Milwaukee Office
411 East Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee,
Wisconsin
53202
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Professional Experience
Kathie Buono is a partner in the Corporate Services Group, and is also a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. From 2001 through 2005, Kathie served as national chair of the Corporate Services group. She focuses her practice in the areas of mergers and acquisitions and private equity investments, in addition to general corporate work. For approximately four years early in her career, Kathie litigated commercial disputes. As a result, she brings a unique perspective to bear on her clients’ transactions. Her experience includes:
- Representing both buyers and sellers, strategic and financial, in dozens of acquisition and divestiture transactions, principally in manufacturing and service businesses.
- Representing individual investors, institutional investors and management in private equity investments.
- Regularly advising publicly and privately held businesses in general corporate and commercial matters.
- Representing Modine Manufacturing Company in a “reverse Morris Trust” transaction in which Modine spun off its Aftermarket Division to its shareholders, followed immediately by the merger of the Aftermarket Division with Transpro, Inc., to create a new company called Proliance International, Inc. In December 2005, the transaction won two awards at the annual deal competition hosted by The M&A Advisor – the Manufacturing-Industrial Deal of the Year and the overall U.S. Middle Market Deal of the Year.
- Representing Mason Wells Buyout Fund II in numerous portfolio company acquisitions and divestitures, including its 2007 sale of Converting, Inc. to Kohlberg & Co. (which concurrently acquired the Hoffmaster division of the Solo Cup Company to create the Hoffmaster Group, Inc.) and its 2008 buyout of Coating Excellence International, LLC, a leading domestic converter of flexible packaging products.
- Representing Briggs & Stratton Corporation in connection with its acquisitions of Generac Portable Products, a manufacturer of portable generators and related equipment, and Simplicity Manufacturing, a manufacturer of lawn and garden tractors.
Education and Honors
- Marquette University Law School (J.D., 1986)
Delta Theta Phi. Marquette Law Review (Student Articles Editor, 1985-1986).
- University of Dayton (B.S., 1983)
Bar Admissions
Wisconsin,
1986
Court Admissions
U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit, 1988
U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin, 1986
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, 1986
Professional Recognition
- Named the Best Lawyers’ 2012 Milwaukee Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law Lawyer of the Year.
- Listed in Chambers USA® (2004-present: Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions).
- Named as a 2006 “Woman of Influence” by The Business Journal (Milwaukee).
- Recognized as a “Volunteer of the Year” in 2005 by the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee.
- Martindale-Hubbell AV® Peer Review Rated.
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® (2007-present: Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law).
- Selected for inclusion in the 2005-2011 Wisconsin Super Lawyers® lists (Mergers & Acquisitions).
Professional and Civic Activities
- Milwaukee Bar Association (Member).
- American Bar Association (Member).
- State Bar of Wisconsin (Member).
Selected Presentations/Publications
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Presenter, “Antitrust Considerations in the M&A Context,” M&A Forum, February 2004.
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Panelist, “Mergers & Acquisitions,” seminar sponsored by Marsh, May 2001.
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Presenter, “Private Equity Investing from a Legal, Tax and Business Perspective,” Corporate Practice Institute, December 1997.
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Presenter, “The Section 16 Rule Revisions,” The Milwaukee Chapter of the American Society of Corporate Secretaries, 1996.
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Presenter, “Section 16 Rule Proposals - The Sequel,” “Shareholder Approval Requirements Relating to Employee Benefit Plans” and “Registration of Employee Benefit Plan Shares: A Summary of Form S-8,” The Milwaukee Chapter of the American Society of Corporate Secretaries, 1995.
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Presenter, “Section 16 Rule Proposals - A Summary,” The Milwaukee Chapter of the American Society of Corporate Secretaries, 1994.
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Presenter, “Preparing for the Upcoming Proxy Season,” The Milwaukee Chapter of the American Society of Corporate Secretaries, 1993.
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Presenter, “Summary of the SEC’s Revised Executive Compensation Disclosure Requirements,” The Milwaukee Chapter of the American Society of Corporate Secretaries, 1992.
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