Francesca Gottardi
Biography
Francesca Gottardi is an associate in the Corporate & Securities and Mergers & Acquisitions practice groups of Baker McKenzie's Houston office. She has previously worked as a law clerk at General Electric.
Francesca has published research on international law and human rights. She has also taught the courses "Law, Politics, and Society," and "International Human Rights" at the University of Cincinnati (OH).
Practice Focus
Francesca's work spans a variety of subgroups within Baker McKenzie's broader Transactional Practice, with a focus on corporate and securities law and restructurings. She represents companies in a broad range of complex corporate and transactional matters, including cross-border reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance issues, and general corporate and securities law matters. Francesca's work encompasses companies and transactions in multiple industries and jurisdictions, both domestic and foreign.
Representative Legal Matters
- Advised a NASDAQ-listed drug development company on a Private Investment in Public Equity ("PIPE") offering involving the issuance of an initial USD 3 million tranche of a total anticipated USD 10 million private placement of Senior Secured Promissory Notes.
- Advised large multinational banking financial services institutions on a Floorplan Facility for a large Japanese mobility manufacturer consisting of three series of revolving loans issuances. The total facility size was $500 million.
- Advised a Chicago-based corporation on a share purchase agreement to be acquired a large family-owned holding company.
- Advised an American multinational computational software company on its USD 35 million acquisition of a privately held company providing electronics and custom integrated circuit (IC) design engineering solutions and services.
- Advised an American multinational company providing IT staffing in connection with its agreement to sell to a European family-owned IT company, in an all-cash transaction, representing an implied equity value of approximately USD 170 million.
- Advised a Texas software company in relation to drafting and negotiations of real estate and construction documents to build new headquarters in Texas.
- Advised a large household appliances company in relation to drafting and negotiations of real estate and construction documents to fit-out new location in New York.
- Advised a corporation providing engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services on a real estate global licensing requirement analysis involving 13 jurisdictions.
- Ongoing representation of NYSE and NASDAQ-listed companies in connection with SEC reporting and disclosure obligations, compliance with stock exchange rules and regulations, and general corporate governance matters.
- Ongoing representation of public and private multinational companies in connection with corporate reorganizations and restructurings.
Professional Associations and Memberships
- State Bar of Texas - Member
- State Bar of New York - Member
- Houston Young Lawyers Association - Chair of the International Law Committee
- Garland R. Walker American Inn of Court - Member
- Autonomous Province of Trento, Italy - Liaison in North America
Corporate Responsibility
Francesca's pro-bono practice includes drafting the LGBTQ+ Youth Rights Mapping Project and the Homeless Youth Handbook across multiple US jurisdictions and providing legal assistance at the Texas Legal Clinic.
Admissions
- Texas~United States (2022)
- New York~United States (2020)
Education
- University of Cincinnati (JD, International Legal Studies Concentration, cum laude) (2021)
- University of Cincinnati (LLM, Business Law Concentration, with Honors) (2018)
- University of Trento (Law Degree, Civil Law and European Law) (2016)
Languages
- English
- Italian
- Spanish
Firm Committee Memberships
- Pro Bono Lead for the Texas offices