Introduction

With over 35 years of experience as a business and transaction lawyer, John serves as outside general counsel to a diverse base of mid-market private companies and as lead counsel on private equity and other financing and M&A transactions. He advises corporate boards, management, business owners, and investors on start-up and organizational matters, M&A transactions, finance, securities compliance, shareholder agreements, buy-outs, and a variety of joint venture and other commercial transactions. He is a past chair of the Firm’s Corporate Department, served as the Firm’s President from 1997 through 2002, and was Chair of the Firm’s Board of Directors through 2010. He is a featured speaker on venture capital, private equity, and corporate finance topics.

Education

• Harvard Law School, J.D., cum laude, 1975
• Harvard University, Ph.D., 1977
• University of Virginia, B.A., summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1968

Bar Admissions

• Minnesota

Practice Areas

• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Corporate
• Bank & Finance
• Securities
• Emerging Business
• Tax Planning and Business Organization
• Private Equity & Venture Capital
• Commercial Law
• Public Companies

Professional Activities

• Minnesota State Bar Association
• Hennepin County Bar Association
• MinnPost.com, Director

Honors & Distinctions

• Board Chair, Twin Cities Diversity in Practice, 2009-2010
• Belwin Foundation Board of Directors
• Institute for New Americans Board of Directors
• Super Lawyer, Minnesota Law & Politics
• Ranked in Chambers USA; America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
• U.S. Army, 1968-1970