Four Decades for Justice
Joseph D. Zavaglia is a generalist corporate lawyer with 20 years of experience advising public and private companies and financial institutions across multiple disciplines, including initial public offerings and other capital markets transactions, corporate governance and other Board of Director matters, public company reporting and other SEC matters, syndicated loan and direct lending transactions as well as other financing arrangements and mergers and acquisitions. Diversity is a hallmark of his practice. Bucking the industry trend towards specialization, Mr. Zavaglia instead maintains a broad‑based corporate practice and advises his clients on their most significant matters—regardless of industry or manner of transaction.
Mr. Zavaglia is Head of Leveraged Finance North America at Cravath and has been repeatedly recognized for his work in the capital markets arena by The Legal 500 US, IFLR1000 and Super Lawyers. Mr. Zavaglia has been described as “among the leading names in the market” with an “excellent reputation” and a “go‑to for all high‑yield issuances.” He has been named a “Next Generation Partner” in both the Commercial Lending and Capital Markets: High‑Yield Debt Offerings categories by The Legal 500 US. Mr. Zavaglia has been named by IFLR1000 as a Market Leader and, in years prior, recognized as both a Leading Lawyer and a Rising Star. He has also been named one of the “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” by Lawdragon and a Metro New York Rising Star by Super Lawyers.
Mr. Zavaglia regularly speaks on topics germane to his practice, including in a mainstage presentation at a TechGC conference.
Mr. Zavaglia was born in Brooklyn, New York. He received a B.B.A. cum laude from the College of Insurance in 2001, and a J.D. summa cum laude from Brooklyn Law School in 2004. At Brooklyn Law School, Mr. Zavaglia was the valedictorian of his graduating class and a member of the Brooklyn Law Review.
Representative leveraged finance and other capital markets transactions include representing:
Symetra Financial in its issuance of $250 million of investment-grade senior notes; and
Mr. Zavaglia has also represented private and public companies in connection with mergers and acquisitions matters, takeover defense and unsolicited transactions.
Representative M&A transactions include representing:
Mr. Zavaglia joined Cravath in 2004 and was elected a partner in 2011.
Mr. Zavaglia is Head of Leveraged Finance North America at Cravath and has been repeatedly recognized for his work in the capital markets arena by The Legal 500 US, IFLR1000 and Super Lawyers. Mr. Zavaglia has been described as “among the leading names in the market” with an “excellent reputation” and a “go‑to for all high‑yield issuances.” He has been named a “Next Generation Partner” in both the Commercial Lending and Capital Markets: High‑Yield Debt Offerings categories by The Legal 500 US. Mr. Zavaglia has been named by IFLR1000 as a Market Leader and, in years prior, recognized as both a Leading Lawyer and a Rising Star. He has also been named one of the “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” by Lawdragon and a Metro New York Rising Star by Super Lawyers.
Mr. Zavaglia regularly speaks on topics germane to his practice, including in a mainstage presentation at a TechGC conference.
Mr. Zavaglia was born in Brooklyn, New York. He received a B.B.A. cum laude from the College of Insurance in 2001, and a J.D. summa cum laude from Brooklyn Law School in 2004. At Brooklyn Law School, Mr. Zavaglia was the valedictorian of his graduating class and a member of the Brooklyn Law Review.
Representative leveraged finance and other capital markets transactions include representing:
Symetra Financial in its issuance of $250 million of investment-grade senior notes; and
Mr. Zavaglia has also represented private and public companies in connection with mergers and acquisitions matters, takeover defense and unsolicited transactions.
Representative M&A transactions include representing:
Mr. Zavaglia joined Cravath in 2004 and was elected a partner in 2011.
IFLR1000
Lawdragon
The Legal 500 US
Super Lawyers
Deals & Cases
February 23, 2024
Cravath represented Rogers Communications Inc. in connection with its $2.5 billion registered senior notes offering. Rogers Communications is one of Canada's largest providers of wireless communication services, including cable television, high‑speed internet and telephone services. The transaction closed on February 9, 2024.
