Julia Petty has joined Vinson & Elkins as counsel in the firm’s Executive Compensation and Benefits practice in New York. Petty, who comes to V&E from Kirkland & Ellis, focuses on executive compensation and benefits matters in connection with domestic and cross-border business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs and divestitures, public offerings and restructuring transactions.
She also counsels clients on a wide range of other compensation and associated securities, tax and corporate governance matters, including the design, disclosure and implementation of equity and cash incentive programs, executive employment and severance arrangements, change in control protections, deferred compensation plans and retention programs.
“Julia has an impressive resumé advising on complex compensation issues in a broad array of industries,” said partner David D’Alessandro, head of V&E’s Executive Compensation and Benefits practice. “She will be a valuable addition to our team as the firm continues to expand its offerings in the New York market.”
Petty’s recent experience includes the following representations:
- GlaxoSmithKline in its $12.7 billion joint venture with Pfizer to combine their consumer health businesses
- Vitamin Shoppe in its acquisition by Liberty Tax and in its defense against a full slate proxy contest by Vintage Capital and its agreements with Vintage Capital and Shah Capital regarding the composition of the Vitamin Shoppe board of directors
- Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec in its major investment in Allied Universal
“V&E’s outstanding reputation for strategic counseling on all aspects of compensation and benefits arrangements was one of the many factors that drew me to the firm,” Petty said. “I am thrilled to start the next chapter of my career with such a talented group of lawyers.”
Petty is the latest of several key hires to join V&E’s New York office in the past 18 months, including restructuring partner George Howard; commercial litigation partner Chris Duffy; white collar litigation partner Palmina Fava; international arbitration partner Camilo Cardozo and counsel Jose Sanchez; project finance partner Eamon Nolan; M&A/private equity partner John Kupiec; and a team of 15 real estate lawyers led by partners Wallace Schwartz, Adam Endick and Julia Sanabria. To facilitate its continuing growth and client needs, the firm relocated its New York office to the Grace Building in February.
