Barry M. Abelson is chair emeritus and a partner in the Commercial Department of Pepper Hamilton LLP. He served as chairman of Pepper’s Executive Committee, the firm’s governing body, from 1995 until 2007.
Mr. Abelson concentrates his practice in securities, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity transactions. He has substantial experience in public and private offerings of equity and debt securities (representing issuers, underwriters and investors) and acquisitions and dispositions of public and private companies. In addition, Mr. Abelson regularly counsels boards of directors, independent board committees and senior management of companies on strategic, governance, disclosure and transactional matters.
Active in the community, Mr. Abelson serves on the board of Operation Warm, which distributes coats to needy children nationally.
Mr. Abelson received the Judge Learned Hand Award from the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Jewish Committee in 2004, in recognition of his professional achievements and his dedicated leadership and commitment to the community. He received the Blair Thompson Lifetime Venture Award from the Mid-Atlantic Capital Alliance in 2007, in recognition of his role in furthering the region’s venture capital interests, and served as co-chair of the 2005 Mid-Atlantic Venture Conference.
Mr. Abelson is listed in The Best Lawyers in America and was named the Philadelphia Best Lawyers Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyer of the Year for 2013. He was named the Philadelphia Best Lawyers Securities/Capital Markets Lawyer of the Year for 2011, the Philadelphia Best Lawyers Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyer of the Year for 2010 and the Philadelphia Best Lawyers Corporate Lawyer of the Year for 2009. He is recognized as a “star performer” in corporate, M&A, private equity and securities matters in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, and was selected for inclusion on the 2012 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list. Mr. Abelson also was named to the 2011 Legal Elite list by Philadelphia SmartCEO magazine.
