has represented both public and private companies in connection with general corporate and securities law matters.
Mr. Cobb is recognized as a leading finance lawyer by Chambers USA, with clients noting that "John is truly a business-minded lawyer. He has top awareness of the market and how it is evolving in the moment” and is “extremely commercial, very knowledgeable and very thoughtful in situations.”
In addition, The National Law Journal recently distinguished him as a Finance, Banking and Capital Markets Trailblazer.
Recognitions
- Chambers USA, Banking & Finance (2019-2024)
- Chambers USA, Capital Markets: Debt & Equity (2023-2024)
- Chambers Global USA Banking & Finance (2022-2024)
- The Legal 500 USA, Capital Markets: High Yield (2021-2023)
- The Legal 500 USA, Commercial Lending (2021-2023)
Education
- St John's University, J.D.
- Providence College, B.S.
Representations
- Represented the lead arrangers on the $5.6 billion financing for the investment by KKR in healthcare data analytics firm Cotiviti, joining existing investor Veritas Capital.
- Represented Blue Owl Credit, Blackstone Alternative Credit and Ares Capital in Permira’s $6.9 billion take-private acquisition of website design platform Squarespace.
- Advised the direct lender syndicate on the financing for the acquisition by Carlyle and Insight Partners, a global software investor, of Exiger, a market leading SaaS company.
- Represented Bank of America and the other joint lead arrangers in connection with energy consulting services firm Wood Mackenzie’s $1.465 billion refinancing of its credit facilities.
- Represented the lead arrangers in connection with financing for the acquisition by Madison Dearborn of Shaw Development, an environmental engineering company.
- Represented KKR Credit, Ares Capital, Apollo Global Management, Oaktree Capital, HPS Investments, and Goldman Sachs Asset Management, as lenders, in connection with a definitive agreement for Legends to acquire ASM Global, Inc.
- Represented the direct lenders on the financing of TPG’s $1.4 billion acquisition of Nextech, a leading provider of clinical and administrative healthcare technology solutions for specialty physician practices.
- Represented the lead arrangers of the $375 million term loan B for Jones DesLauriers Insurance Management, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navacord Inc., a Madison Dearborn-backed commercial insurance brokerage and benefits provider.
- Represented the initial purchasers in four successful offerings by Jones DesLauriers Insurance Management/Navacord within six months, including an inaugural high-yield bond offering, the initial secured high-yield bond offering and two subsequent add-ons, totaling more than $1.0 billion in principal amount
- Represented a syndicate of 19 private credit lenders, led by Sixth Street – the largest in the private debt market at the time of closing – on the financing for Thoma Bravo’s $8 billion acquisition of Coupa Software
- Represented a syndicate of direct lenders in the sale by Verisk, a leading global data analytics provider, of its Wood Mackenzie energy business, to Veritas Capital for $3.1 billion in cash consideration plus future additional contingent consideration of up to $200 million.
- Represented multiple banks and funds in relation to debt facilities provided for U.S.-based aerospace and defense supplier Cobham’s public-to-private bid to acquire UK competitor, Ultra Electronics, for £2.57 billion.
- Represented Bank of Montreal and Royal Bank of Canada on the acquisition financing for Brookfield Asset Management Reinsurance Partners in its $5.1 billion acquisition of American National Group.
- Represented Barclays Bank PLC as lead arranger and administrative agent and certain other leading financial institutions as arrangers, in connection with a $860 million term loan facility and $200 million delayed draw term loan facility for Aveanna Healthcare LLC, a leading pediatric home healthcare company in the United States.
- Represented Barclays as sole book runner and sole lead arranger in connection with two senior notes offerings by Kronos Acquisition Holdings Inc. (KIK) totaling $1 billion and a new $900 million senior secured term loan. KIK is one of America's largest independent manufacturers of consumer products for household, pool, and auto categories.
- Represented Barclays Capital Inc., BBVA Securities Inc., and KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. as joint bookrunning managers in connection with the debut $700 million high yield 7.25% senior secured notes offering by Prime Healthcare Services, Inc.
- Represented RBC Capital Markets, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Barclays Bank PLC, and Citigroup Global Markets Inc., as lead arrangers for the $3.55 billion financing to be provided in connection with Meredith Corporation’s acquisition of Time Inc., a multinational mass media corporation.
- Represented Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc. and The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. as lead arrangers with respect to financing provided to Compass Power Generation L.L.C. and its natural gas-fired power plant portfolio companies. The financing consisted of a $750,000,000 term loan facility, a $60,000,000 revolving credit facility and a $97,000,000 letter of credit facility, the proceeds of which were used to refinance existing debt, fund capital expenditures and make a dividend.
- Represented Barclays Bank PLC, as administrative agent, and RBC Capital Markets, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc., and Jefferies Finance LLC, as joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners, for the $575 million first lien credit facility, consisting of a $525 million term loan facility and a $50 million revolving credit facility, in connection with the acquisition of Vivid Seats LLC, a leading online ticket reseller.
- Represented the lead arrangers for committed financings of over $5 billion consisting of term loan and asset-based facilities in connection with a definitive agreement by Bass Pro Group, LLC to acquire Cabela’s Incorporated.
- Represented the lead arrangers in connection with financing the approximately $1 billion acquisition by Siris Capital Group, LLC of Premiere Global Services, Inc.
news
- Paul Hastings Advised Lenders in Carlyle and Insight Partners Acquisition of Exiger - March 6th, 2024
- Paul Hastings Advised Churchill Asset Management LLC on Levine Leichtman Capital Partners’ Acquisition of USA Water - February 27th, 2024
- Paul Hastings Advises on Jones Deslauriers/Navacord’s Notes Offering - December 15th, 2022
- US aerospace and defence supplier Cobham acquires UK rival Ultra Electronics - August 18th, 2021
- JPMorgan and Barclays Finance AMRI’s Acquisition of Euticals - May 5th, 2016
Involvement
- Admitted to the New York State Bar
- Member of the Board of Directors of The Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research