Michael D. Allen

Overview

Mike Allen has a “stellar reputation in the market,” is “very, very knowledgeable about Delaware corporate law,” and “provides sound judgment and practical legal advice” (Chambers USA).  

Mike is chair of Richards Layton’s Corporate Advisory Group and vice chair of the firm’s Corporate Department. In addition, Mike is a member of the Council of the Corporation Law Section of the Delaware State Bar Association and, in that capacity, participates in the annual review and drafting of amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law.

Mike has served as Delaware counsel on many high-stakes, high-value corporate transactions. He advises corporations, officers, directors, board committees, and stockholders in connection with a wide variety of transactional and advisory matters, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, recapitalizations, proxy contests, stockholder meetings, and corporate governance issues.

Mike regularly renders legal opinions on matters relating to Delaware corporate law and is a sought-after speaker on Delaware legal practice and developments.

PRACTICES

Corporate Transactions
Corporate Governance
Mergers & Acquisitions
Special Committees & Investigations

Clerkships

• The Honorable Maurice A. Hartnett III, Delaware Supreme Court, 1996-97

Select Experience

• Counsel to the special committee of the board of directors of Crescent Energy Company in connection with its acquisition of SilverBow Resources for $2.1 billion
• Counsel to the special committee of the board of directors of Howard Hughes Holdings in connection with its spinoff of Seaport Entertainment Group
• Delaware counsel to Standard General in connection with its contemplated acquisition of Bally’s for $4.6 billion
• Counsel to the conflicts committee of the board of directors of Enable Midstream Partners LP in connection with its sale to Energy Transfer for $7.2 billion
• Delaware counsel to Renewable Energy Group in connection with its sale to Chevron for $3.15 billion
• Delaware counsel to FLIR Systems in connection with its acquisition by Teledyne Technologies for $8 billion
• Delaware counsel to the special committee of the board of directors of Coty Inc. in connection with a tender offer from JAB valued at approximately $1.75 billion
• Delaware counsel to the special committee of the board of directors of Papa John’s International, Inc. in connection with a $200 million strategic investment with Starboard Value LLP
• Counsel to the conflicts committee of the board of Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in connection with the elimination of the corporation’s Up-C structure.
• Delaware counsel to USG Corporation in connection with its acquisition by Gebr. Knauf KG for approximately $7 billion
• Counsel to the conflicts committee of 8point3 Energy Partners LP in connection with its sale to Capital Dynamics and, prior to that, multiple “drop down” acquisition transactions with First Solar, Inc. and SunPower Corp.
• Delaware counsel to Dell Technologies in connection with various transactions, including its initial public offering of Pivotal Software and SecureWorks Corp. as well as its acquisition by Michael Dell and Silverlake Partners for $24 billion
• Counsel to the special committee of the board of directors of Federal-Mogul Holdings, Inc. in connection with its acquisition by affiliates of Icahn Enterprises L.P. for approximately $300 million
• Counsel to the conflicts committee of NextEra Energy Partners, LP in connection with multiple “drop down” transactions with NextEra Energy Resources
• Counsel to the special committee of WildHorse Resource Development Corporation in connection with a $425 million equity financing transaction with Carlyle Partners
• Counsel to the special committee of Covenant Surgical Partners in connection with its acquisition by KKR for approximately $225 million
• Delaware counsel to Orbital ATK in connection with its acquisition by Northrop Grumman Corp. for $9.2 billion
• Delaware counsel to Rice Energy, Inc. in connection with its acquisition by EQT Corp. for $6.7 billion
• Delaware counsel to Sirona Dental Systems in connection with its merger with Dentsply International Inc. for approximately $5.5 billion
• Delaware counsel to AMC Entertainment in connection with its acquisition of Carmike Cinemas for approximately $1.2 billion
• Delaware counsel to SunGard Data Systems in connection with its acquisition by Fidelity National Information Systems for approximately $9.1 billion
• Delaware counsel to Orbital Sciences Corporation in its merger of equals transaction with Alliant Techsystems Inc. valued at $5 billion

Education

• Washington and Lee University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 1996
• Swarthmore College, B.A., 1992

Recognition

• Chambers USA, since 2014
• The Legal 500, since 2016
• The Best Lawyers in America, since 2016
• Super Lawyers, 2020
• IFLR1000, since 2018
• Delaware Today Top Lawyer, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2016
• Who’s Who Legal, Mergers & Acquisitions, since 2016

Bar Admissions

• United States District Court, District of Delaware, 1997
• Delaware, 1996