Daniel H. Aronson is a partner and group leader of the firm's Corporate and Securities Practice. Danny has practiced for over 25 years in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, public and private securities offerings, other sophisticated finance and capital markets transactions, general corporate law and international business transactions. He regularly counsels public and private business entities, and their boards, management and significant owners, concerning strategic business, finance, governance, restructuring and transactional matters.
Danny has represented clients in a variety of industries and markets, including biotechnology, computer hardware and software, consumer products, employee outsourcing, traditional and specialty financial services, investment management, health care products and services, information technology, media and entertainment, pharmaceuticals, physician practice management, restaurants, social networking, specialty retail, telecommunications, transportation and travel services. In addition, he has counseled private equity, venture capital, investment and real estate opportunity funds in fund formation, acquisition, investment, governance and "exit" activities.
Danny has represented public companies in both general securities and transactional matters, including in initial and secondary public offerings (equity and debt), counseling boards and board committees, securities compliance and reporting, corporate governance, government and internal investigations and contests for corporate control. He participated in the drafting of and lobbying for Florida's takeover-related statutes as well as various revisions to Florida's Business Corporation Act.
Representative Experience
· Representation of public and private companies (including leading consolidators), in mergers and acquisitions, tender and exchange offers, sell-side transactions, restructurings and joint ventures
· Counsel to issuers and underwriters in public offerings of equity and debt securities, including initial public offerings
· Representation of substantial private companies, emerging businesses, and their owners and managers in venture capital, private placement, joint venture and strategic alliance transactions
· Counsel to private equity and buyout funds, public and private companies and special board committees in leveraged buyout, management buyouts and recapitalization transactions
· Representation of public companies, including Fortune 500 companies, in their acquisition and consolidation campaigns and takeover/anti-takeover (including shareholder rights plan) planning and advice
· Securities and governance counsel to public companies, including advice and assistance on strategic business matters, corporate governance, periodic SEC reporting and compliance, fiduciary duties, government and internal investigations and contests for corporate control
· Board, committee and governance counsel to non-profit organizations
Professional & Community Involvement
· Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Florida Levin College of Law, Gainesville, FL, 1993-present
· Florida Venture Forum - Chairman of the Board, 1997-1998; Executive Committee Member, 1998 - present; Chairman or Co-Chairman, Florida Venture Capital Conference, 1999, 2001 and 2002
· Executive Advisory Board, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of Florida Warrington College of Business Administration, 1998 - present
· The Florida Bar, Business Law Section, Corporations, Securities & Financial Services Committee
· Faculty Member and Panel Chair/Moderator, Federal Securities Institute, 2001-present
· Member, Dean's Council, 2001-present, and Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center Advisory Council, 2009-present, Florida International University College of Business Administration
· American Bar Association, Business Law Section, Committee on Mergers and Acquisitions, Federal Regulation of Securities, and Private Equity and Venture Capital (and various subcommittees)
· Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Planning & Distrubutions Committee
· Police Citizens Relations Board, City of Miami Beach, 2009 (Commissioner-appointed)
Awards & Recognition
· The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity and Venture-Capital, (2006-2012)
- Best Lawyers' 2012 Miami Venture Capital Law Lawyer of the Year
- Best Lawyers' 2011 Miami Corporate Lawyer of the Year
· Chambers & Partners USA, America's Leading Business Lawyers, Corporate/M&A and Private Equity, (Tier 1, 2003-2011)
· Who's Who Legal, The International Who's Who of Merger & Acquisition Lawyers, (2007-2011)
· Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition, Corporate and Securities, 2009
· The Lawdragon 500, Leading Lawyers in America, 2007, Leading Dealmakers in America (2007)
· Florida Trend Magazine's Legal Elite, (2004-present)
· Florida Super Lawyers, (2006-present)
· South Florida Legal Guide - Top Lawyers, (2005-present)
· AV® Peer Review Rated Martindale-Hubbell
Articles & Presentations
Articles
· Venture Capital: A Practical Guidebook for Business Owners, Managers and Advisors, RR Donnelley Thought Leadership Publications (5th ed., 2011)
· Choosing and Making the Most of a Venture Capital "Partner," Friends of the Forum Guidebook (2011)
· Obtaining Venture Financing and Negotiating Terms in Distressed Markets, INSIGHTS: The Corporate & Securities Law Advisor, Vol. 23, No. 10, October 2009
· Keys to Obtaining Venture Funding in Distressed Markets, Florida Venture Forum, Friends of the Forum Guidebook (2010)
· Attracting Venture Capital Funding: Understanding Venture Capitalists' Needs and Objectives, Florida Venture Forum, Friends of the Forum Guidebook (2009)
· Opportunities and Strategies for Obtaining Funding in Distressed Markets, Florida Venture Forum, Friends of the Forum Guidebook (2008)
· Venture Capital: A Practical Guidebook for Business Owners, Managers and Advisors, Bowne Securities Connect Publications (2006)
