Law360 Profiles Capital Markets Rising Star Honoree Jesse Brush
Akin partner Jesse Brush has been profiled by Law360 in its annual Rising Stars series as a Capital Markets Rising Star for 2023.
Among the highlights of the profile:
Proudest Moment as a Lawyer: Receiving an email from the CEO of Sorenson Communications Inc.—“Holy cow, unreal, that's great!”—after Jesse got 99% participation among bondholders in an exchange offer.
One of the Biggest Deals of His Career and Its Challenges: GTT’s modified reorganization plan in the wake of its confirmed chapter 11 prepackaged plan. Jesse led GTT through negotiating $275 million of super-priority financing as he took charge of all securities law matters in the restructuring. Jesse said, “It was a really demanding representation, but it provided the opportunity to work with my colleagues throughout Akin and help the company fundamentally change its capital structure.”
What Motivates Him?: Assisting clients, working with other lawyers and helping to mentor younger associates. Jesse said “I just love being the first call for companies when a significant event happens in their business.”
On mentoring younger associates: “It's so great to help them grow and develop in their practices…” he said. “There's just no greater joy than watching an associate that I supervise confidently present information to a client's management, or lead a checklist call with a group of law firms on the transaction.”
Why a Capital Markets Lawyer?: The opportunity to work on a convertible bond offering as a summer associate sparked his interest in capital markets law. “It really felt like everyone on the deal, from companies or bankers or lawyers, were working together as a team to achieve a common goal…” he said, noting that the camaraderie and collaborative nature of capital markets work keep him in the field.
