Katten announced today that James C. Bookhout has joined the Dallas office as a partner and chair of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) Litigation practice.
“James is a top-notch attorney who can handle the most complicated M&A litigation because he deeply understands the challenges that can arise during deal transactions,” said Becky Lindahl, partner and chair of Katten’s Commercial Litigation practice. “He will be a terrific advocate for our clients working through important legal challenges during mergers and acquisitions, private equity and commercial transactions.”
Bookhout represents buyers and sellers in indemnification claims and fraud issues in M&A transactions, earnout disputes, handling of working capital and post-closing adjustment disputes, and litigating fiduciary duty and other matters between investors and sponsors in investment funds stemming from private equity transactions. He has helped buyers and sellers navigate disputes during significant transactions, and routinely handles litigation issues that arise for portfolio companies.
His commercial litigation practice focuses on pre- and post-closing M&A and investor disputes, and he has represented public and private clients in numerous federal and state courts across the United States. He has been named one of the “Best Lawyers under 40” by D Magazine for the last five consecutive years.
“Katten’s success is a testament to the great people we have working here,” said Mark S. Solomon, managing partner of Katten’s Dallas office. “James is well-known for his pragmatic, business-oriented and forward-thinking counsel, which is exactly what we look for in our Dallas team members.”
Katten‘s Mergers and Acquisitions Litigation practice assists clients in preventing and resolving post-closing disputes with a focus on the strategic decisions that drive results in the event of litigation. The firm’s team of dedicated M&A litigators successfully handles a range of disputes, from allegations of breach of representations and warranties, contract, or fiduciary duty to claims regarding purchase price adjustments and earnout disputes, net working capital disputes, third-party/indemnification, fraud, closing and funding obligations, and shareholder challenges. With nearly a quarter of all M&A transactions resulting in post-closing litigation, Katten’s proactive approach has transactional attorneys working alongside the Mergers and Acquisitions Litigation team to troubleshoot for every outcome and protect clients’ interests.
