David S. Cole

David Cole is a partner with Holland & Knight’s corporate and securities groups. He assists public and private companies to complete domestic and overseas merger, acquisition and divestiture transactions; raise equity and debt capital in public and private securities offerings; and obtain financing through private equity and venture capital investments. Mr. Cole also assists funds to acquire and divest portfolio companies, and he represents borrowers and lenders in connection with senior credit facilities and other debt financing. Mr. Cole has closed more than $2 billion worth of debt capital and other securities offerings.

Mr. Cole also leads the firm's Korea practice. Mr. Cole has helped companies acquire and sell businesses in the government contractor, information technology, electronics, SaaS, automotive, clean-tech, renewable energy, chemical, retail and media industries; conducted public offerings for financial services, technology, and energy companies, government contractors, real estate investment trusts (REITs), natural resource extractors and manufacturers; and represented lead arrangers of syndicated credit facilities and borrowers in the same industries. He previously acted as in-house counsel for the NHL's Buffalo Sabres.

Representative Transactions

• Joby Aviation Inc. (NYSE: JOBY): $200 million strategic alliance and private investment in public equity (PIPE) in leading electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft manufacturer by Delta Airlines (NYSE: DAL)
• Amergint Technologies Inc.: Acquisition of electro-optical space solutions business from Raytheon Technologies Corp. (NYSE: RTX)
• Tracepoint LLC: Strategic investment in leading global cybersecurity, digital forensics and incident response company by Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH)
• Dynetics Inc.: $1.65 billion sale to Leidos Holdings Inc. (NYSE: LDOS), strategic board advice and corporate governance
• Raymond James & Associates Inc.: Underwriter and financial advisor representation in Veritas Capital and Elliott Investment Management's $2.8 billion acquisition of Cubic Corp. (NYSE: CUB)
• HighTide Therapeutics Inc. (HKEX: 2511) HK$278 million initial public offering (IPO) and listing on Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX)
• Diné Development Corp.: Acquisition of Spin Systems Inc., a leading architect of big data solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and intelligence communities
• Blackstone: Sale of BRE Grand Islander to Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. (NYSE: HGV)
• Alion Science and Technology Corp.: $630 million Form S-1 registered exchange offer, first- and second-lien term loan agreements and revolving credit agreement
• Alion Science and Technology Corp.: $310 million 144A high yield senior secured notes and warrants offering, new senior secured revolving credit facility, discharge of existing senior debt and redemption of junior subordinated notes and warrants
• Alion Science and Technology Corp.: Form S-4 registered exchange offer for high yield notes and warrants
• Alion Science and Technology Corp.: $250 million 144A high yield unsecured notes offering coupled with an Exxon-Capital Exchange offer registered on Form S-4
• Emergent Capital Inc.: Form S-1 resale registration statement for $79 million senior unsecured convertible notes due 2023, Schedule TO offer to exchange $75 million senior unsecured notes due 2019 and 40 million common share rights offering
• JP Morgan: Senior secured revolving credit agreement and tender offer for common stock of Rand Worldwide Inc.
• JP Morgan: Senior secured revolving credit facility for software outsourcing company
• NOVA Infrastructure Fund: Private equity senior secured lending and equity investment in Bold Ocean LLC, a leading U.S.-flagged vessel operator for U.S. defense and intelligence agencies
• Audi AG: Multimillion-dollar early stage investment and joint venture in Massachusetts-based helioculture biofuels company
• Audi AG: Lead strategic investment in mobility service provider
• Volkswagen Group of America Inc: Launch outsourcing of on-demand rental car business
• Computer Sciences Corp. (NYSE; CSC): Acquisition of Fruition Partners, a software as a service (SaaS) market leader
• The KEYW Holding Corp. (NASDAQ; KEYW): $135 million term loan and revolving credit facility and $100 million underwritten secondary offering registered on Form S-3
• STG Group Inc. (NASDAQ: STGG): SPAC acquisition by Global Defense & National Security Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: GDEF) and acquisition finance via $87.75 million term loan and $15 million ABL revolver
• Phacil Inc.: Sale to By-Light Professional IT Services, a portfolio company of Sagewind Capital
• Phacil Inc.: $33.5 million senior secured credit facility arranged by JP Morgan
• Fulcrum IT Services: Multitranche acquisition finance term loan and revolving credit facility underwritten by Citizens Bank 
• Iron Bow Technologies: Rule 14E issuer self-tender offer
• Iron Bow Technologies: Leveraged buyout (LBO) acquisition of leading technology reseller
• Sotera Defense Solutions Inc.: Tax-free internal reorganization
• Sotera Defense Solutions Inc.: Sale of engineered solutions government contracting business
• Bridgestone: Tax-free reorganization
• XeDAR (XDRC): Sale via public company merger with IHS, Inc. (NYSE, IHS)
• XeDAR: Sale of DOD government contractor to FedCap Partners
• Sale of privately held government contractor to Florida-based private equity firm
• Syndicated $500 million first-lien term loan and revolving credit facility and $120 million second-lien term loan to recapitalize manufacturer and provide levered dividend to New England private equity fund
• Oxford Risk Management: 50 state private placement for novel offshore group captive insurance structure
• Underwriter representation in IPO in Canada, equity 144A offering in the U.S., and multijurisdictional private placement of common shares of satellite integrator involving roll-up of two U.S.-based integrators and IT government contractors
• IPO on Form S-11 of an American Stock Exchange (AMEX)-listed real estate investment trust (REIT) and follow-on senior credit facility
• Exchange offer for 144A high-yield notes and reorganization of principal cable operator in Poland
• Multijurisdictional public offering of common stock and convertible notes of AMEX- and Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX)-listed foreign private issuer using accelerated SEC registration on Form F-10
• Senior credit facility for multicity home health care institution
• Issue of two tranches of bonds for Korean thin-film LCD manufacturer to finance partnership with large Korean television manufacturer
• Tender offer takeover attempt of New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)-listed thrift
• Strategic alliance and investment in a micro-organism based biodiesel manufacturer
• Private placement of debt, stock and warrants for cleantech company operating in Brazil and U.S.
• Private placement for volumetric radiology centers
• Private placement for medical device manufacturer relating to dermal imaging
• Sale of intelligence government contractor to multinational defense contractor
• Acquisition of common stock of a coal-fired power plant in the Philippines by Korean power company via competitive auction
• Acquisition of hospitality institution in Dubai
• Acquisition by Italian coffee company of one of North America's oldest ground coffee labels
• Private equity sponsor investment in an IPO and senior credit facility for Canadian mining company
• Private equity investment in pharmaceutical company
• Multiple divestitures of German specialized chemical businesses
• Acquisition of computer hardware manufacturer by London Stock Exchange (LSE)-listed company
• Acquisition by German manufacturer of U.S. market leader in battery labels
• Acquisition of leading Hollywood computer-generated animation and special effects movie studio
• Tax-free internal reorganization for pharmaceutical company
• Application for U.S. federal loan guarantee by publicly traded poultry company

In the community, Mr. Cole is a board member for the Chesapeake Crescent Initiative and serves as a coach to a travel youth hockey team in Rockville, Md.