Ben Morris
Partner
Ben is a partner in the finance group of Ropes & Gray. He works extensively for private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, asset managers and other financial institutions in relation to complex cross-border and domestic leveraged acquisition finance transactions (including public-to-private transactions), margin loans, property finance, debt buy-backs, refinancings and restructurings.
Experience
- Acted for Kioxia Holdings Corporation, a world leader in memory products and solutions, in its acquisition of the SSD business, primarily located in Taiwan, from LITE-ON Technology Corporation.
- Acted for Bain Capital, as controlling consortium member, in connection with the approximately $18 billion (two trillion yen) acquisition and approximately $14 billion (1.5 trillion yen) acquisition and other financing for Toshiba Memory that was sold as a competitive auction. This transaction was awarded the 2018 "Japan Deal of the Year", "M&A Deal of the Year" and the "Technology, Media & Telecommunications Deal of the Year" by the ALB, the M&A deal of the year for North Asia by the Asia Legal Awards, and received standout recognition for innovation in managing complexity and scale by the Financial Times.
- Acted for Bain Capital in connection with the approximately $1.4 billion leveraged tender offer buyout of Asatsu DK.
- Advised global private equity sponsors in relation to margin loan transactions involving companies listed in Australia, Japan and India.
- Advised Bain Capital, in its leveraged acquisition of the Ooedo Onsen hotel chain.
- Advised Bellsystem24 on the dividend recapitalization and further secondary refinancing of its term and revolving credit facilities.
- Advised Bain Capital in its leveraged tender offers for all of the shares of Yukiguni Maitake Co., Ltd. and Japan Wind Development Co., Ltd.
- Advised Bain Capital in the approximately $500 million leveraged tender offer for all of the shares of Macromill Inc.
- Advised a global multi-strategy investor in its sale of a 267-room Tokyo hotel.
- Advised the buyer consortium consisting of TPG Growth and the Chairman of NYSE-listed ShangPharma Corporation in connection with the financing of ShangPharma’s going-private transaction valued at approximately $180 million
- Advised the European Special Situations Group of a global investment bank and TPG Opportunities Partners in connection with their joint acquisition of the Lundy Portfolio from Lloyds Banking Group.
Education
- LPC, with Distinction, College of Law, London, 2008
- Graduate Diploma (Law), Commendation, BPP Law School, 2007
- BA (Hons), University of Leeds, 2003
Admissions / Qualifications
Qualifications
- Japan, Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi (England and Wales), 2014
- England and Wales, Solicitor, 2010
Awards
- IFLR 1000: Highly Regarded (2023)
- IFLR: AsiaFuture Leaders (2021)
- Chambers Asia-Pacific: Asia's Leading Lawyers for Business (2021-2023)
- IFLR 1000 Rising Star (2021-2022)
- Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business (2021-2023)