Deals & Cases
February 12, 2024
On February 12, 2024, Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (“Martin Marietta”) announced that on February 11, 2024, it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 20 active aggregates operations in Alabama, South Carolina, South Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia from affiliates of Blue Water Industries LLC (“BWI Southeast”) for $2.05 billion in cash. Additionally, on February 9, 2024, Martin Marietta completed its previously announced divestiture of its South Texas cement and related concrete operations to CRH Americas Materials, Inc., a subsidiary of CRH plc, for $2.1 billion in cash. Cravath is representing Martin Marietta in connection with the transactions.
Deals & Cases
February 05, 2024
Cravath represented Artivion, Inc. in connection with $350 million of credit facilities obtained from Ares Management Credit funds to comprehensively address its debt maturities. Artivion is a medical device company focused on developing simple, elegant solutions that address cardiac and vascular surgeons’ most difficult challenges in treating patients with aortic diseases. The facilities consisted of a $190 million secured term loan facility, a $100 million secured delayed draw term loan facility and a $60 million secured revolving credit facility. The transaction closed on January 18, 2024.
Deals & Cases
January 31, 2024
Cravath represented Forward Air Corporation in connection with $1.525 billion of senior secured credit facilities and $725 million of 144A/Reg. S high‑yield senior secured notes in connection with its acquisition of Omni Logistics. Forward Air Corporation is a leading asset‑light freight and logistics company. The acquisition closed on January 25, 2024.
Deals & Cases
January 24, 2024
Cravath represented the initial purchasers in connection with the $1 billion 144A/Reg. S high‑yield senior secured notes offering of CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc., together with its parent company, Community Health Systems, Inc., is one of the nation’s largest healthcare companies. Cravath also represented the dealer manager in connection with the concurrent $985 million cash tender offer. The high‑yield senior secured notes offering closed on December 22, 2023, and the cash tender offer closed on January 10, 2024.
Activities & Publications
September 23, 2022
Cravath partners Scott Bennett and Joe Zavaglia spoke on separate panels at TechGC’s 2022 IPO Conference, which was held from September 21‑23, 2022, in San Francisco. The annual event brings together GCs and outside experts directly involved in the past year’s tech IPOs to review developments and provide strategic guidance.
Joseph D. Zavaglia is a generalist corporate lawyer with 20 years of experience advising public and private companies and financial institutions across multiple disciplines, including initial public offerings and other capital markets transactions, corporate governance and other Board of Director matters, public company reporting and other SEC matters, syndicated loan and direct lending transactions as well as other financing arrangements and mergers and acquisitions. Diversity is a hallmark of his practice. Bucking the industry trend towards specialization, Mr. Zavaglia instead maintains a broad‑based corporate practice and advises his clients on their most significant matters—regardless of industry or manner of transaction.
Mr. Zavaglia is Head of Leveraged Finance North America at Cravath and has been repeatedly recognized for his work in the capital markets arena by The Legal 500 US, IFLR1000 and Super Lawyers. Mr. Zavaglia has been described as “among the leading names in the market” with an “excellent reputation” and a “go‑to for all high‑yield issuances.” He has been named a “Next Generation Partner” in both the Commercial Lending and Capital Markets: High‑Yield Debt Offerings categories by The Legal 500 US. Mr. Zavaglia has been named by IFLR1000 as a Market Leader and, in years prior, recognized as both a Leading Lawyer and a Rising Star. He has also been named one of the “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” by Lawdragon and a Metro New York Rising Star by Super Lawyers.
Mr. Zavaglia regularly speaks on topics germane to his practice, including in a mainstage presentation at a TechGC conference.
Mr. Zavaglia was born in Brooklyn, New York. He received a B.B.A. cum laude from the College of Insurance in 2001, and a J.D. summa cum laude from Brooklyn Law School in 2004. At Brooklyn Law School, Mr. Zavaglia was the valedictorian of his graduating class and a member of the Brooklyn Law Review.
Representative leveraged finance and other capital markets transactions include representing:
Symetra Financial in its issuance of $250 million of investment-grade senior notes; and
Mr. Zavaglia has also represented private and public companies in connection with mergers and acquisitions matters, takeover defense and unsolicited transactions.
Representative M&A transactions include representing:
Mr. Zavaglia joined Cravath in 2004 and was elected a partner in 2011.
