Photo of Ben Orlanski

Ben Orlanski is a partner in the Corporate Department and is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Group and the Capital Markets Group. Ben focuses on major corporate transactions and strategically solving critical business challenges. He has significant experience in securities and public company representation; mergers and acquisitions; capital markets transactions; special committee, board of directors and general corporate representation; and corporate governance. His experience covers a wide range of industry sectors, including software-as-a-service, REITs, digital media, specialty manufacturing and consumer products.

Capital Formation and Securities

Ben has significant experience in managing, structuring and executing sophisticated securities and capital raising transactions. His approach reflects understanding of market operation, well-designed capital structure and the practical realities of the capital raising process. He represents public companies and investors in public offerings, registered direct transactions, self-tenders, warrant exchanges/flush transactions, recapitalizations, defensive strategies and secondary offerings. He also advises clients on corporate finance transactions for private businesses, ranging from venture capital and private placements to public offerings and debt restructurings.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Ben has completed scores of transactions representing buyers, sellers, investment bankers and financiers through all phases of the M&A process. He is actively involved in planning, structuring, negotiating and documenting strategic merger and acquisition transactions as well as dispositions of sophisticated enterprises.

General Counsel, Public Reporting and Strategic Advice

Ben acts as outside general counsel for numerous public and private companies, applying a business-like approach to produce practical legal solutions to both day-to-day and exceptional legal challenges. In representing his public clients, Ben has successfully guided the public reporting process for clients facing accounting and SEC challenges, proxy contests, cash flow issues, litigation, shareholder activism and strategic alternatives. He frequently advises on issues related to compliance with insider trading laws and major compliance challenges. He also represents boards of directors and special committees of public companies in special situations, including “interested” transactions, investigations, executive succession planning and sensitive corporate governance issues.

This week, our corporate colleagues published a handy guide to the SEC’s new proposed rules on SPACs. Of particular note to securities watchers should be potential increases in litigation stemming from changes to the definition of “blank check company” for the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “PSLRA”).

Last week, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proposed a set of sweeping new rules requiring public companies to disclose climate-related risks in their registration statements and periodic reports.  Under the proposed rules, public companies would have to disclose the actual and potential impacts of climate change on their business,