Pillsbury today announced that Michael J. Halloran has returned to the firm’s Corporate & Securities practice as a partner in its Washington, DC and Silicon Valley offices. A former Counselor to the Chairman and Deputy Chief of Staff at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Halloran is a nationally-recognized authority on corporate and securities law. He brings extensive insight on a wide array of business and legal issues concerning finance and corporate matters, including corporate governance for boards and management, from a career advising top industry leaders and regulators.

Halloran returns to Pillsbury, where he previously practiced from 1972-1990, when he left to become General Counsel of Bank of America, and from 1997-2006, when he left to become Counselor to the Chairman of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

“It is a privilege to welcome Mike – a very distinguished alumnus – back to our firm,” said Pillsbury Firm Chair Jim Rishwain. “Mike has played an important role at Pillsbury and for important players in the public and private sector. He helped launch our Washington, DC office and has served at the highest levels of organizations like our client, Bank of America and the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Mike’s career accomplishments speak for themselves. He personifies the talent, commitment and rich history of Pillsbury.”

“Mike is renowned in this field and a very timely addition to our team,” said Washington, DC partner Robert B. Robbins, firmwide leader of Pillsbury’s Corporate & Securities practice. “In addition to his insights on capital and development issues facing businesses of all sizes, Mike brings outstanding perspective on new strategies and regulations affecting boards of directors, securities offerings, venture capital and a host of other areas. These include the SEC’s and financial services agencies’ roles under the Dodd-Frank Act and how policymakers’ efforts affect boards’, investors’ and companies’ risk and opportunities.”

“It is exciting and rewarding to return to Pillsbury and resume work with many close friends and admired peers of many years,” Halloran added. “This firm is appealing for many reasons. For serving clients, our international reach, industry-focused teams and connections from Washington and New York to Silicon Valley make it a natural fit to continue my practice and build on our firm’s excellent client base and reputation.”

Halloran’s practice spans securities and corporate law, focused on financial services and technology-based companies. His extensive experience includes advising corporate boards and management on governance and other matters, handling public offerings, venture capital and private financings as well as mergers and acquisitions. He has acted as an outside advisor to numerous organizations in the private and public sectors. Serving as Counselor to the Chairman and Deputy Chief of Staff at the SEC from 2006-2008, Halloran advised the Commission’s leaders on initiatives promoting investor protection and capital formation in addition to acting as the Chairman’s chief legal counsel. From 1990-1996, he held the title of Group Executive Vice President and General Counsel for Bank of America Corporation, where he managed more than 450 employees, including 185 attorneys, and was advisor to the bank’s board and senior management. He negotiated, closed and implemented more than 30 acquisitions for Bank of America, including some of the largest and most complex in the industry, helping the bank become one of the largest financial institutions in the world.

Halloran’s years at Pillsbury date to founding the Washington, DC office of one of its forerunners, Pillsbury, Madison and Sutro. He served as head of the firm’s Corporate Securities and Finance section and various firm committees while based largely in San Francisco. He is active in the American Bar Association (ABA) and for many years has been the author of many publications on corporate governance and securities matters. He is the lead author and editor of Venture Capital & Public Offering Negotiation, a comprehensive and acclaimed treatise on raising capital and taking companies public through IPOs. Halloran holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California and an LL.B., from the University of California, Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law.

From formation and financing to acquisition and divestiture, organizations at every stage of growth look to Pillsbury’s corporate and transactional lawyers for guidance. Pillsbury’s lawyers work in a collaborative manner across related legal disciplines including financial services, employee benefits, environment, government contracts, intellectual property, labor, real estate, regulation and tax. The more complex the matter, the more value this collaborative capability represents to our clients. Industry publications consistently rank Pillsbury’s Corporate & Securities practice as a leader among law firms.

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