William N. Lay

William N. Lay is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice. Based in the Firm’s Boston office, Will has extensive experience advising private equity sponsors, privately held businesses and public companies on complex corporate transactions, including both U.S. domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, carve-outs, joint ventures and other strategic transactions. His work spans numerous industries, including healthcare and life sciences, technology, retail and manufacturing.

Notable experience prior to joining Simpson Thacher includes advising:

• Altaris, LLC on numerous transactions, including its take-private acquisition of Sharecare, Inc.
• Hanesbrands Inc. in its $1.2 billion sale of its global Champion business to Authentic Brands Group
• BELFOR Property Restoration in its investment from Goldman Sachs
• Nordic Capital on numerous transactions, including a Nordi Capital-led consortium in its $7.3 billion acquisition of Inovalon and its majority investment in ActiveViam
• American Securities on numerous transactions, including its acquisitions of NWN Carousel and Aramsco, Inc., its sale of Oregon Tool and its strategic partnership with SimonMed Imaging
• Monomoy Capital Partners on numerous transactions, including its acquisitions of EnviroTech Services and Shaw Development, LLC
• Sycamore Partners and its portfolio companies in numerous transactions, including its $1 billion take-private acquisition of Chico’s FAS, Inc.
• Nautic Partners and its portfolio companies in numerous transactions, including its $570 million take-private acquisition of Tabula Rasa HealthCare, Inc., its sale of BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy to Elevance Health, and the creation of CarepathRx and its acquisitions of related businesses
• CarepathRx Health System Solutions in its strategic partnership with and investment by Evernorth Health Services
• ABRY Partners on numerous transactions, including its investment in Precision Strategies and in its acquisitions of Centauri Health Solutions, Hersha Hospitality Management and U.S. Legal Support
• An ownership group in its successful bid and definitive expansion agreement for a Major League Soccer franchise and the negotiation of a franchise agreement for a United Soccer League (USL) franchise
• A publicly traded healthcare company in its acquisition of several hospice and home health care companies

In 2018, Will was named among The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Middle Tennessee’s “Nashville’s Top 30 Under 30,” which recognizes the city’s most active young professionals and philanthropists.

Will received his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2006, where he was Research Editor for the Tennessee Law Review and Executive Editor of both the Tennessee Journal of Business Law and Tennessee Journal of Law & Policy. He received his B.A. from Rhodes College in 2013, where he was a member of Rhodes’ varsity soccer team. Will is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and Tennessee.