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Ben Orlanski

Ben Orlanski is a partner in the Corporate Department and is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Group and the Capital Markets Group. Ben focuses on major corporate transactions and strategically solving critical business challenges. He has significant experience in securities and public company representation; mergers and acquisitions; capital markets transactions; special committee, board of directors and general corporate representation; and corporate governance. His experience covers a wide range of industry sectors, including software-as-a-service, REITs, digital media, specialty manufacturing and consumer products.

Capital Formation and Securities

Ben has significant experience in managing, structuring and executing sophisticated securities and capital raising transactions. His approach reflects understanding of market operation, well-designed capital structure and the practical realities of the capital raising process. He represents public companies and investors in public offerings, registered direct transactions, self-tenders, warrant exchanges/flush transactions, recapitalizations, defensive strategies and secondary offerings. He also advises clients on corporate finance transactions for private businesses, ranging from venture capital and private placements to public offerings and debt restructurings.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Ben has completed scores of transactions representing buyers, sellers, investment bankers and financiers through all phases of the M&A process. He is actively involved in planning, structuring, negotiating and documenting strategic merger and acquisition transactions as well as dispositions of sophisticated enterprises.

General Counsel, Public Reporting and Strategic Advice

Ben acts as outside general counsel for numerous public and private companies, applying a business-like approach to produce practical legal solutions to both day-to-day and exceptional legal challenges. In representing his public clients, Ben has successfully guided the public reporting process for clients facing accounting and SEC challenges, proxy contests, cash flow issues, litigation, shareholder activism and strategic alternatives. He frequently advises on issues related to compliance with insider trading laws and major compliance challenges. He also represents boards of directors and special committees of public companies in special situations, including “interested” transactions, investigations, executive succession planning and sensitive corporate governance issues.

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“Merger review is about to get thornier. While the FTC and DOJ have been tightening the merger review process incrementally over the course of the Biden administration, the newly proposed HSR rule changes represent a wholesale rethinking of how merger transactions are notified and filed. The new filing requirements, if implemented, would essentially trigger a significant antitrust investigation for every transaction valued above the HSR reporting threshold (currently $111.4 million) – without regard to substantive overlap or potential impact on competition. That, along with the expanded new disclosures aimed squarely at private equity firms and their investors, will make for frank conversations about the requirements and potentially will have a real chilling effect on transactions. Whether this is a wish list meant to be pared down, or something the agency will hold firm on remains to be seen.”

John Ingrassia, Antitrust, Washington, D.C.

On March 30, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) proposed a set of rules and amendments governing special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) that will, if adopted, impose significant new regulatory hurdles for SPAC-related transactions, as well as expand potential bases for liability. The SEC states that the new rules are intended to increase…

In a 500-page release, the SEC has proposed significant new public company climate change disclosure requirements for both domestic companies and foreign private issuers, including the actual and potential impacts of climate change on companies as well as management and governance processes to address those impacts. The proposed disclosure rules among other things would amend…

On December 22, 2020, the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance issued new guidance with disclosure considerations for special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”). The new guidance is reflected in CF Disclosure Guidance Topic No. 11 (“Topic No. 11”). SPACs, or “blank check companies,” become public reporting companies through initial public…

On December 1, 2020, Nasdaq proposed new listing rules that, if approved by the SEC following a public comment period,[1] would require Nasdaq-listed companies either to have, or explain why they do not have, at least two diverse directors and disclose information about the diversity of their directors on an annual basis.  The new…

On November 19, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to Regulation S-K that update and streamline its rules governing Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) disclosure and related requirements to provide selected financial data and quarterly financial information.[1]  The rule changes are part of…

On November 2, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted amendments to facilitate the use of private, or “exempt,” offerings.  The changes will impact offerings structured pursuant to Section 4(a)(2), Regulation D and Regulation S, as well as offerings conducted under Regulation A and Regulation Crowdfunding. The stated purpose of the changes is to facilitate…

The Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) recently adopted amendments to Regulation S-X and related rules and forms that will streamline and reduce the financial statements required to be filed in connection with significant business acquisitions by all SEC registrants.[1] As part of these amendments, the SEC overhauled Rule 3-14 of Regulation S-X, which…

Introduction

On May 21, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) amended the financial statement and other disclosure requirements that apply when public companies acquire or dispose of a business or real estate operations.[1] The amendments simplify and rationalize the current rules, and should on balance decrease the regulatory burdens on public companies.

As the COVID-19 virus disrupts businesses, public companies face both operational and compliance challenges as public disclosure has become a more complex and evolving task. Companies with calendar year-ends are beginning to prepare their quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and companies with other fiscal year-ends may be preparing annual reports on Form 10-K, or on…