Bio

Howard Spilko is a co-managing partner of Kramer Levin. He counsels and represents clients in mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures, with an emphasis on middle-market transactions. Howard works with a broad range of clients, from private equity firms, hedge funds and entrepreneurial ventures to large, well-known multinational companies. Howard has particular knowledge and experience in the strategic use of representations and warranties insurance in acquisitions and related claims. He helped develop those products more than 20 years ago and advises numerous insurers on the underwriting of these policies, giving him a unique perspective on this practice. Howard was named Dealmaker of the Year at The Deal’s 2020 Middle Market NYC Awards. He was also named one of America’s leading dealmakers by Lawdragon 500 in 2021 and 2022. Both Chambers USA and Legal 500 US have repeatedly recognized Howard as a highly regarded practitioner in mergers and acquisitions and other transactional work, citing clients who describe him as “my go-to lawyer when I need practical, thoughtful advice from someone who knows the marketplace. He is a terrific negotiator and he excels at explaining complicated concepts,” and he is “a counselor in the truest sense. I feel lucky to have him as a partner on our team.” (Chambers USA 2022) Other clients and industry sources say, “Howard combines his precision with practical, commercial advice” (Chambers USA 2022) and that he is “incredibly responsive” and “very easy to work with” (Chambers USA 2021); “a true partner who is able to really drive value through his guidance” (Chambers USA 2020); able “to digest and advise on complicated topics in a creative, measured and commercial manner” (Chambers USA 2018); “a shrewd negotiator with an ability to make complicated problems straightforward” whose “combination of knowing the legal skills, demeanor, style and tone is fantastic” (Chambers USA 2017); and “excellent” and “a consistent, steady hand in negotiations” (Chambers USA 2016). Further, he’s considered a “strategic ally to clients; his willingness to go the extra mile is well known, and his low-key style belies his shrewdness as a negotiator” (Legal 500 US 2014). He has been commended over the years for his ability to “unlock hidden value in a deal, and steer transactions to successful closings with grace” and “bring both sides together in a difficult transactional environment,” and he has been described as an “entrepreneurial” and “accomplished” lawyer who has “great skills and is highly practical” and a “great draftsman and a great problem-solver” who “produces fair-priced, impeccable legal work.” Legal 500 US also noted his “particular knowledge of the strategic use of representations and warranties insurance during acquisitions” (Legal 500 US 2016), and Global M&A Network named him to its Top 50 Americas M&A Dealmakers and M&A Star Dealmakers lists in 2014. Among his most notable work, Howard has represented Stone Point Capital and its Trident funds in numerous acquisitions, dispositions and joint ventures. In addition to his work on behalf of clients, Howard is a member of the board of directors of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, New York City chapter. He also serves as a member of Kramer Levin’s Executive Committee and Planning Committee.