Patrick J. Johnson

Patrick Johnson, a partner in the firm's Raleigh office, represents businesses, investors and entrepreneurs in merger and acquisition, joint venture and securities transactions, as well as ongoing commercial relationships. He also advises clients on the corporate, tax and securities aspects of forming and financing businesses and governance, regulatory and tax matters. He has extensive experience representing private and public companies and private equity funds in domestic and international business combination, acquisition and financing transactions.

Prior to joining Brooks Pierce in 2004, Patrick was a lawyer with Jones Day and Dewey Ballantine in New York for nearly a decade. He also served as an investment banker with Robertson Stephens in New York, where he advised on M&A and capital markets transactions.

Over his career Patrick has focused on creating value and reducing costs for his clients by bringing additional knowledge and skills to the table. As a business lawyer he knows that finance, tax and international considerations play an important role in most business transactions. To that end, he took a year off from practicing law to work as an investment banker in New York to learn corporate finance skills to better serve his clients. He spent three months practicing in Dewey Ballantine's London office working on international matters, has worked on numerous cross-border transactions, and currently serves as counsel to a global materials business and frequently advises them with respect to commercial arrangements with and among foreign entities.

In the fall of 2009 he was accepted into NYU's online masters in taxation law part-time program and completed a three credit course on the taxation of property transactions.

Articles, Publications, & Speeches

• "Enforceability of Online Terms and Conditions Incorporated into a Written Contract," North Carolina Bar Association Business Law Section newsletter, April 2010
• "Securities Law Issues and Answers for Small to Medium Sized Businesses," NBI CLE Seminar, December 2009
• "LLC's: Securities Law Issues and Answers," NBI CLE Seminar, May 2009
• "Joint Ventures: One Alternative to Financing a Deal Without Traditional Financing," North Carolina Bar Association Annual Real Property Section Meeting, April 2009
• "Due Diligence in M&A Transactions," North Carolina Bar Association Annual Business Law Section Meeting, February 2008
• "Limited Liability Companies - Creating Practical Operating Procedures," NBI CLE Seminar, August 2007
• "SEC Disclosure Rules Regarding Internal Control Over Financial Reporting," Legal Topics Bulletin, August 2004

Representative Clients

Patrick has significant experience in advising and negotiating transactions for privately-held and publicly-traded companies including:

• Acquisition of assets of six radio stations
• Private owner of broadcast television stations in sale of stations to public company
• Private U.S. distribution company in sale to U.K. public company
• Private media company in sale of cable systems to private investor
• Private equity fund in purchase of consumer products company owned by Japanese pharmaceutical company
• Two midwestern utilities in sale of jointly-held U.K. electricity distribution business to U.K. utility
• Prominent investment banker in purchase of national magazine from large media company
• National telecommunications company in a large equity investment by financial buyer in telecommunications company's reorganization in Chapter 11
• Public telecommunications company in its acquisition by private telecommunications company
• Private health care service provider in its acquisition of family-owned health care service provider
• Private equity fund in its investments in cable service provider
• Pension trust of Fortune 10 company in its investments in public hotel chain and private direct marketing company
• Numerous corporate debtors in credit facilities

Honors & Awards

• 40 Under 40 Leadership Award, Triangle Business Journal, 2009
• Power of Justice Award, Business Leader Magazine and NC Bar, 2008

Professional & Community Activities

• Chair, Steering Committee, North Carolina Lawyers for Entrepreneurs Assistance Program (NC LEAP), 2006-2009
• Member of Executive Committee (2009--) and Council Member, Business Law Section, North Carolina Bar Association
• Vice Chair Member Relations of Leadership Raleigh Alumni Association, 2009--
• Graduate, Leadership Raleigh, 2005-06
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Wake County Bar Association

News

• Patrick Johnson Serves as Panelist at CED Program
• Frye, Johnson and Woosley Receive Power of Justice Awards