William Scott Ortwein

• Represented AuthenTec, a leading provider of fingerprint security and identity solutions, in four acquisitions, its defense of a hostile takeover and its $360 million sale to Apple.
• Represented Sally Beauty, the leading distributor of beauty supplies in North America, in four recent secondary offerings of common stock by one of the world’s leading private equity funds with proceeds of approximately $2 billion and public debt offerings by the company of $2.6 billion.
• Represented Graphic Packaging, a leading provider of paperboard packaging, in its $1.8 billion acquisition of Altivity Packaging, a portfolio company of one of the world’s leading private equity funds.
• Represented Graphic Packaging in four recent dispositions and three recent acquisitions with consideration exceeding $500 million, multiple public debt offerings aggregating $1.4 billion and related tender offers, a $225 million public common stock offering by the company and six public secondary offerings of common stock with aggregate proceeds of more than $1.7 billion.
• Represented Silverpop, a leader in pinpoint marketing messaging, in its sale to IBM.
• Represented Gold Kist, the third-largest integrated chicken company in the U.S., in several transactions, including its defense of a hostile takeover and subsequent negotiated sale for $1.25 billion, a $200 million 144A debt offering and its $600 million conversion/recapitalization from a cooperative to a for-profit company and related $150 million initial public offering of common stock. 
• Represented Mohawk Industries, the largest floor covering company in the world, in its $1.7 billion acquisition of a leading producer of ceramic tile and its $700 million 144A debt offering used to refinance short-term indebtedness incurred to finance the acquisition. 
• Represented a leading telecommunications software company in its sale for $4.7 billion.
• Represented BofA Merrill Lynch in two $100 million and one $75 million convertible debt offerings by Jakks Pacific, a leading designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, and one $275 debt offering for The Greenbrier Companies.
• Represented leading international investment banks in several public offerings of debt securities and related debt tender offers by The Coca-Cola Company aggregating more than $21 billion.
• Represented BofA Merrill Lynch in its role as underwriter and financial advisor to Diamond Foods, a leader in culinary and snack nut products in connection with its $150 million conversion/recapitalization from a cooperative to a for-profit company and related $90 million initial public offering of common stock.
• Represented a leading provider of electronic commerce and health information solutions in its multibillion-dollar spinoff of its financial payments system business.

Scott Ortwein is co-chair of Alston & Bird’s Corporate Transactions Group. Scott concentrates his practice in the areas of mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. Scott regularly advises boards of directors and committees of boards of directors in their consideration of extraordinary corporate transactions. Scott has represented more than 50 public companies in a variety of industries in the areas of corporate governance, securities compliance, public and private securities offerings and mergers and acquisitions. Specifically, Scott has represented public companies and investment banks in more than 75 public equity and debt securities offerings with proceeds of more than $40 billion and has been involved in more than 90 public and private company mergers, acquisitions and dispositions with consideration of more than $20 billion. 

Scott was named “Lawyer of the Year” in Atlanta by The Best Lawyers in America^© for Securities and Capital Markets in 2014 and 2016. He is also listed in a number of publications as a leading corporate attorney, including Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and The Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of Mergers & Acquisitions Law and Securities/Capital Markets. Scott received his M.B.A. and J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Scott also serves as a member of the firm’s Management Committee.

Bar Admissions

• Georgia

Education

• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (J.D., 1994)
• The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (M.B.A., 1994)
• University of the South (B.A., 1991)