Valarie Ney, an experienced corporate and M&A attorney, has joined Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP as a partner in Washington, D.C. Ney represents clients from a broad array of industries, including the government contracting, pharmaceutical, healthcare, energy, technology and manufacturing sectors. Ney joins Hunton Andrews Kurth from Holland & Knight, LLP, where she was a partner.

Ney advises on public company mergers and spin-offs, private company acquisitions and dispositions, auctions, joint ventures, licensing transactions, public-private transitions, special committee representations and tender offers. Her practice includes consulting on disclosure, compliance and governance matters arising out of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations, stock exchange rules and corporate laws.

Ney spent more than a decade as a mergers and acquisitions attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP. 

“Valarie is an outstanding M&A lawyer who is highly regarded for the strategic and sophisticated counsel she provides to her corporate clients,” said Steve Haas, head of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s M&A team. “Her broad experience advising on complex domestic and international transactions and her dedication to excellence have made her a rising star in the Washington, D.C. legal market.”

A selection of Ney’s notable representations prior to joining the firm includes:

• Advising a NYSE-listed government contractor in multiple transactions, including its $1.4 billion acquisition of a medical disability examinations provider.
• Advising a private equity firm in multiple transactions, including the acquisition of a majority of the business of a New Zealand-based specialty building manufacturer.
• Advising a federal technology services company in its acquisition of a provider of technology, cyber and data solutions to the defense industry.
• Advising a NYSE-listed healthcare services company in its $6.8 billion acquisition of a healthcare insurance provider.
• Advising a multinational pharmaceutical company dually listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in multiple public and private acquisitions, divestitures and licensing agreements.
• Advising a British Columbia investment manager in its participation in a multinational consortium acquisition of a NYSE-listed energy services company for $4.7 billion in total consideration.

“Valarie’s addition reflects the firm’s commitment to maintaining a leading global corporate practice with top-tier talent that is well positioned to assist our clients with their most significant transactional and compliance matters,” said Tom Hiner, co-head of Hunton Andrews Kurth’s corporate team. “We are pleased to welcome Valarie to the firm.”

Ney earned her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she was a member of the Virginia Law Review, and her undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College, where she graduated magna cum laude. She is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia, New York and Virginia.

Handling nearly 1,000 transactions worth approximately $250 billion in the past five years, Hunton Andrews Kurth’s M&A team manages transactions ranging from acquisitions of private equity-backed companies, to leading a $30 billion merger-of-equals to create the nation’s largest regulated utility. From our 19 offices in leading financial and business centers across the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Middle East, we advise clients on virtually every form of corporate transaction in virtually every sector of the economy, including key focus areas on energy, financial services, manufacturing, real estate, retail/consumer products and technology.