Susan Messer Bio

Ms. Messer is a Shareholder and Director of the firm, Chair of the Corporate Services and a member of the Employment, Real Estate and Tax practice areas. Ms. Messer’s practice focuses in the area of mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, commercial transactions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, and corporate and entity counseling for clients ranging from start-up and emerging businesses to multinational corporations. Her transactional experience includes mergers, stock sales (including §338(h)(10) elections), asset sales, divestitures, redemptions, joint venture, and cross-border transactions. She provides general corporate counseling and advice on formation, governance, fiduciary duties, and succession planning. Ms. Messer also is experienced in representing non-profit corporations. She advises on corporate and governance issues including bylaws, committee charters and policy issues. Her representation of non-profits includes drafting and negotiating standard agreements such as affiliation agreements, grant award terms and conditions, clinical trial agreements, jointly-funded research agreements, research agreements with for-profit industry partners, and sponsorship agreements. She has a specialized area of focus in private aircraft ownership and routinely assists owners of private aircraft with respect to the acquisition, use and management of the aircraft including the lease of the aircraft for charter operations.