Harvey J. Kesner, previously head of the New York Business and Securities Regulation Group at Haynes and Boone, LLP, and Ben Reichel, a partner, have joined the corporate and securities practice of Sichenzia Ross Friedman Ference LLP ("SRFF") as partners. The new additions couple two of the most active and dynamic securities practices in New York and result in one of the most experienced and productive corporate finance groups in the United States, representing well over 100 publicly traded companies.
Both the SRFF practice and Mr. Kesner's group have long focused on the needs of public companies, hedge funds, institutional investors, money managers, high net worth individuals, underwriters, placement agents and broker-dealers. Both practices have a well-established prominence in PIPES, venture capital, reverse mergers, public offerings and general corporate and securities law compliance. Since 2007, the combined practices have represented over 87 PIPE transactions totaling $900 million in value. The addition of Harvey and Ben brings the total number of attorneys in the SRFF corporate finance group to 21 lawyers and the total number of lawyers firm wide to 30. SRFF's practice groups include business and securities litigation, securities enforcement and broker dealer regulation.
"We are very fortunate to have Harvey and Ben join forces with us. The combination of their practice with ours continues our leading position in business counseling and securities transactions and has further expanded our market share," said Richard Friedman, managing partner of the firm. "Their addition solidifies SRFF's position as an industry leader and demonstrates our tradition of growth by careful additions of individual practitioners and cohesive practice groups that share our collegial and entrepreneurial spirit, and a dedication to quality of service."
Mr. Kesner stated, "Uniting both of these nationally recognized practices makes perfect sense. We are joining SRFF to consolidate our two similar and competitive practices under a single roof. We have always respected SRFF's professionals including their success in establishing a strong presence in China. Many of our friends and clients view SRFF as the international leader in small- and mid-cap public company representation and we look forward to continuing to expand both domestically and abroad."
Mr. Kesner focuses his practice on complex domestic and international transactions. He represents issuers, underwriters, agents and other financial intermediaries in public and private offerings, as well as in equity, debt, and derivative securities transactions. Mr. Kesner has an extensive background in representing issuers and other parties in mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital transactions.
Mr. Kesner spent several years in Washington, D.C., where he was a senior attorney in the Division of Corporation Finance of the SEC. He holds an M.B.A. in finance from American University in Washington, D.C., where he also earned his J.D. Mr. Kesner received his B.S. from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Mr. Kesner served as General Counsel of a NYSE listed company and had previously been associated with several large New York law firms.
Mr. Reichel's practice focuses on corporate securities, venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, and general company representation. He has represented issuers in private and public offerings of debt and equity securities, including IPOs, secondary, PIPE and registered rights offerings. He has also represented investment firms and private companies in venture capital transactions, as well as hedge fund formation. In addition, Mr. Reichel has represented public and private companies, both as buyers and sellers, in various M&A deals, including statutory mergers, stock purchase transactions and asset sales and acquisitions. His practice also includes assisting public companies with their SEC filings, and advising them on securities law and daily corporate matters. Mr. Reichel received his J.D. from New York University School of Law and completed his B.A. at Yeshiva University.