Michael L. Newquist
Partner, Attorney at Troutman Pepper Locke LLP
About
Michael L. Newquist counsels buyers at private equity firms and family offices on mergers and leveraged buyouts. He represents their portfolio companies and large corporate acquirers. He has represented clients in manufacturing, business services, and technology. He is a partner at Troutman Pepper Locke in Providence. Michael earned his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law and holds a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis. His earlier career as a business executive shapes how he reads a company's operations, and a number of companies owned by private equity funds rely on him as their outside general counsel. For those sponsors he also handles growth equity financings and restructurings.
Who is a good fit for Michael L. Newquist
- Private equity firms pursuing a leveraged buyout or growth equity financing.
- Family offices buying a company through a merger or acquisition.
- Large corporate acquirers pursuing a merger with another company.
- Portfolio companies of a private equity fund pursuing a growth equity financing.
Education and admissions
- Education
- Saint Louis University School of Law, J.D.
- Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, B.A.
- Bar admissions
- Rhode Island
Recognition
- Legal 500 United States: M&A/Corporate and Commercial: Private Equity Buyouts: Middle-Market (Up to $500M) (2026)
- Chambers USA, Corporate/Commercial, Rhode Island (2025-2026)
- Best Lawyers in America®, Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2025-2027)
- Best Lawyers in America®: “Lawyer of the Year,” Providence, Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2027)
- Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch, Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2024)
Specialties
Representative matters
As described on the firm’s website.
- Represented a private equity fund in a complex simultaneous acquisition of two separate manufacturers of industrial vacuum pumps and compressors, one of which was headquartered in the U.S. and the other in Germany. Representation included the formation and funding of an investment vehicle and the combination and reorganization of numerous foreign operations and entities.
- Represented an international manufacturing firm based in the UK in its complex asset purchase of the fabrications operation business of the military aircraft manufacturing division of a major U.S.-based defense contractor. Representation involved the resolution of complex transition, labor, and integration issues.
Deal profile
- Typical deal size
- Any deal size
- Remote work
- In-person / regional