· Co-Author, Advance Planning is the Key to Raising Capital, Smart Business Miami (February 2006)
· Proposed Rules Regarding Selective Disclosure and Insider Trading Offer Clues on SEC's Vision, Present Challenges for Issuers, wallstreetlawyer.com, Vol. 3, No. 10 (March 2000)
· Public Companies Must Position for Proxy Battles," South Florida Business Journal (December 10, 1990)
· Florida's New Business Corporations Act: Changes Affecting Corporate Control Contests, INSIGHTS: The Corporate & Securities Law Advisor, Vol. 4, No. 3, p. 34 (March 1990)
Presentations
· Moderator, "Private Equity, LBOs, Venture Capital," 30th Annual Federal Securities Institute, Miami, FL, February 2012
· Moderator and Speaker, 2012 Florida Venture Capital Conference, General Assembly Opening Remarks and View from the Experts: Hot Issues, Trends and Tips on Building Successful Companies in the IT / Software Space, Naples, FL, January 2012
· Cross-Border Private Equity Transactions and Considerations in Locating to the U.S., 2011 Americas Venture Capital Conference, Coral Gables, FL, November 2011
· Moderator and Speaker, 29th Annual Federal Securities Institute, "Current Trends and Tactics in Private Equity, Leveraged Buyouts & Venture Capital Transactions," Coconut Grove, FL, February 2011
· Moderator and Speaker, 2011 Florida Venture Capital Conference, "Hot Topics and Trends in Venture Capital Term Sheets," Hollywood, FL, February 2011
· Speaker and Panelist, "Opportunistic Corporate Acquisitions," The Florida Bar, Business Law Section Retreat, Naples, FL, September 2010
· Moderator and Panelist, "Private Equity, Leveraged Buyouts and Venture Capital: Challenges, Opportunities and Successful Strategies in the Current Market," 28th Annual Federal Securities Institute, Coral Gables, FL, February 2010
· "Angel and Venture Capital Financing," Speaker, Early Stage Venture Capital Conference, Orlando, FL, May 2009
· Moderator, "Private Equity and Leveraged Buyouts: What's Working, and What's Not, Challenges and Opportunities, in the Current Market," 27th Annual Federal Securities Institute, Coconut Grove, FL, February 2009
· "Latest Fads in Venture Capital Term Sheets," Speaker, 2009 Florida Venture Capital Conference, Naples, FL, February 2009
· Moderator, "Mezzanine, Cash Flow and Senior Debt Financings," 2009 Florida Venture Capital Conference, Naples, FL, February 2009
· "Keys to Effective Contract Drafting & Transaction Negotiation," University of Florida Levin College of Law, Gainesville, FL, January 2009
· "Debt Financing Alternatives for Venture Capital-Backed Companies," 2007 Florida Venture Capital Conference, Boca Raton, FL, February 2007 "Venture Capital - State of the Industry Panel," 2005 Florida Venture Capital Conference, Orlando, FL, January 2005
· "Going Public: Considerations, Preparations & Consequences," Florida Venture Forum, Florida Venture Capital Conference, Seminar for Presenters, Orlando, FL, December 2004
· "Venture Capital Deal Terms - Trends, Challenges & Opportunities," 22nd Annual Federal Securities Institute, Miami, FL, February 2004
· "Venture Capital: A Primer for Business Owners and Students," Technology Venture Sequence, University of Florida, Warrington College of Business Administration, Gainesville, FL, October 2003
· "Corporate Governance for Private Companies," 21st Annual Federal Securities Institute, Coconut Grove, FL, February 2003
· "Venture Capital Transactions: Current Themes, Key Objectives and Structural Attributes," 19th Annual Federal Securities Institute (presented by Glasser Legal Works), February 2001
· "The Private Equity Market in Florida: Dynamics & Perspectives," Distinguished Speaker Series, Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of Florida Warrington College of Business Administration, Gainesville, FL, September 2001
Prior Affiliations
· Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod (2007-March 2010)
· Greenberg Traurig (1992-2007)
· Steel Hector & Davis (1989-1992)
· Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz (1984-1989)
In the News
Berger Singerman Hires Bilzin Attorney, Daily Business Review, Daniel H. Aronson, April 06, 2010
Prominent Corporate & Securities Attorney Daniel H. Aronson Joins Berger Singerman, Daniel H. Aronson, April 07, 2010
Daniel H. Aronson Joins Berger Singerman, Miami Herald, Daniel H. Aronson, April 12, 2010
Daniel H. Aronson Joins Berger Singerman, Miami Today, Daniel H. Aronson, April 15, 2010
Daniel Aronson Named to "WHO'S WHO LEGAL - The International Who's Who of Merger and Acquisition Lawyers 2010", Daniel H. Aronson, May 21, 2010
Daniel Aronson Re-joins Florida Venture Forum Board of Directors and Executive Committee, Daniel H. Aronson, June 01, 2010
Twenty-Four Attorneys Named Florida Super Lawyers By Publishers of Law & Politics Magazine, Daniel H. Aronson, Robert W. Barron, James L. Berger, Mitchell W. Berger, Howard Berlin, Anthony J. Carriuolo, John Eaton, Brian K. Gart, Jorid Guso, Melanie Ann Hines, Nick Jovanovich, Charles H. Lichtman, Sheldon S. Polish, Brian G. Rich, Leonard K. Sam, June 08, 2010
In the News Report, Week Ending 7.26.10, Charles Lichtman, Paul Steven Singerman, Paul Figg, Kathy Yeatter, Danny Aronson, July 26, 2010
Fifteen Berger Singerman Attorneys Named to 2011 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America, October 28, 2010
Paul Steven Singerman and Daniel H. Aronson Named "Lawyers of the Year" by Best Lawyers of America, Daniel H. Aronson, Paul Steven Singerman, January 21, 2011
In the News Report, 3.20.11, Mitchell Berger, Sam Poole, Daniel Aronson, Ilyse Homer, Greg Haile, Sharon Kegerreis, Etan Mark, March 20, 2011
Berger Singerman Receives High Marks in the World-Famous Chambers USA 2011 Guide, Daniel Aronson, Douglas Bates, James Berger, Mitchell Berger, Howard Berlin, Leslie Cloyd, Brian Gart, James Gassenheimer, Jordi Guso, Brian Rich, Marc Shuster, Paul Steven Singerman, Arthur Spector, Daniel Thompson, June 10, 2011
Publications
Choosing and Making the Most of a Venture Capital Partner, 07/27/2011