Kerry E. Berchem, a partner resident in Akin Gump's NY office since 1997, and co-chair of the Firm's Corporate Practice, is advises financial services clients, including distressed, private equity and hedge funds, as well as insurance and reinsurance companies, in (i) mergers, acquisitions and private equity investments; (ii) compliance and enforcement actions; (iii) internal investigations; and (iv) reorganizations, recapitalizations and acquisitions. Ms. Berchem represents a significant number of companies that are in the process of or have recently emerged from both out-of-court and Chapter 11 reorganizations.
As noted by
Chambers USA, displaying
“great business judgment,” Kerry Berchem is recommended as
“go-to counsel” on corporate matters. For ancillary advice outside of the M&A realm, one client stated:
“She always finds the right person for the right issue.” Her
“unparalleled commitment to clients,” was particularly noted by sources.
Ms. Berchem received her B.A. in religious history from Yale University in 1988 and her J.D. cum laude from Tulane Law School in 1991. She is a member of the New York and Connecticut Bars, the New York and Connecticut Bar Associations, the American College of Investment Counsel and the Yale Alumni School Committee.
Ms. Berchem’s representative engagements include serving as counsel to:
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A special committee of the board of directors of a household appliance company in connection with a $915 million equity issuance to a majority stockholder, the funds of which were used by the company to fund a strategic acquisition
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A special committee of the board of directors of a minerals company in connection with its $1 billion merger with a strategic buyer
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A sovereign wealth fund in connection with a $1.35 billion investment in the management company of a portfolio of private equity funds
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The official committee of unsecured creditors of a glass container corporation and the subsequent representation of the company in connection with a $350 million leveraged recapitalization
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The official committee of unsecured creditors of a telecom company and subsequent representation of the company in connection a $207 million merger with a strategic buyer
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A Cayman Island reinsurance company in connection with its formation, its initial $250 million capitalization and its $212 million initial public offering and concurrent $50 million private placement
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A Bermuda reinsurance company in connection with its formation, its initial $600 million capitalization, its $192 million initial public offering, its $100 million 144A debt offering and its $500 million universal shelf registration statement
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A Cayman Island special purpose acquisition company in connection with its $500 million initial public offering
In 2006, 2007 and 2008, Ms. Berchem was named in
Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business as a leading lawyer in the area of corporate/M&A.