Neill Jakobe

Practice Areas

Neill Jakobe is a global practice group co-leader for Private Equity Transactions at Ropes & Gray LLP in Chicago. Focusing on private equity buyouts and strategic M&A, Neill has helped steer clients through complex deals ranging in size from tens of millions to more than a billion dollars. Neill’s global client base includes private equity sponsors and public and private companies across various industries, such as health care, life sciences, financial services and manufacturing.

Neill offers clients rare insight into the dealmaking process. In addition to his legal experience structuring, negotiating and closing complex deals, Neill has firsthand transactional experience from his work as an investment banker with the Financial Sponsors Group at Morgan Stanley. He has evaluated acquisitions from a financial perspective, developed financial models, arranged equity and debt financing, and worked on a number of transactions (including IPOs, LBOs and other M&A) on the finance side. Neill’s understanding of the business side of a deal allows him to anticipate his clients’ needs throughout the life cycle of a transaction and take a pragmatic approach in complex negotiations.

Neill’s earlier experience as a securities litigator also benefits clients with corporate governance issues.