David Birke serves as co-chair of Akerman’s M&A and Private Equity Practice Group. David’s practice focuses on representing private equity funds, family offices and their portfolio companies in complex acquisitions, divestitures, recapitalizations, restructurings, growth capital investments, and debt and equity financings. David’s wide ranging practice also encompasses representing other private and public companies with corporate governance, joint ventures, executive compensation, and general commercial matters. David brings a unique, pragmatic and solutions-oriented perspective to his client’s transactions; an approach shaped through numerous complex transactions coupled with his experience counseling clients as a certified public accountant at Arthur Andersen. Prior to joining Akerman, David was a member of the corporate group of an international law firm, where his practice focused on mergers and acquisitions, primarily for private equity firms and their portfolio companies. Before practicing law, David was a certified public accountant with Arthur Andersen, where he advised clients in the healthcare, waste management, technologies, manufacturing, and hospitality industries.
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With more than two decades of experience, Paul Quinn represents private equity funds and their portfolio companies in leveraged acquisitions and dispositions, corporate governance, and restructurings. Paul also represents management teams in employment and compensation arrangements, distressed-focused private equity funds in acquisitions in bankruptcy court and out-of-court processes; and private equity and venture capital funds in minority growth equity investments. Ranked by Chambers USA, he is commended by peers who note that “he is very commercial in his negotiation style.” Enhancing his understanding of clients’ needs and businesses, prior to practicing law, Paul was a certified public accountant with Arthur Andersen, where he provided auditing and tax services to clients in the healthcare, financial services, technologies, and manufacturing sectors.
Ken Wiggins represents public and private companies, private equity funds, and individuals in a variety of complex corporate transactions and general corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture and growth capital investments, private placements of debt and equity securities, recapitalizations, executive employment agreements, and management equity plans. In addition, Ken represents several companies with respect to all of their corporate transactions, and effectively serves as their outside general counsel. Ken also represents both insureds and underwriters in connection with transactional risk products, including the issuance of representations and warranties insurance policies. Ken’s experience spans numerous sectors, including: automotive retail; plumbing; HVAC and industrial product distribution; IT; transportation; aerospace; and correctional services. His private equity experience includes advising numerous firms on a diverse range of acquisitions and dispositions and other corporate matters.