Wiley Rein is pleased to announce that John B. (Jay) Watkins has joined the firm as a partner in its Corporate Practice. At Wiley Rein, he will advise clients on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital, and financing and capital formation transactions for private equity and other investment funds and for public and private companies.
“We are very happy to welcome Jay to our firm,” said Chairman Richard E. Wiley. “We are confident that our clients will benefit immediately from his M&A experience and solid track record of guiding companies through complex transactions. He is a strong complement to our existing Corporate Team.”
Before joining Wiley Rein, Mr. Watkins was a partner in the Corporate Practice of WilmerHale. He has represented numerous private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds in connection with acquisitions of controlling interests, debt and equity investments, and leveraged buyout and management buyout financings. Mr. Watkins’ practice has involved transactions in the defense, technology, and health care industries, among others.
Mr. Watkins’ arrival will bolster Wiley Rein’s Corporate Group, which has a strong transactional focus and substantial experience in mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, exchanges, joint ventures, financing and capital formation, licensing, and restructuring transactions. The firm’s Corporate attorneys have represented clients in significant transactions in broadcasting, cable, satellite, new media, wireless, telecommunications, real estate, energy, transportation, banking, manufacturing, government contracting, health care, and franchising.
Mr. Watkins earned his J.D. from The University of Michigan Law School and his B.A. from Johns Hopkins University. He is regularly ranked in The Best Lawyers in America, including the publication’s 2014 edition. Mr. Watkins serves on the Advisory Board of the Corporate Counsel Institute of the Georgetown University Law Center and is active in business development activities with the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Association for Corporate Growth.
