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Lee Meyerson is a senior corporate partner specializing in mergers and acquisitions and in capital markets transactions for financial institutions. Mr. Meyerson, who is head of the firm’s financial institutions practice and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, has participated in many of the largest U.S. financial services mergers of the past decade, including representing JPMorgan Chase & Co. in its $58 billion merger with Bank One Corporation, Mellon Financial in its $16.8 billion merger with The Bank of New York and The Toronto-Dominion Bank in its $8.5 billion acquisition of Commerce Bancorp. Most recently, he represented the U.S. Treasury in connection with structuring and documenting its $250 billion program for purchasing equity in U.S. financial institutions under the TARP. His transactions over the past several years also include representing Wachovia in its $6.8 billion acquisition of A.G. Edwards, UBS in its $2.5 billion acquisition of Banco Pactual (Brazil’s leading independent investment bank), The Toronto-Dominion Bank in its $3.2 billion going-private acquisition of its subsidiary, TD Banknorth, and Washington Mutual in the sale of its mutual fund business ($740 million). In addition, he has participated in the most significant private equity investments in the banking industry over the past several years, including representing Washington Mutual in its $7.2 billion equity issuance to TPG and other investors, representing the lead private equity investor in National City’s $7 billion equity issuance, representing Carlyle Partners in its 24.9% investment in Boston Private Financial, and representing the private equity and other investors in the precedent-setting acquisition of Doral Financial ($610 million). Recently, he represented investors in the FDIC-assisted acquisitions of IndyMac and BankUnited.
During 2005 his M&A transactions included representing Washington Mutual in its $6.6 billion acquisition of Providian Financial, The Toronto-Dominion Bank in both the sale of its Waterhouse subsidiary to Ameritrade ($3 billion) and its $3.8 billion acquisition of a majority interest in Banknorth, Federated Department Stores in the sale of its credit card portfolio to Citigroup ($7.4 billion), Independence Community Bank Corp. in its sale to Sovereign Bancorp ($3.6 billion) and JPMorgan Chase in the sale of its discount broker subsidiary, Brown & Co., to E*Trade for $1.6 billion. Other M&A representations in recent years include Washington Mutual in the sale of its consumer finance group to Citigroup ($1.25 billion) and its earlier acquisition of Dime Bancorp ($5.2 billion); Wachovia Corporation in its innovative securities brokerage joint venture with Prudential ($1 billion) and legacy Wachovia’s merger with First Union Corporation ($14.7 billion) and concurrent defense against the hostile takeover bid by SunTrust Banks; the consortium purchase of bond insurer Financial Guaranty Insurance Corp. from GE Capital ($2.2 billion); Chase Manhattan’s acquisitions of J.P. Morgan & Co. ($34 billion) and Hambrecht & Quist ($1.35 billion), as well as its purchase of Providian’s $8 billion portfolio of platinum and other credit cards; the acquisition by BNP Paribas of the publicly held shares of BancWest Corporation ($2.49 billion); and the acquisition by Independence Community Bank of Staten Island Bancorp ($1.5 billion). Earlier transactions include the merger of CoreStates Financial Corp. with First Union Corp. ($17 billion), Washington Mutual’s “white knight” acquisition of Great Western Financial Corp. ($10 billion), and Chemical Bank’s acquisition of The Chase Manhattan Corporation ($10 billion).
Mr. Meyerson’s capital markets practice includes IPOs and a broad range of debt, equity and hybrid capital securities offerings for banks, thrifts, insurance companies and other financial services companies. He participated in most of the major U.S. bank stock offerings of 2008, including representing Wachovia and JPMorgan in their respective $8 billion and $6 billion stock offerings and representing the underwriters in Sovereign Bancorp’s $1.89 billion offering of common stock and subordinated bank notes and First Horizon’s $690 million offering of common stock. In December 2007, he represented Washington Mutual in its $3 billion offering of convertible preferred shares and the underwriters in Sallie Mae’s $2.9 billion offering of common shares and mandatory convertible preferred stock. Earlier transactions included representing CIBC in the innovative monetization of its $369 million equity stake in Global Payments Inc. through a series of hedged collar transactions and underwritten share offering and representing the underwriters in Hudson City Bancorp’s $3.93 billion second-step conversion and common stock offering, which was at the time the largest public stock offering in the history of the U.S. banking industry.
Mr. Meyerson has been ranked as one of the leading M&A and banking lawyers in the United States in a number of recent surveys, including The American Lawyer, which selected him as one of its "Dealmakers of the Year" for both 2008 (no. 4) and 2005, Chambers’ USA 2008 Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (Financial Institutions M&A – Band 1; Financial Services Regulation – Band 2; Corporate/M&A – Band 4), Who’s Who Legal (Banking 2008), The Best Lawyers in America (2009), Practical Law Company Yearbook 2008 ("Highly Recommended Individual"), BTI’s 2008 Client Service All-Star Team for Corporate Transactions, Euromoney’s Guide to the World’s Leading Banking Lawyers (2003), World’s Leading Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyers (2004) and Best of the Best series (2004), Practical Law Company’s Mergers and Acquisitions Handbook (2004/5), Global Counsel 3000, Bank Director Magazine (3rd Quarter 2002), and the International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers (Banking 2005). He is a frequent speaker and author on issues concerning the financial services industry.
Mr. Meyerson joined Simpson Thacher in 1981 and became a partner in 1989. He received his A.B. magna cum laude in 1977 from Duke University and his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1981 where he was Editor of the New York University Law Review.
Speaking Engagements
- Co-Chair of PLI's "Banking Law Institute 2009: Stabilizing the Financial Services System"
April 17, 2009
- Northwestern Law School 29th Garrett Corporate and Securities Law Institute, "Developments in the Capital Markets following the Financial Crisis"
April 30, 2009
- NYU Law School, "The Meltdown of 2008: Causes, Cures and Consequences"
April 4, 2009
- American Constitution Society/Columbia Law School, "Financial Regulation, Corporate Governance and Securities Litigation: What Does the Future Hold?"
February 17, 2009
- Penn State 5th Annual Institute on Corporate, Securities and Related Aspects of Mergers and Acquisitions, "Acquisitions in the Financial Services Industry"
September 25, 2008
Honors/Associations
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Association of the Bar of the City of New York |
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Publications
Admissions
Education
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New York University School of Law, 1981 J.D.
New York University Law Review, Editor |
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Duke University, 1977 A.B.
Magna Cum Laude |
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