SIMONE COLLINS, PARTNER

Simone Collins is a partner of Sklar Kirsh LLP in the Corporate Department. Simone’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and other complex investment and strategic business transactions.  Simone has extensive experience advising private companies, private equity firms and their portfolio companies, business owners and investors with the structuring and negotiation of domestic and cross-border transactions, including stock and asset acquisitions and dispositions, leveraged buyouts, strategic add-ons, debt and equity financings, and other general corporate and business matters.  Simone also has experience representing start-up entities, founders and entrepreneurs with entity formation, early stage financing rounds and exit planning.  She has represented clients in a broad array of industries, including media and entertainment, technology, retail and consumer products, professional services, hospitality/restaurants, and manufacturing and industrials.

Prior to joining Sklar Kirsh LLP, Simone was an associate in the Corporate/M&A Group of Latham & Watkins LLP in Los Angeles. From 2012 to 2014, Simone was an associate in the Private Equity/M&A Group of Jones Day LP in Chicago.  Prior to attending law school, Simone worked as a financial advisor in the corporate restructuring and recovery department of a global consulting firm.

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, and raised in New Jersey, Simone earned her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, where she was a member of, and published author in, the Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business, and a winner of the Arlyn Miner Book Award for excellence in legal writing. Simone earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance, cum laude, from the University of Maryland. While at Maryland, Simone was a member of the Division I women’s soccer team, earning All-ACC Academic Team Honors and First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District Honors. Simone also received the University of Maryland Scholar Athlete Award for athletic and academic excellence.

Simone has been recognized as a Super Lawyers Southern California Rising Star from 2018-2022. She was also nominated for the 2021 Inspirational Women Forum and Awards by Los Angeles Times B2B Publishing.

Simone is a member of the Los Angeles chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG). She is a Board Member of the Women of ACG-LA, and she was selected by ACG as a Rising Star for 2016/2017. Simone is also a member of the Los Angeles Development Council for the U.S. Soccer Federation.