Overview
Jeffrey Gardner is special counsel in the Corporate Practice Group in the firm's Chicago office.
Areas of Practice
Jeffrey concentrates his practice on transactional and securities matters, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, private equity and venture capital investments, financings and Securities Act of 1933 and Securities Exchange Act of 1934 compliance. He represents public and private clients based in the basic materials, biotech, finance, hospitality and technology industries.
Jeffrey also advises entrepreneurs and startup ventures in connection with formation and general corporate matters, and he counsels public and private companies in all aspects of corporate governance.
Experience
Experience
Representative Transactions
M&A
- Represented owner of CauseForce, Inc., in sale of 50% of the company to Bregal Partners
- Represented OmniForce, LLC, in multiple roll-up acquisitions of race events and a cross-border acquisition of event production company
- Represented OmniForce, LLC, in sale of for-profit race business
- Represented Edgewater Growth Capital Partners in acquisition of American Piping Products
- Represented National Surgical Care in several roll-up acquisitions of majority interests in ambulatory surgery centers
- Represented Ridge Capital Partners in acquisition of WeCare Organics and WeCare Transportation
- Represented Solo Cup Company in divestiture of Hoffmaster division to private equity investors
- Represented StandardVision, LLC, in note purchase financing transaction with Eldridge Capital
- Represented Parlano, Inc., in sale via merger with Microsoft, Inc.
- Represented Sarvega, Inc., in sale via merger with Intel
- Represented SourceCode Technology Holdings, Inc., in purchase of IP assets from a privately held South African software company
- Represented a subsidiary of John Deere in acquisition of GeoVantage
- Represented BOP, LLC, in sale of shopbop.com to Amazon.com, Inc.
- Represented Stats, LLC, in acquisition of PA SportsTicker, Inc.
- Represented Fitch Risk Management in cross-border acquisition of Algorithmics Incorporated
- Represented Targeted Molecular Diagnostics, LLC, in sale of the company to Quintiles Transnational Holdings, Inc.
- Represented Nuseed Holding Co. in acquisition of Seeds 2000, Inc.
- Represented Oxford Capital Partners, LLC, in multiple acquisitions and sales of hotel properties
- Represented Mandalay Baseball Properties, LLC, in acquisition of the assets of the Oklahoma City RedHawks
- Represented Toter, Incorporated, in sale via merger to Wastequip, Inc.
- Represented Aligned Equity Partners, LLC, in million acquisition of the assets of American Bin & Conveyor
- Represented Advance America, Cash Advance Centers, Inc., in acquisition of private financial services company
- Represented Advance America, Cash Advance Centers, Inc., in going-private transaction
- Represented HGDS Acquisition LLC in acquisition of certain assets of Hub Group Distribution Services, LLC
- Represented Securitas Security Services USA, Inc., in acquisition of The Security Professionals, Inc. and Security Services USA, Inc.
IPOs/Venture Capital Transactions
- Represented shareholders of Advance America, Cash Advance Centers, Inc., in IPO
- Represented SourceCode Technology Holdings, Inc., in Series B and Series C venture financings and related tender offer
- Represented Chromatin, Inc., in Series B and Series C venture financings
- Represented Firm58, Inc., in Series B and Series C venture financings
Real Estate/Hospitality Joint Ventures
- Represented Oxford Capital Partners, LLC, in multiple joint ventures with capital partners for the acquisition, development and operation of U.S. hotel properties
- Represented Geolo Capital II, L.P., in multiple joint ventures with developers for the acquisition, development and operation of U.S. and foreign hotel properties
- Represented Quadrum Global in multiple joint ventures with developers for the acquisition, development and operation of multiple properties to be developed into hotels, apartment complexes and mixed-use developments
- Represented Cachet Hotel Group in master franchising agreement with Wahlburgers Franchising International, Inc.
- Represented Cachet Hotel Group in venue licensing agreement with Playboy Enterprises International, Inc.
Honors
Honors
Recognized as an Emerging Lawyer by Leading Lawyers
Insights
Articles
Corporate & Securities Law Blog Posts
- "The Corporate Transparency Act: What You Need to Know Ahead of the January 1, 2025 Deadline," November 14, 2024
Real Estate, Land Use & Environmental Law Blog Posts
- "Hospitality Alert: Quick Facts on the Corporate Transparency Act," March 19, 2024
Venture Law Blog Posts
- "Potential Revisions to the Definition of 'Accredited Investor'," January 6, 2016
Events
Memberships
Memberships
Member, American Bar Association
Member, Chicago Bar Association
Member, Florida Bar Association
Member, Illinois State Bar Association
Practices
Education
J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 2003, Journal of Law and Policy in International Business
M.B.A., Ohio State University, 2000
B.S., Ohio State University, 2000, cum laude
Admissions
- Florida
- Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois