Corporate/Securities Lawyer Michael Halloran Joins Haynes and Boone

WASHINGTON and SILICON VALLEY, Calif., April 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Halloran, a preeminent corporate and securities lawyer, has joined Haynes and Boone, LLP as partner. Mr. Halloran will be based in the firm's Washington, D.C. and Northern California offices.

Mr. Halloran previously served as counselor to the chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) deputy chief of staff, and as SEC group executive vice president and general counsel for BankAmerica Corporation and its principal subsidiary, Bank of America NT&SA, helping the bank expand from its four-state base to a 50-state franchise. While chief legal adviser of the bank from 1990 to 1996, Mr. Halloran was responsible for more than 30 acquisitions, including some of the largest and most complex in the banking industry. They included Security Pacific National Bank, at the time the largest bank acquisition ever completed, Continental Illinois Bank, Valley Federal Bank of Nevada, Honolulu Federal Bank, numerous savings and loan associations and leasing, mortgage and other financial services companies.

Mr. Halloran spent most of his prior career in San Francisco and Silicon Valley as a corporate, securities and venture capital lawyer at Pillsbury Winthrop, where he led the corporate, securities, finance and venture capital practices. He is the editor of Venture Capital and Public Offering Negotiation, the leading treatise used by lawyers and venture capitalists in fund formation, developing-stage company investment and IPO sectors. Mr. Halloran also was the founder and leader of Pillsbury's office in Washington, D.C.

"With his experience, Mike will serve as a valuable Washington point person for securities and financial institution regulatory matters," said Terry Conner, Haynes and Boone managing partner. "In addition, his highly regarded venture capital and corporate knowledge will dovetail well with our growing California practices."

Mr. Halloran has extensive experience handling securities and corporate matters for public and private companies, investment funds and investment advisers. His areas of experience include mergers and acquisitions, financial institutions, technology and developing-stage companies and venture capital, board of directors counseling and special investigations.

The timing of his arrival at the firm could not be better, Mr. Halloran said. "Today's economic problems are going to result in much more regulation and many more enforcement actions," he said. "At the same time, the securities and IPO markets appear to be returning to more vibrant levels. I am well positioned with my new Haynes and Boone practice to address the business generated by these emerging trends, particularly in the securities and financial institution regulation areas. In addition, I can address the needs of California clients through Haynes and Boone's Northern and Southern California offices."

While serving at the SEC, Mr. Halloran led several significant reform initiatives, including the drafting and adoption of the new, less costly audit standard under Sarbanes-Oxley for internal controls of public companies, private placement exemption reforms for private closely held companies, exemptions for business development companies, anti-fraud rules for investment advisers, movement toward International Financial Reporting Standards, creation of the Task Force on Financial Reporting Improvements, and preparation of new rules for regulation of credit rating agencies.

Mr. Halloran received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of California, and his law degree from that university's Boalt Hall School of Law.

Haynes and Boone, LLP is an international corporate law firm with offices in Texas, New York, California, Washington, D.C., Mexico City and Moscow, providing a full spectrum of legal services. With almost 550 attorneys, Haynes and Boone is ranked among the largest law firms in the nation by The National Law Journal. The firm has been recognized as one of the "Best Corporate Law Firms in America" (Corporate Board Member Magazine, 2001-2009), as one of "The Best 20 Law Firms to Work For" (Vault.com, 2009), and as a Top 100 law firm for both diversity (MultiCultural Law Magazine, 2009) and women (Women 3.0, 2008).

SOURCE Haynes and Boone, LLP