Publications

December 1990 (Revised February 2000)
Supplement

Wisconsin Central Ltd. Railroad and Berkshire Partners, Video

By: Michael C. Jensen and Brian Barry

Edward Burkhardt, president and CEO of Wisconsin Central, and Carl Freebback, general partner of Berkshire Partners, engage in a question and answer session with the students. View Details

Keywords: Financial Management; Governing and Advisory Boards; Leveraged Buyouts; Financial Condition; Financing and Loans; Corporate Finance; Rail Industry

01 Jan 2002
News

Orin C. Smith (MBA '67)

$3.2 billion. At the helm throughout this dizzying period of expansion have been Howard Schultz, who led a buyout of the original company in 1987, and his longtime colleague Orin Smith, a soft-spoken native of Washington State. "I don't... View Details

15 Nov 2001
Research & Ideas

Five Questions for Paul Gompers and Josh Lerner

the venture capitalist will increasingly become a team player, coordinating the firm's resources to help portfolio firms. Q: What are the opportunities and challenges for international venture capital efforts? A: For its first fifty years, venture capital (as opposed... View Details

Keywords: by Carol Elsen; Financial Services

May 1983 (Revised May 2015)
Case

The Carlton Polish Company

By: William A. Sahlman

Students are asked to determine the fair market value of Carlton Polish Co. and decide if Mr. Carlton should buy out his partner's half for $25 million. Carlton's alternative is to sell his half for $25 million. Students must also evaluate a financing plan. View Details

Keywords: Value; Financing and Loans; Partners and Partnerships; Leveraged Buyouts; Fair Value Accounting

09 Jul 2019
News

The Road to Impact

the 2008 financial crisis, it became clear that the organization’s revenue would be in decline. In response, NYPL reduced its head count from around 2,400 people to 1,750 over the course of five years, without any layoffs, through attrition and retirement View Details

Keywords: Lisa Scanlon Mogolov; Educational Support Services; Educational Services; Ambulatory Health Care Services; Health, Social Assistance

26 Oct 2017
News

Can Farming Save the Planet?

the world of finance. He became one of the people brought in after leveraged buyouts to save failing companies. During Wiviott’s time as COO for one of those companies, Quality Trailer Products, he doubled the annual sales to $50 million... View Details

Keywords: Constantine von Hoffman; Organic farming; Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry; Agriculture

20 Aug 2012
Research & Ideas

The Acquirers

M&A research examined topics such as how structured credit impacted the buyout boom and bidding strategies of private equity firms, little focus had been placed on the competition between acquiring companies themselves. In earlier... View Details

Keywords: by Kim Girard; Financial Services

June 2007 (Revised November 2008)
Case

Nordic Telephone Company's Bid for TDC

Nordic Telephone Company, formed by a consortium of private equity firms, has made a public tender offer for Denmark's leading telecommunications company, TDC. TDC's board of directors approved the take-private transaction, and 88% of shareholders have accepted the... View Details

Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Communication Technology; Decision Choices and Conditions; Negotiation Offer; Privatization; Telecommunications Industry; Denmark

April 1991 (Revised July 1991)
Supplement

RJR Nabisco Board: Guardians of the Gate? (B)

By: Jay W. Lorsch

The special committee of the RJR Nabisco board has extended the bidding deadline for the company by 10 days. The case explains the process by which Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and the management group bid against one another for ownership of RJR Nabisco. The board of... View Details

Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Situation or Environment; Bids and Bidding; Decision Making; Managerial Roles; Governing and Advisory Boards; Management Teams; Consumer Products Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

July 2008
Teaching Note

Yale University Investments Office: August 2006 (TN)

By: Josh Lerner and Ann Leamon

Teaching Note for [807073]. View Details

Keywords: Investment Funds; Strategy; Cost vs Benefits; Resource Allocation; Decision Choices and Conditions; Venture Capital; Assets; Leveraged Buyouts

February 2004 (Revised September 2006)
Case

Apax Partners and Xerium S.A.

By: Josh Lerner, G. Felda Hardymon and Ann Leamon

In 2002, Apax Partners had to decide whether to accept a less-than-perfect offer for one of its portfolio companies or to refinance it. This company, a maker of paper industry consumables with a global presence, had been purchased in 1999 and performed extremely well... View Details

Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Globalized Markets and Industries; Business Exit or Shutdown; Borrowing and Debt; Investment; Cash Flow; Pulp and Paper Industry

06 Feb 2023
Blog Post

Meet the Black Investment Club

co-founded a Southern-Africa focused VC firm, Zenga Ventures. At HBS, Akapelwa is able to share his experience both as an entrepreneur and as an investor. Over the course of his career to date, Akapelwa has participated in closed leveraged View Details

Keywords: Private Equity; Venture Capital; Investment Management / Hedge Fund

August 1996 (Revised December 1999)
Case

J Boats, Inc.

By: Robert L. Simons

During the 20-year evolution of a family-owned, entrepreneurial sailboat company, two founders leverage their design and marketing skills to build one of the most recognized brands in the recreational boating industry. The founder then considers management succession... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship; Family Business; Risk Management; Financial Management; Leveraged Buyouts; Brands and Branding; Competitive Strategy; Capital Markets; Valuation; Shipping Industry; Transportation Industry

11 Jul 2006
First Look

First Look: July 11, 2006

and, eventually, through its decision to execute a management buyout to exit the public market. Explored at the corporate level is the tension between Edison's effort to generate profits and achieve excellent educational outcomes. Brief... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

April 1991 (Revised July 1991)
Case

RJR Nabisco Board: Guardians of the Gate? (A)

By: Jay W. Lorsch

Charles Hugel, the chairman of RJR Nabisco, receives a call from RJR Nabisco's CEO, Ross Johnson; Johnson plans to present an LBO plan to the board of directors at the board meeting the following week. The case details Hugel's actions as chairman, and describes the... View Details

Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Situation or Environment; Bids and Bidding; Decision Making; Managerial Roles; Governing and Advisory Boards; Management Teams; Consumer Products Industry; Food and Beverage Industry

03 Feb 2009
First Look

First Look: February 3, 2009

forthcoming Abstract In this essay, we review the key features of the literature on innovation and organizational structure. We highlight the key areas where work has been undertaken, as well as the limitations of the literature to date. The Performance of Reverse... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

20 Nov 2007
First Look

First Look: November 20, 2007

Burton had to assess the plans from a global perspective. Purchase this case: http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/b01/en/common/item_detail.jhtml?id=508009 The Hertz Corporation (A) Harvard Business School Case 208-030 Examines the leveraged View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

01 Sep 2005
News

Making History, Starting Over

“it was extremely difficult to make a profit on early-stage investments,” says Cohen. In 1989, he opted for a “balanced” strategy, adding corporate buyouts to the firm’s early-stage investments. It’s a strategy that distinguishes Apax... View Details

Keywords: Roger Thompson; Finance

July 1996 (Revised January 1997)
Case

Northwest Airlines: Brush with Bankruptcy (A)--November 1992

By: Leonard A. Schlesinger and Davis Dyer

Deals with Northwest's financial crisis between the fall of 1992 and the following spring. Northwest's leaders face the problem of how to meet an impending $600 million payment on the 1989 LBO loan when the airline had run out of cash. Concludes by outlining options... View Details

Keywords: Air Transportation; Restructuring; Leveraged Buyouts; Crisis Management; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Financial Strategy; Financial Crisis; Air Transportation Industry; United States