Mr. Rosso has advised on more than 40 M&A transactions in past four years, focusing on mid-market deals; frequently counsels sellers of closely-held companies; firm sees uptick in activity for second half of 2010
BALTIMORE, MD (March 29, 2010) – Building on its strength in business transactions work in the Mid-Atlantic, Venable LLP has added prominent corporate attorney Anthony Rosso as a partner in the firm’s Baltimore office.
Mr. Rosso is an established M&A adviser who has counseled clients on more than 40 merger, acquisition and disposition transactions in the past four years. He arrives from DLA Piper, where he began his legal career in 1995. Before starting his legal career, Mr. Rosso practiced as a certified public accountant for five years with Big-Four auditor KPMG LLP.
Mr. Rosso has been well recognized for his transactional work. In 2008 and 2009, he was cited by Chambers USA as an “Up and Coming” business lawyer. Chambers reported that Mr. Rosso “is regarded by market sources as a rising talent in the corporate and securities arena,” calling him “clear and confident” and adding that he brings “an incredible ability to keep the transaction moving quickly.”
In 2006, Baltimore SmartCEO magazine named Mr. Rosso among Maryland's Legal Elite, and in 2008, designated him one its top-ranked SmartLawyers.
Mr. Rosso regularly represents middle market companies in mergers and acquisitions, as well as in equity and debt financings, joint ventures and corporate restructurings. Although he frequently handles buy-side transactions, he often works with sellers of closely-held companies. Mr. Rosso has established relationships with many investment banking firms and commercial bankers in developing both sides of a transaction.
In one important testament to his way around a deal, Mr. Rosso has worked serially for a number of clients, advising on numerous transactions as they expand their business. Among his repeat clients have been a major construction materials supplier, a global provider of quality and safety testing, inspection and certification services, and a major owner of airport fixed base operations throughout the US. His overall deal book reflects the skill set of an M&A generalist, with completed transactions across numerous industries, including professional services, energy and solar power, food processing, security services, direct marketing, retail, waste disposal and remediation, and all aspects of manufacturing.
In addition to his merger and acquisition financing work, Mr. Rosso serves as general corporate counsel for a number of closely held businesses.
“Anthony is one of the top deal attorneys in the region for mid-market companies, with a portfolio covering an impressive range of domestic and international transactions across a broad sweep of industry sectors,” said Venable corporate partner Michael Baader, who serves as partner-in-charge of the Baltimore office. “We’ve had the good fortune of working with Anthony over the last few years and know that corporate clients are comfortable entrusting their critical transactions in his hands.”
Noting that Mr. Rosso worked for five years as a Big Four CPA, Mr. Baader added, “Anthony understands the financial and strategic underpinnings of a business-critical deal. We expect M&A activity to pick up markedly as this year progresses, and we’re looking for Anthony to be an impact player on our team.”
Venable’s own transactional practice has remained strong through the downturn. The firm recently advised Stanley Works in its $4.5 billion acquisition of Black & Decker, engineered a number of innovative refinancings and closed a number of mid-market deals over the past several months.
In coming to Venable, Mr. Rosso is reconnecting with several attorneys with whom he previously worked, including Herbert Frerichs, a corporate partner in Venable’s Baltimore office who joined DLA on the same day as Mr. Rosso in 1995. “Herb has been a mentor to me throughout my career and helped me get my corporate practice off the ground,” Mr. Rosso said. “It’s great to be working alongside him again, along with Mike Baader, Chuck Morton, and many other Venable attorneys who I know from sitting across the table on various transactions.”
Mr. Rosso echoed the sentiment that the deal landscape is thawing, especially in many of the areas where he focuses his practice. “After the extended draught of the past 18 months, things are beginning to come back to life for the middle market. I definitely see a lot of promise for the second half of the year,” he said.
“Venable’s longstanding leadership in business transactions makes it a perfect home for me,” Mr. Rosso added. “The firm has a strong brand and a deep bench, including a leading mezzanine financing practice. Venable simply matches up with my practice on a number of levels.”
In addition to his corporate work, Mr. Rosso has been active on the pro-bono front. The American Heart Association named him one of Maryland's 2008 Unsung Heroes for his leadership and contributions to the organization's work.
In 2008, the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service inducted him into its Leadership Circle. Mr. Rosso is also serving as the Vice Chair of PACT: Helping Children with Special Needs, an affiliate of the Kennedy Krieger Institute.
Mr. Rosso is a graduate of the Greater Baltimore Committee's Leadership Class of 2008.
Mr. Rosso received his J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Baltimore, and his B.B.A. from Loyola University in Maryland.
Note: An American Lawyer top 100 law firm, Venable LLP has attorneys practicing in all areas of corporate and business law, complex litigation, intellectual property and government affairs. Venable serves corporate, institutional, governmental, nonprofit and individual clients throughout the U.S. and around the world from its headquarters in Washington, D.C. and offices in California, Maryland, New York and Virginia.