Peter M. Howard has practiced corporate law since 1984. His broad experience includes general business counseling, corporate transactions, and private equity fund formation. He has represented business owners and companies in a variety of industries, advising them on a wide range of legal issues, including in connection with acquisitions and other major corporate transactions, banking arrangements, shareholder arrangements, employment and employee incentive agreements, leases, contracts for the purchase or provision of goods and services, regulatory compliance, licensing, risk management, and litigation management. In recent years, Mr. Howard has developed a subspecialty in the representation of architectural and engineering services companies, including advising such companies in connection with contracts for the provision of professional services, acquisitions and professional licensing matters.
Acquisitions. Mr. Howard has represented financial and strategic buyers and sellers in business acquisitions and sales in a broad variety of manufacturing and services industries. These transactions have included public and private transactions, cross-border transactions, privatizations, highly leveraged transactions and roll-ups.
Financings. Mr. Howard has represented companies and financing sources in a variety of financing transactions, including equity, subordinated debt and senior loan financings. These transactions have included majority and minority equity investments and related shareholder arrangements, multi-round venture capital financings, and multi-layer debt financings and related inter-creditor agreements.
Private Equity. Mr. Howard has represented fund sponsors in the formation of private equity funds, and private equity funds in the subsequent deployment of capital. Mr. Howard was an early participant in efforts to increase the representation of minorities and women in the private equity industry, and assisted in the formation of several private equity funds controlled by minorities and women and/or focused on investing in minority and women owned companies.
General Counsel Services. Mr. Howard has served as general counsel to a number of private companies, advising them on a broad range of legal issues, including contracting, employment and regulatory compliance matters.
International. Mr. Howard's corporate practice includes substantial international experience. He has represented both US and foreign companies in cross-border acquisitions. Mr. Howard has represented US companies in connection with the formation of entities in Brazil, Colombia, Haiti, Mexico and Peru, has reviewed and/or negotiated contractual arrangements in those and other foreign jurisdictions, and has been involved in tax structuring of international transactions. During 1991, Mr. Howard resided in Warsaw, Poland, and advised both The Republic of Poland and foreign investors in connection with privatization transactions.
Architecture and Engineering. For many years, Mr. Howard has served as general counsel to an international architectural and engineering services firm. In that capacity, he has represented the firm in connection with a variety of contractual arrangements for the provision of architectural and engineering services, including professional services agreements and subconsultant agreements, and more complex arrangements including design-build, consortia and other multi-party arrangements, including P3 projects.
Admissions
- Illinois
Memberships, Civic and Charitable
- American Bar Association
Education
- J.D., Yale Law School, 1984
- B.A., Antioch College, 1981