Mr. Zavaglia is Head of Leveraged Finance North America at Cravath and has been repeatedly recognized for his work in the capital markets arena by The Legal 500 US, IFLR1000 and Super Lawyers. Mr. Zavaglia has been described as “among the leading names in the market” with an “excellent reputation” and a “go‑to for all high‑yield issuances.” He has been named a “Next Generation Partner” in both the Commercial Lending and Capital Markets: High‑Yield Debt Offerings categories by The Legal 500 US. Mr. Zavaglia has been named by IFLR1000 as a Market Leader and, in years prior, recognized as both a Leading Lawyer and a Rising Star. He has also been named one of the “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” by Lawdragon and a Metro New York Rising Star by Super Lawyers.
Mr. Zavaglia regularly speaks on topics germane to his practice, including in a mainstage presentation at a TechGC conference.
Mr. Zavaglia was born in Brooklyn, New York. He received a B.B.A. cum laude from the College of Insurance in 2001, and a J.D. summa cum laude from Brooklyn Law School in 2004. At Brooklyn Law School, Mr. Zavaglia was the valedictorian of his graduating class and a member of the Brooklyn Law Review.
Representative leveraged finance and other capital markets transactions include representing:
Symetra Financial in its issuance of $250 million of investment-grade senior notes; and
Mr. Zavaglia has also represented private and public companies in connection with mergers and acquisitions matters, takeover defense and unsolicited transactions.
Representative M&A transactions include representing:
Mr. Zavaglia joined Cravath in 2004 and was elected a partner in 2011.
IFLR1000
Lawdragon
The Legal 500 US
Super Lawyers
Deals & Cases
February 23, 2024
Cravath represented Rogers Communications Inc. in connection with its $2.5 billion registered senior notes offering. Rogers Communications is one of Canada's largest providers of wireless communication services, including cable television, high‑speed internet and telephone services. The transaction closed on February 9, 2024.
Deals & Cases
February 12, 2024
On February 12, 2024, Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (“Martin Marietta”) announced that on February 11, 2024, it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 20 active aggregates operations in Alabama, South Carolina, South Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia from affiliates of Blue Water Industries LLC (“BWI Southeast”) for $2.05 billion in cash. Additionally, on February 9, 2024, Martin Marietta completed its previously announced divestiture of its South Texas cement and related concrete operations to CRH Americas Materials, Inc., a subsidiary of CRH plc, for $2.1 billion in cash. Cravath is representing Martin Marietta in connection with the transactions.
Deals & Cases
February 05, 2024
Cravath represented Artivion, Inc. in connection with $350 million of credit facilities obtained from Ares Management Credit funds to comprehensively address its debt maturities. Artivion is a medical device company focused on developing simple, elegant solutions that address cardiac and vascular surgeons’ most difficult challenges in treating patients with aortic diseases. The facilities consisted of a $190 million secured term loan facility, a $100 million secured delayed draw term loan facility and a $60 million secured revolving credit facility. The transaction closed on January 18, 2024.
Deals & Cases
January 31, 2024
Cravath represented Forward Air Corporation in connection with $1.525 billion of senior secured credit facilities and $725 million of 144A/Reg. S high‑yield senior secured notes in connection with its acquisition of Omni Logistics. Forward Air Corporation is a leading asset‑light freight and logistics company. The acquisition closed on January 25, 2024.
Deals & Cases
January 24, 2024
Cravath represented the initial purchasers in connection with the $1 billion 144A/Reg. S high‑yield senior secured notes offering of CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc., together with its parent company, Community Health Systems, Inc., is one of the nation’s largest healthcare companies. Cravath also represented the dealer manager in connection with the concurrent $985 million cash tender offer. The high‑yield senior secured notes offering closed on December 22, 2023, and the cash tender offer closed on January 10, 2024.
Activities & Publications
September 23, 2022
Cravath partners Scott Bennett and Joe Zavaglia spoke on separate panels at TechGC’s 2022 IPO Conference, which was held from September 21‑23, 2022, in San Francisco. The annual event brings together GCs and outside experts directly involved in the past year’s tech IPOs to review developments and provide strategic guidance.
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