DLA Piper announced today that Peter Ekberg has joined the firm’s Corporate practice as a partner in Minneapolis. Ekberg was a cavalry officer in the United States Army before earning his law degree at Columbia University, with the goal of focusing on international M&A. He began his career at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York before spending more than a decade at Faegre & Benson, where he led the firm’s emerging companies practice. He then spent five years at Barnes & Thornburg, where he was the managing partner of the firm’s Minneapolis office, and later was one of the founding partners of the Minneapolis office of Jones Day.
Ekberg’s experience covers matters across a variety of industries, jurisdictions and deal structures. He advises clients throughout their business life cycles, including formation, public and private capital raising, recapitalizations and restructurings, sales and dissolutions, and he has extensive experience in corporate governance for both public and private companies. Ekberg also brings leadership skills and experience in developing and growing multi-disciplinary teams to meet the evolving and demanding needs of sophisticated business clients in complex commercial transactions.
“Peter is a seasoned dealmaker who has held important practice and regional leadership roles. He brings high energy, creativity and valuable global experience to our practice,” said Joe Alexander, global co-chair of DLA Piper’s Corporate and Private Equity practices. “His M&A work and broad corporate background are an ideal fit for our global platform, and he will play an important role in the firm’s continued efforts to anticipate and meet the multifaceted legal needs of public and private companies.”
“We are focused on strategically growing the Minneapolis office with lawyers whose practices are complementary to our current corporate strengths, and Peter’s wide-ranging experience bolsters our ability both to grow our Minneapolis presence as well as to advise clients based and doing business in the region and around the world,” said Kathleen Ruhland, managing partner of the firm’s Minneapolis office. “He is a highly respected and well-known practitioner in the Minneapolis market, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the firm.”
Ekberg is “delighted” to be part of the team at DLA Piper, which he has worked with on several transactions throughout his career. “The lawyers here are entrepreneurial, passionate and excellent through and through,” he said. “While the resources available to clients of DLA Piper are broad, deep and global, when I think about how to best practice law, what really matters to me is being with a group of professionals who care deeply about collaboration and teamwork, and who have created a culture of inclusivity, mutual respect and always putting the clients’ needs first.”
Ekberg received his J.D. from Columbia Law School and his B.S. from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Source: www.dlapiper.com
