Shenna N. Johnson
Biography
Shenna Johnson is a senior associate in Baker McKenzie’s Transactional Practice Group and is a member of the M&A team in Chicago.
Prior to joining Baker McKenzie, Shenna was an associate at Skadden Arps for five years, where she worked on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions and corporate governance matters.
Ms. Johnson has advised public and private companies in a variety of sale and acquisition transactions, including mergers, joint ventures and stock and asset acquisitions and divestitures. She also has counseled on a broad range of other corporate and securities matters, including corporate financings and related transactions, securities law compliance, periodic reporting, annual board of directors assessments and other corporate governance concerns.
Ms. Johnson also has an active pro bono practice. She has advised, among others, individuals seeking asylum in the United States, as well as 501(c)(3) organizations in connection with various corporate governance matters and a wide range of commercial arrangements.
In recognition of her work, Ms. Johnson has been named repeatedly as one of National Black Lawyers’ Top 40 Under 40.
Prior to joining Baker McKenzie, Shenna was an associate at Skadden Arps for five years, where she worked on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions and corporate governance matters.
Ms. Johnson has advised public and private companies in a variety of sale and acquisition transactions, including mergers, joint ventures and stock and asset acquisitions and divestitures. She also has counseled on a broad range of other corporate and securities matters, including corporate financings and related transactions, securities law compliance, periodic reporting, annual board of directors assessments and other corporate governance concerns.
Ms. Johnson also has an active pro bono practice. She has advised, among others, individuals seeking asylum in the United States, as well as 501(c)(3) organizations in connection with various corporate governance matters and a wide range of commercial arrangements.
In recognition of her work, Ms. Johnson has been named repeatedly as one of National Black Lawyers’ Top 40 Under 40.
Practice Focus
Shenna Johnson focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, corporate governance and SEC and other regulatory compliance issues, as well as a range of other general corporate and securities matters.
Representative Legal Matters
Prior to joining Baker McKenzie, Ms. Johnson advised on the following matters:
- Cardinal Health, Inc. in its USD 1 billion sale of its Cordis business to an affiliate of Hellman & Friedman
- Orica Limited in its USD 640 million acquisition of Cyanco Intermediate 4 Corp. from an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P.
- R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company in its proposed but terminated USD 2.1 billion acquisition by affiliates of Atlas Holdings LLC, and subsequent USD 2.3 billion acquisition by affiliates of Chatham Asset Management, LLC
- Ball Corporation in its USD 530 million sale of its beverage packaging business in Russia
- Ecolab Inc. in the USD 4.4 billion merger of its upstream energy business with Apergy Corporation, creating a combined company with an enterprise value of approximately USD 7.4 billion
- Credit Acceptance Corporation in various financing matters, including its:
- USD 400 million senior notes due 2024 and its concurrent cash tender offer on USD 300 million of outstanding senior notes due 2021
- USD 600 million senior notes due 2028 and its concurrent cash tender offer on USD 400 million of outstanding senior notes due 2024
- AutoNation, Inc. in its offering of USD 500 million of its senior notes due 2030
- Kemper Corporation on its USD 90 million sale of Reserve National Insurance Company to Medical Mutual of Ohio
- Apartment Investment and Management Company (Aimco) in its reverse spin-off of Apartment Income REIT Corp., a publicly traded REIT with an approximately USD 10.4 billion portfolio of apartment communities, and the related division of Aimco’s publicly held operating partnership
- Advice to the board of directors of ACI Worldwide, Inc. in connection with various corporate matters
- Veritas Capital in its USD 2.8 billion acquisition, along with Evergreen Coast Capital Corporation, of Cubic Corporation
- Noble Corporation plc with respect to certain corporate matters, including its debt and equity rights offering, in connection with the restructuring transactions contemplated in its Chapter 11 plan of reorganization, which reduced the company’s debt from approximately USD 4 billion to USD 400 million
Professional Honors
- Top 40 Under 40, National Black Lawyers
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Member, Young Professionals Board, Public Interest Law Initiative
Admissions
- Illinois
Education
- Howard University School of Law (Juris Doctor, cum laude) (2019)
- Old Dominion University (Master of Public Administration) (2013)
- Old Dominion University (Bachelor of Science, Political Science with a Minor in Philosophy, cum laude) (2009)
Languages
- English
Previous Offices
- San Francisco
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