Morrison Foerster Welcomes Experienced Finance and Private Equity Partner Michael Vernace in San Francisco

(February 21, 2024) – Morrison Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce the arrival of Michael Vernace as a partner in the firm’s Finance and Private Equity Groups in the Transactions Department, based in the San Francisco office. Vernace brings to the firm 15 years of experience representing private equity funds and their portfolio companies in complex U.S. and cross-border financings, including acquisition financings and refinancings, along with other public and private companies in varying stages of their lifecycle. Vernace’s arrival underscores the continued growth of Morrison Foerster’s premier global Finance and Private Equity capabilities and team. He is the second partner to join the Finance practice this year, following the arrival of Tammy Davies last month, and is the seventh partner to join the Private Equity practice within the last three years.

Vernace joins Morrison Foerster from another leading international firm, where he was a partner in the Banking and Credit Department. Vernace’s practice focuses on supporting sponsor-borrowers along with additional lender-side representations and borrower-side bankruptcy remote financings. He regularly advises clients through syndicated finance and other commercial lending transactions, including acquisition, leveraged, investment-grade, asset-based, corporate, receivables, net asset value, and hybrid financings. Vernace also represents leading leveraged buyout sponsors and their portfolio companies in connection with a variety of recapitalizations and refinancings.

Vernace’s arrival underscores the continued growth of Morrison Foerster’s global Finance and Private Equity practices. This includes the high-profile arrivals of Private Equity partners Mitchell Presser, Omar Pringle, and Aly El Hamamsy in New York; Rongjing Zhao in Beijing; Tabitha Saw and Steven Tran in Singapore; Steve DeCosse in Tokyo; Jennifer Seipelt in Berlin; and James Beach in San Francisco in recent years, in addition to the arrivals of Tammy Davies and Vernace this year.

“The continued investment in, and growth of, our global Finance and Private Equity capabilities remains a strategic priority for the firm,” said Darío Avram, co-chair of Morrison Foerster’s Finance Group. “Michael’s practice and strategic approach to business development offer an excellent complement to our Finance and Private Equity teams’ strategies on the ground in the Bay Area, while further accelerating the growth of our market-leading global Finance and Private Equity capabilities.”

“Michael’s extensive experience advising sophisticated private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies also expands and further deepens our borrower/company bench strength, enabling us to better serve our public company and technology clients while expanding our dominant presence in the San Francisco market and beyond,” added Yemi Tépé, also co-chair of Morrison Foerster’s Finance Group.

Some of Vernace’s representative matters include advising: a pharmaceuticals company in its committed debt financing related to a multibillion-dollar acquisition; a TV broadcasting company in its committed debt financing related to a multibillion-dollar acquisition; an energy-transition focused sponsor in multiple acquisition financings, refinancings, and distressed situations; and several banks in connection with various sustainability linked loans.

“I am thrilled to join Morrison Foerster’s thriving San Francisco Finance and Private Equity Groups,” said Vernace. “I look forward to working with my new colleagues, in the Bay Area and across firm’s global offices, to expand the firm’s offerings in these in-demand areas,” said Vernace.

Vernace earned his B.S. summa cum laude from Boston University and his J.D. from Duke University. He is admitted to practice in New York and California.