Winston & Strawn LLP’s Chicago-based transactional tax team handles a wide range of matters, including acquisitions, dispositions, securitizations, fund formations, and financing transactions, with a particularly strong reputation for advising middle-market private equity funds and SBICs. Practice head Olga Loy focuses on private equity, venture capital, and SBIC fund formation as well as M&A transactions, buyouts, recapitalizations, restructurings, and executive compensation cases. Dennis Kelly specializes in real estate and municipal finance taxation as well as securitization-related tax issues. Donald Goff has considerable experience structuring M&A and private equity transactions, many of the latter involving pre- or post-closing restructurings. Mark Christy is strong in the structured finance and project finance spaces. Angela Rohman-Russo plays a key role in the group, advising on mergers, divestitures, restructurings, and recapitalizations.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Each team member I have worked with has extensive knowledge in their area and effectively collaborates to bring subject expertise to complex business matters.’

  • ‘Their depth of knowledge, insight into complex legal matters for business, professionalism and respect of the nuances of the business and individuals involved is impressive. They have an ability to effectively and concisely explain and advise on complex matters.’

  • ‘A team with very strong technical expertise, attentiveness and responsiveness. Also a very nimble team.’

  • ‘Angela Russo is one of the best tax persons I've worked with - not only does she have the expertise, but her way of distilling tax into plain English is like none other. She is one of the few tax partners who I have worked with that actually applies big picture "materiality" to tax issues when they are discovered in light of the business as a whole, and as a result is able to cut to the chase with practical real life solutions that help get the deal done.’

  • ‘Angela also has a stellar associate who supports her - Justin Trapp.’

  • ‘Angela Russo is knowledgeable and commercial. It's a delight to find a tax person who understands the business practicalities as well as the law.'

Key clients

  • Adams Street Partners
  • Chapman University
  • CoVenture Management, LLC
  • Everside Capital Partners
  • Industrial Opportunity Partners, LLC
  • Knotel Holdings
  • MUFG Union Bank, N.A.
  • Rocket Mortgage
  • Shore Capital Partners
  • Solar Mosaic, Inc.
  • SunCap Limited
  • Visio-Beach Point Mortgage Trust.
  • Water Street Healthcare Partners LLC
  • Wind Point Partners

Work highlights

  • Representing Chapman University on all of its fund formations and investment activities.
  • Representing MUFG Union Bank, N.A. in connection with the tax aspects of certain loans for six solar/storage projects, including negotiating tax provisions in the financing agreement and negotiating tax provisions in underlying tax-equity-financing documents.
  • Represented Rocket Mortgage, LLC and Woodward Capital Management LLC in connection with a cosponsored securitization transaction backed by closed-end second-lien mortgage loans.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Olga Loy

Other key lawyers

Dennis Kelly, Donald Goff, Mark Christy, Angela Rohman-Russo, Justin Trapp