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Contact

28 Liberty Street
41st Fl.
New York, New York 10005
D/212-238-8641

I consider our clients’ questions and concerns to be of utmost importance. I respond as promptly as possible and, to reassure clients that proper attention is being paid, I provide frequent updates on the progress and status of their matters. For client issues that require thoughtful and in-depth analysis, I explain all aspects of the matter clearly and thoroughly so that they understand the key points and details of, as well as the practical solutions for, their issues.

Advising clients on a wide range of general corporate matters, Austin Keyes shepherds businesses through mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances. Austin advises on the formation and ownership structure of corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies and addresses the legal needs of their on-going business and commercial activities. Additionally, Austin provides sophisticated corporate governance and compliance advice for both for-profit companies and tax-exempt organizations.

For clients involved in acquisitions and other transactions which may require reporting to the U.S. antitrust authorities under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, Austin helps these clients determine whether they are subject to the Act and, if so, guides them through the requirements of the reporting process. He also counsels clients on corporate trust matters, including representing sponsors and trustees of precious metals-based exchange-traded products and trustees of tender-option bond programs.

Austin’s broad, diverse practice covers clients in a variety of industries, including mining, manufacturing, transportation, health care products, medical devices and tourism. He takes an active part in the firm’s commitment to help international clients enter U.S. markets and assist them with their U.S. transactions. As a junior lawyer, Austin’s secondment to a business media client provided valuable insight into the business motivations behind a client’s legal decisions as well as an understanding as to what a client really wants from its outside counsel.

Austin enjoys the challenge of unraveling and understanding byzantine legal and business issues, which typically involves identifying and understanding the key details of the matter, as well as undertaking creative and complex legal drafting to give life to clients’ ideas and wishes. Additionally, clients and colleagues turn to him to help clients, such as family run businesses, which have been deficient or disorganized with their corporate organization, record keeping or management arrangements. He works with these clients to establish the proper documentation that reflects their corporate history and their desired ownership and management structures.

Experience

  • Aluminum production company: Represented foreign public company with the sale of certain foreign bauxite mining and refining facilities to an international buyer.
  • Sightseeing ferry company: Represented a U.S. company providing marine-based tourism, transportation, dining and entertainment with the acquisition of a sightseeing and transportation ferry business.
  • Health care products distributor: Represented a U.S. company with its investment in, and its participation in the management of, a manufacturer and distributor of nutritional and health care products derived from the hemp plant.
  • Trade association: Represented a U.S. trade association with its joint venture with a trade show management company and their joint acquisition of an annual holiday exposition and trade show.
  • Medical device company: Represented U.S. company and an affiliate with the purchase and subsequent sale of a vision medical device business and related license agreements and the purchase of all of the stock of women's medical device manufacturer. Assisted U.S. parent company with a corporate restructuring, including the roll-up of multiple subsidiaries.
  • Business media company: Represented U.K. public company with the stock acquisition of an automotive market research company, the acquisition of a software conference business, the acquisition of a music directory business and the formation of a joint venture with a private equity firm for managing a pulp and paper information business. Assisted the market research division of this company with the corporate restructuring of multiple subsidiaries.
  • Electric motor company: Represented U.S. company with the acquisition of a U.S. and U.K. electric motor business.
  • Private equity company: Represented U.S. company in the formation of joint ventures with financial partners for the purchase of aircraft ownership interests.
  • Filtration company: Represented U.S. public company with the sale of its airline filter distribution business and obtaining a related distribution agreement.
  • Business-to-business information provider: Represented U.K. public company with the acquisition of a search engine business.
  • Investment manager: Assisted U.S. private investment manager with agreements governing the ownership and redemption of its equity interests.
  • Stock exchange: Represented U.S. stock exchange with agreements with European stock exchange to mutually cross-list certain exchange traded funds.
  • SDPR Gold Trust: Represented this U.S. trust, the first exchange traded fund to track a commodity, with its development and initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. Recent work includes assisting the trust with the transfer of its principal listing from the New York Stock Exchange to the NYSE Arca electronic trading platform and with the cross-listing of its shares on the Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo stock exchanges.

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