Practices

Craig A. Sklar is a partner and the Co-Head of the Business Transactions Group and a member of the Management Committee at Seward & Kissel. Craig joined the firm in 1998 after practicing corporate and commercial litigation for three years.

Craig represents public and private companies, private investment funds, investment management firms, financial institutions, business owners and managers in connection with a variety of business transactions, financings and general corporate matters. Representative transactions include mergers and acquisitions, private equity, debt and venture capital transactions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, seed capital arrangements, PIPEs and other securities offerings. His general corporate work includes the formation and organization of various business entities, including corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies, drafting letters of intent, confidentiality agreements, shareholder agreements, employment and consulting agreements, non-compete agreements and various other forms of commercial arrangements. In addition, Craig acts as an editor for IM Deals® (a blog covering investment management industry transactions).

Craig received a B.S. degree, cum laude, from New York University’s Stern School of Business in 1992, and a J.D. degree, cum laude, from Fordham University School of Law in 1995 where he was inducted into the Order of the Coif (top 10%) and was a member of the Urban Law Journal. Craig is admitted to practice law in New York and Connecticut and is a member of the American Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the Connecticut Bar Association.

Publications

Articles:

Videos:

Recognition

Notable Achievements:

  • Seward & Kissel Business Transactions Group Ranked as “Highly Regarded” for Corporate/M&A by Chambers USA (as well as Craig Sklar as a “Leading Individual”).
  • Seward & Kissel Business Transactions Group recommended for middle-market M&A by The Legal 500 (as well as Craig Sklar as a “Recommended Attorney”).
  • Recognized as a “Super Lawyer” by New York Super Lawyers
  • Finalist for M&A Advisor’s 2013 M&A Legal Advisor of the Year award
  • Selected by Institutional Investor News as one of the “10 Rising Stars of Private Equity and M&A,” profiling individuals expected to shape the private equity and M&A legal field in the years to come.

Award winning deals include:

  • Acquisition of Metropolitan Real Estate Equity Management by The Carlyle Group
    • 2014 ACG New York Deal of the Year (Over $25mm to $50mm)
  • Acquisition of Agrifos Fertilizer by Rentech Nitrogen Partners
    • 2013 ACG New York Industrial and Distribution Deal of the Year Award
    • 2013 ACG New York Corporate and Strategic Acquisition of the Year (Up To $250mm)
    • 2013 M&A Advisor Industrial Goods and Basic Resources Deal of the Year
  • Acquisition of Stake in Nephila Capital by KKR
    • 2013 M&A Advisor Cross Border Deal of the Year (Up to $500mm)
  • Acquisition of Emerging Sovereign Group by The Carlyle Group
    • 2011 M&A Advisor Financial Services Deal of the Year Award

View M&A Rankings / Independent Commentary