Investment Companies and Investment Advisers
Michael L. Meyer has served as counsel to numerous open- and closed-end public and private investment companies, and to investment advisers serving public and private investment companies.
He currently serves as counsel to the independent directors of a large complex of investment companies.
He has been involved in such matters as:
- Fund organization and share offerings
- Renewal of management contracts
- Fund mergers and reorganizations
- Change of control of advisers
- Requesting and obtaining exemptions and no-action letters from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the Investment Company Act of 1940
- Counseling the funds and their independent directors
Regulation of Securities Markets
Mr. Meyer counsels securities exchanges, securities information processors, and broker-dealers. For more than 35 years, he has represented the Chicago Board Options Exchange, beginning with the effort to obtain the regulatory approvals necessary for it to commence operation under federal and state securities laws, and continuing to the demutualization of that Exchange and its IPO in 2010.
He has represented other securities exchanges, both domestic and foreign, in a range of matters under U.S. securities laws, and has represented exchange specialists and their broker-dealers. He also represents a major securities information processor.
Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate Transactions and Corporate Organization
Mr. Meyer has represented both acquired and acquiring companies in domestic and international business acquisitions, tender offers, mergers and other corporate reorganizations. He has organized partnerships and joint ventures, including several international ventures.
Corporate, Project and Structured Finance
Mr. Meyer has been involved in a wide variety of financial transactions, including more than 30 financings of public companies and a large number of private offerings of secured and unsecured debt and equity securities.
He has represented issuers, underwriters and purchasers/lenders in these transactions, and has been responsible for negotiating the terms of the financings and drafting the related documentation.
Legislative Matters
During a four-year period when Mr. Meyer was based in Schiff Hardin's Washington office, he was involved in a number of legislative matters concerning:
- Taxation
- Bankruptcy law
- Securities and commodities regulation