James E. Abbott

James E. Abbott is a partner and the Co-Head of the Business Transactions Group at Seward & Kissel. Jim has practiced law since 1984. He joined Seward & Kissel as a partner in 2007.

Jim represents public and private companies, private investment funds, investment management firms, financial institutions, business owners and managers in connection with a variety of business transactions, financings and general corporate matters. Representative transactions include mergers and acquisitions, private equity, debt and venture capital transactions, seed capital arrangements, joint ventures, strategic alliances, PIPEs and other public and private securities offerings.

In 2019, The M&A Advisor recognized Jim with its 2019 Leadership Award, and inducted him into its Hall of Fame. In 2018, The National Law Journal recognized Jim as an M&A Trailblazer, among only 27 attorneys nationally who it determined were “movers and shakers in the legal industry who have made an impact in their sector through new types of strategies or innovative matters.” In ranking Seward & Kissel’s Business Transactions Group as Highly Regarded for Corporate/M&A, Chambers USA ranked Jim Abbott a Leading Individual and reported that “clients are full of praise” for Jim, “saying that he always puts client satisfaction as a primary objective, brings a lot of experience to deals, and can explain legal items in everyday business terms.” In recommending the Seward & Kissel Business Transactions Group among the firms ranked in the middle market M&A category, The Legal 500 ranked Jim in its “Hall of Fame” category and reported that “Co-business transactions group leader Jim Abbott is very helpful with the overall strategic advice and guidance he provides. Jim gets actively engaged in the entire process, providing superior service, and not only is he personable and affable, but he can subtly drive a very hard bargain.”  Jim is among the corporate lawyers recognized by New York Super Lawyers, and is ranked AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 by Martindale-Hubbell. Jim is also ranked as a Notable Practitioner by IFLR1000.

Jim has been a regular speaker and author on a variety of topics, including acting as an editor for IM Deals® (a blog covering investment management industry transactions), being a contributor to the Best Practices of the Best Dealmakers book, writing a chapter on “Mergers, Consolidations and Conversions Under the New York Limited Liability Company Law,” in the New York Limited Liability Companies and Partnerships book, and writing or being quoted in articles appearing in numerous financial and legal publications. He has been a moderator or panelist at many industry events, including the “M&A: The Art of the Deal” session sponsored by the New York Chapter of Financial Executives International, a presentation entitled “Earnouts: Recent Developments and Three Rules of the Road” at the JEGI Media & Technology Conference, a panel discussion entitled “Global Coverage: What’s Hot About India” at the M&A Advisor Annual Middle Market M&A Conference, and at the Wharton Entrepreneurial Speaker Series event entitled “When Selling Your Business Avoid Losing Millions From These Common Mistakes”.

Jim received a B.A. degree, magna cum laude, from Colgate University in 1981 and a J.D. degree from New York University School of Law in 1984, where he was a member of the Moot Court Board. Jim is admitted to practice in New York and is a member of the New York State Bar Association (International Law and Practice Section, Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States).

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