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Joseph Spina is a versatile transactional lawyer who has advised on well over $50 billion in aggregate deal volume. As the co-chair of the firm’s Private Equity and Venture Capital Group, Joe focuses his practice on private equity and venture capital-backed transactions, with an additional depth of experience working with independent sponsors, search fund entrepreneurs and other strategic investors, as well as their portfolio companies. Leveraging his relationships in the private equity and venture capital space, Joe also guides start-ups and other founder-owned companies in connection with capital raises and liquidity events.

Joe regularly advises his clients on a broad range of transactions, including buyouts, recapitalizations, mergers, equity financings and other strategic investments. Joe also has significant experience in the restructuring and distressed space, advising companies, lenders and acquirors on navigating distressed situations – both in and out of court.

Over the course of his career, Joe has played a pivotal role in several high-profile matters, involving client representations that include: the Government of Puerto Rico, Remington Arms Company, Capital One Bank, Franklin Templeton and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.

Prior to joining Cullen, Joe worked at a $3 billion AUM private equity firm that specialized in investing in lower middle-market companies operating in the consumer, services, industrials and healthcare sectors. Prior to that, Joe worked at an international law firm.

Practice Areas

Corporate Private Equity and Venture Capital Banking and Financial Services Financial Mergers and Acquisitions Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights Bankruptcy Litigation Creditors’ Committees Debtor Representations Distressed M & A Secured Creditors’ and Lenders Commercial Contracts Corporate Finance Formations and Governance Mergers and Acquisitions Startups and Emerging Companies Energy Transactions Natural Gas Renewable Energy

Industries

Admissions

  • New York
  • New Jersey

Education

  • J.D., Notre Dame Law School, cum laude, 2014
  • B.S., Manhattan College, magna cum laude, 2011

Representative Experience

  • Remington Arms Company – Represented firearms manufacturer in comprehensive sale process, which resulted in a series of transactions yielding an aggregate purchase price of $157 million.
  • Power Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) – Represented Puerto Rico’s power authority in its Title III proceeding to restructure the utility’s debt and restore power to the territory’s residents in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
  • Commonwealth of Puerto Rico – Represented the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority, as representative of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, in the restructuring of the territory’s debt obligations.
  • Fieldwood Energy – Represented secured lender, Franklin Templeton, in the reorganization of oil and gas exploration and development company, which won M&A Advisor’s Turnaround Award for “Restructuring of the Year (Over $1B to $5B)” in 2019.
  • Coso Operating Company – Represented geothermal operator in $1 billion power project leveraged lease financing, the largest geothermal project financing completed at the time.
  • Castex Energy – Represented Capital One, National Association, as agent bank in prearranged restructuring of oil and gas company.
  • Hanjin Shipping – Represented Samsung Electronics as beneficial cargo owner in the Korean shipping company’s bankruptcy proceeding.
  • Lehman Brothers – Represented multiple investment funds aggregating hundreds of millions in allowed claims in the financial institution’s Chapter 11 cases.
  • General Motors – Special counsel to a group of personal injury claimants in the automotive company’s Chapter 11 proceedings.

Publications

  • “The Retail Apocalypse’s Impact on Grocery Chains”, Journal of Corporate Renewal, May 2019
  • Co-author, “Bankruptcies in Mass Torts Cases,” Litigating Mass Tort Cases, Supplement, 2015

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