Jonathan L. Awner
Jonathan Awner serves as Co-Chair of Akerman’s Corporate Practice Group. Ranked by Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, and The Legal 500 as a preeminent corporate lawyer, Jonathan Awner advises clients in automotive retail, aviation, distribution, hospitality, logistics, manufacturing, services, technology, waste management and other industries. Described by a client quoted in Chambers USA as a “top-notch” lawyer who is “smart, hard-working and practical,” Jonathan focuses on middle-market domestic mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, public and private securities transactions, and corporate governance matters.
Jonathan counsels in mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, spin-offs, recapitalizations, joint ventures, private equity investments, and other business transactions. He has extensive experience representing strategic and financial buyers and investors, as well as corporate, individual and family sellers.
Jonathan also represents public companies in public offerings of equity and debt securities, and securities law compliance matters. He has served as lead counsel to issuers in numerous underwritten offerings, including a $1.5 billion IPO. He also advises companies and investor groups in private placements of equity and debt securities, growth equity investments and joint ventures.
Jonathan is a trusted advisor to boards of directors, audit and special board committees, and senior executives of public companies on corporate governance issues, management succession, relations with institutional and activist investors, compensation practices for directors and officers, conflict of interest matters, and change-of-control transactions. His committee representations include leading investigations of alleged management misconduct, whistleblower complaints, stock option backdating, accounting irregularities, auditor resignations, violations of securities laws including insider trading, and responding to shareholder activists alleging poor operating performance or excessive compensation.
- Martindale-Hubbell, AV Rated
- Daily Business Review 2009, Named "Top Dealmaker: Corporate"
- South Florida Business Journal 2009, Key Partners Award Winner for Corporate Finance/Mergers & Acquisitions Law
- Daily Business Review, 2014, Named "Top Dealmaker of the Year: Corporate Domestic"
- Florida Trend's Legal Elite 2012, 2014, and 2015, Listed for Business Law
- Super Lawyers Magazine 2006-2018, Listed in Florida for Business/Corporate, Securities & Corporate Finance, and Mergers & Acquisitions
- South Florida Legal Guide Top Lawyers 2001-2018, Listed for Corporate and Business, Mergers & Acquisitions
- Chambers USA 2003-2018, Ranked in top tier in Florida for Corporate/M&A & Private Equity
- The Legal 500 2009-2018, Recommended for Mergers, Acquisitions & Buyouts: M&A National Middle Market
Miami, Florida 33131
