Biography
David principally advises private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in a wide variety of transactions, including leveraged buyouts, mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments, recapitalization and dispositions. David also has advised clients on general corporate and commercial matters, including securities laws, corporate governance issues and other strategic considerations.
David is recognized as a leading lawyer for Private Equity: Buyouts in Texas by Chambers USA 2024 and as an “Up & Coming” lawyer for Corporate/M&A in Texas by Chambers USA 2021-2023, where clients note he is a “thoughtful and detail-oriented lawyer” who is “incredibly adept on deal management,” and “has a good sense of what our business objectives are and can help us achieve those. He's efficient in his approach and separates the key issues from the noise."
Experience
David has counseled a number of leading private equity firms in acquisitions, dispositions and recapitalizations of companies in the software, consumer and industrial spaces:
- PSG Equity, in more than 50 transactions, including:
- its acquisition of Benchmark Analytics, Element451, Inc., Packback, Tracker RMS, Loopback Analytics, and Trade School Software in its acquisitions of Campus Ivy LLC, Verity IQ, LLC and 777ABC, LLC
- its sale or recapitalization of Formstack, Pacvue (f/k/a Assembly) and Lumaverse Technologies
- its investment in Stylitics, Sevenroom and Providence Equity Partners in its acquisition of a majority stake in 365 Retail Markets, LLC
- Kainos Capital, in more than 15 transactions, including:
- its acquisition of Evriholder Products, and Evriholder Products’ acquisitions of Axe Holdings and Home Sweet Home Holdings
- its acquisition of Olde Thompson, and Olde Thompson in its acquisition of Gel Spice Company and in the $950 million sale of Olde Thompson to Olam Food Ingredients (a subsidiary of Olam International Limited)
- its acquisition and subsequent sale of good2grow
- its combination of portfolio companies Kettle Cuisine, Bonewerks CulinArte' and Savory Creations into one business, operating as Kettle Cuisine
- Blue Star Innovation Partners, in several transactions, including:
- its acquisition of PlayMetrics, and Playmetics in its acquisition of CrossBar HQ
- its acquisition of TravelNet Solutions
- its acquisition of Sonar Software
- Other private equity clients include Advent, Citation Capital, Graycliff Capital Partners, Lee Equity Partners, Lindsay Goldberg and Providence Equity Partners
David has also led public company clients through transformative transactions, including:
- American Airlines, in its $18 billion merger with US Airway
- General Electric in the sale of its rail car leasing and repair business to Wells Fargo and Marmon Group
- General Growth Properties
- in its $8 billion recapitalization by affiliates of Brookfield and Pershing Square
- in its spinoff of The Howard Hughes Corporation
- in its spinoff of Rouse Properties
In addition to his Chamber’s ranking, David is recognized as a “Highly Regarded” lawyer for M&A in Texas by IFLR1000 2024, was named “Dealmaker: Attorney of the Year” at D CEO Magazine's 2022 Mergers & Acquisitions Awards, and was included among D Magazine’ s Best Lawyers in Dallas for Private Equity 2019, 2021-2023.
Prior to joining Weil, David was the Colet Fellow at St. Paul’s School in London, England. David is active in national politics and served on President Barack Obama’s National Finance Committee during the 2008 and 2012 election cycles. He also serves as a tournament chair for Weil’s “Dodge for a Cause” charity dodgeball tournament held at the American Airlines Center benefitting Vogel Alcove.
* Best Lawyers (in America) is by Levine Leichtman Capital Partners
Awards and Recognition, Latest Thinking, Firm News & Announcements
Awards and Recognition
- David Gail Named a “Leading” Lawyer for Private Equity: Buyouts in Texas Award Brief — Chambers USA 2024
- David Gail Named “Dealmaker: Attorney of the Year” Award Brief — D CEO Magazine’s 2022 Mergers & Acquisitions Awards
- David Gail Named an “Up & Coming” Lawyer for Corporate/M&A in Texas Award Brief — Chambers USA 2021-2023
- David Gail Recognized as a “Highly Regarded” Lawyer for M&A in Texas Award Brief — IFLR1000 2024
- David Gail Named “Best Lawyer” in Dallas for Private Equity Award Brief — D Magazine 2019, 2021-2023
- David Gail Named a “Best Lawyer” for Corporate Governance Law and Mergers & Acquisitions Law in Dallas Award Brief — Best Lawyers in America 2024 (Best Lawyers (in America) is by Levine Leichtman Capital Partners)
- David Gail Named Among the Finalists for “Dealmakers of the Year” in North Texas for Mergers and Acquisitions Award Brief — D Magazine 2020
- David Gail Honored with 2019 “M&A Deal of the Year” for Advising on the Sale of Aimbridge Hospitality Holdings, LLC Award Brief — The Texas Lawbook 2019
Latest Thinking
- Weil Private Equity Sponsor Sync - Spring Issue Publication — By Christopher R. Machera, Andrew J. Colao, Jacqueline Oveissi, Arnie Fridhandler, Brittany Butwin, David Griffiths, Alex Paul Cohen, David E. Wohl, Carson Parks, Trey Muldrow, Langdon Neal, Timothy F. Burns, David B. Gail, John P. Barry, Robert Rizzo, Larissa Lucas, Yehudah L. Buchweitz and Zoe Buzinkai — PDF — Spring 2024
- Weil Private Equity Sponsor Sync Publication — By Christopher R. Machera, Arnie Fridhandler, David B. Gail, Olivia J. Greer, Megan A. Granger, Adam C. Hemlock, Katya Dajani and Glenn D. West — PDF — January 2024
Firm News & Announcements
- Weil Advises Graycliff Partners in its Sale of Landmark Structures Deal Brief — December 20, 2024
- Weil Advises PSG in its $175 Million Strategic Growth Investment in Element451, Inc. Deal Brief — December 06, 2024
- Weil Advises PSG and mPulse on Acquisition of Zipari Deal Brief — September 12, 2024
- Weil Advised PSG in Investments in Education Technology Platforms Verity IQ and Campus Ivy Deal Brief — September 09, 2024