Benjamin G. Lombard is a shareholder in the firm's Business Law Practice. Ben provides practical advice and counsel to business clients, including financial organizations, ranging from smaller privately held concerns to large public companies. He represents issuers and underwriters in public offerings and advises public companies including Boards of Directors and committees, in areas of SEC compliance, corporate governance and executive compensation. Ben's practice also focuses on mergers and acquisitions, proxy contests, going private transactions, private placements and venture capital and other financing arrangements. Ben also frequently speaks to audiences of in-house counsel, corporate executives and tax professionals on topics, including the challenges of complying with Sarbanes-Oxley requirements and best practices for corporate governance.  

Representative Matters and Experience

• Providing legal services in connection with the formation of hedge funds and other private investment funds and providing legal services to institutional investor clients regarding investments in such funds
• Representing a publicly traded producer of toys and collectibles in two public offerings that raised a total of $185 million and in the acquisition of another public company that has significantly strengthened and diversified the client's product lines
• Advising a large regional airline company in the structuring of its investment in a national airline company in Chapter 11 as part of a post-bankruptcy survival strategy
• Helping a client in difficulties with securities regulators to negotiate a settlement, which enabled the client to continue a private investment fund while avoiding penalties
• Representing a large bank holding company in a public offering of $175 million of trust preferred securities, enabling the client to strengthen its capital and support its continued growth 

Notable Publications

• "Guide for Audit Committee Members After Sarbanes-Oxley," and other practical materials for business clients 

Affiliations/Memberships

• State Bar of Wisconsin (Securities Law Section, committee member who drafted the new Uniform Securities Act for Wisconsin)

Education

• J.D., magna cum laude, Cornell University Law School; Order of the Coif
• B.A., with honors, Northwestern University (Economics)