Publications

March 2007 (Revised September 2019)
Case

Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd.: An IPO in India

By: Felda Hardymon, Joshua Lerner and Ann Leamon

The executives of Motilal Oswal Financial Services, Ltd., one of the largest brokerages in India, are considering an IPO on the Indian markets. The company recently received a small private equity investment from two global private equity firms, which it has not yet... View Details

Keywords: Private Equity; Initial Public Offering; Investment; Emerging Markets; Financial Services Industry; India

Career Coach

Guntas Singh

Guntas enjoys helping students explore Private Equity careers, leveraging his advisory and investing experience across North America, Europe, and the Middle East. With a background in Investment Banking and... View Details

Career Coach

Kaushal Mehta

Kaushal enjoys helping students explore opportunities available to students in the US Private Equity and Hedge Funds space. Having worked across Private View Details

August 2012
Case

Messer Griesheim (A) (Abridged)

By: Josh Lerner, Eva Lutz and Kerry Herman

In 2001, Allianz Capital Partners and Goldman Sachs acquired a majority stake in Messer Griesheim, a European industrial gas concern held by Hoechst. The dealmakers faced several challenges, including delicate corporate governance issues due to partial family... View Details

Keywords: Germany; Energy; Private Equity; Venture Capital; Energy Industry; European Union

December 2004 (Revised May 2006)
Case

Pacific Salmon Company, Inc.

By: Nabil N. El-Hage, Kenneth A. Froot and Christopher Edward James Payton

RRR, a $1 billion private equity fund, is trying to decide how much to bid for Pacific Salmon Inc. and how to finance the acquisition. View Details

Keywords: Food; Bids; Private Equity; Decision Making; Financing and Loans; Bids and Bidding; Acquisition; Corporate Finance; Financial Services Industry

August 2007
Case

The Battle Of Union Square

Union Square Ventures, a Private Equity firm founded in 2003, filed a trademark infringement suit against Union Square Partners, another private equity firm founded in November 2006. Examines the possible impact that public litigation will have on the two firms. The... View Details

Keywords: Private Equity; Investment; Trademarks; Lawsuits and Litigation; Conflict Management; Reputation; Financial Services Industry

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Career Coach

Zoe Sun

Zoe wants to help students, particularly international students who require visa sponsorship, understand opportunities available in the private equity industry and in finance industry more broadly. Having... View Details

December 2015 (Revised February 2017)
Case

Unigrains

By: David E. Bell and Natalie Kindred

Unigrains is a French agribusiness-focused private equity firm that has provided specialized financing to France's agribusiness sector for decades and, as a result, cultivated a strong reputation and relationships in that space. Now that the broader investment... View Details

Keywords: Change Management; Private Equity; Competitive Advantage; Agribusiness; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; France

Career Coach

Rahi Patel

Rahi’s pre-MBA professional journey has provided him with invaluable experiences in the investment banking and private equity industries. He enjoys advising students interested in finance and consulting, or... View Details

December 2010
Compilation

VCPE Strategy Vignettes II

By: Josh Lerner, G. Felda Hardymon, Matthew Rhodes-Kropf, Ann Leamon and Lisa Strope

These three vignettes present various issues around the strategy and management of venture capital and private equity firms. In one, a senior partner must decide how to manage an over-extended colleague and how to reduce the risk of the firm's portfolio; the second... View Details

Keywords: Venture Capital; Private Equity; Cost vs Benefits; Insolvency and Bankruptcy; Investment Portfolio; Ownership; Partners and Partnerships; Risk Management; Stocks; Problems and Challenges; United States

May 2022
Case

Grupo Big Exit: Options for Advent and Walmart

By: Victoria Ivashina, Ruth Costas and Pedro Levindo

After conducting an impressive turnaround in Walmart’s subsidiary in Brazil, Private Equity firm Advent International has to decide how to exit this investment: through an IPO or selling the business to Carrefour. View Details

Keywords: Turnaround; Divestiture; Finance; Strategy; Private Equity; Brazil; Latin America

February 2006 (Revised January 2007)
Case

ABRY Partners, LLC: WideOpenWest

By: Josh Lerner and Smart Darren

ABRY, a Boston-based private equity group, is considering whether to terminate its investment in WideOpenWest or to try to salvage the transaction by acquiring a division of telecommunications unit Ameritech. View Details

Keywords: Private Equity; Investment Portfolio; Problems and Challenges; Financial Services Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Boston

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April 2023 (Revised January 2024)
Background Note

Note on Healthcare in Ghana

By: Regina E. Herzlinger and Ben Creo

This note provides an overview of the healthcare system in Ghana. It discusses the public and private sector as well as traditional medical practice. It also discusses the country’s pharmaceutical industry. It is recommended as a companion to Professor Regina... View Details

Keywords: Africa; Pharmaceutical Companies; Pharmacy Benefit Manager; Health Care; Health Care Costs; Health Care Delivery; Health Care Entrepreneurship; Telehealth; Health Equity; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Health Care and Treatment; Business and Government Relations; Health Industry; Pharmaceutical Industry; Ghana

November 2006 (Revised December 2011)
Case

HCA, Inc. (A)

By: Richard S. Ruback

Focuses on the buyout of HCA by three private equity firms: Bain Capital, KKR, and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity. It provides an opportunity to discuss a variety of issues related to leveraged buyouts including the process, the role of private equity, the... View Details

Keywords: Leveraged Buyouts; Private Equity; Investment; Business and Shareholder Relations; Conflict and Resolution; Valuation

29 May 2013
Research & Ideas

Faculty Symposium Showcases Breadth of Research

going on at the School. This year the presentation topics included the human tendency toward dishonesty, the use of crowdsourcing to solve major scientific problems, and the impact of private equity... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel; Financial Services

Career Coach

Jonathan Lee

internships (and externships) in real estate and private equity. He serves as co-president of the HBS Real Estate Club. Employment Experience: United States Army, Blackstone (Internship), QHP Capital (Internship), Sky Harbour Group... View Details

December 1995 (Revised December 1995)
Case

Yale University Investments Office

By: Josh Lerner and Jay O. Light

Yale University's investment office was responsible for managing its endowment, which totaled nearly $4 billion in June 1995. Yale had developed a rather different approach to endowment management, including substantial investments in "less efficient" equity markets... View Details

Keywords: Assets; Private Equity; Investment; Investment Return; Management; Markets; Strategy; Education Industry

Career Coach

Kaitlin Hearn

capital, private equity, consulting, and investment banking). She has a specific interest in the Health & Wellness sector, but has worked across a wide variety of industries (including, beauty, insurance, public sector, and business... View Details

February 2017 (Revised February 2018)
Case

Frank Baker: Siris Capital Group and Titan Systems

By: Steven Rogers and Derrick Collins

Private equity firm, Siris Capital Group, must decide if they should raise their offer to take Titan Telecom private by acquiring its publicly traded stock. Siris’ decision to pay a premium for Titan must be made in the context of their unique (and somewhat complex)... View Details

Keywords: Acquisition; Leveraged Buyouts; Mergers and Acquisitions; Private Equity; Mobile Technology; Financial Services Industry; Communications Industry; Telecommunications Industry; United States