CLEVELAND — Jan. 4, 2024
Key takeaways
- Melissa Leonard returns to BakerHostetler’s Cleveland office as a partner in the firm’s Business Practice Group and a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions team.
- Having most recently served as Lordstown Motors Corp.’s executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, Leonard rejoins BakerHostetler with extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, debt finance, corporate governance, distressed business situations and general corporate matters.
- Leonard previously practiced at BakerHostetler from 1995 to 2021, starting as an associate before her promotion to partner in 2002.
Why this matters
BakerHostetler welcomes Leonard back to the firm’s Business Practice Group. Her significant legal experience, advising companies both in private practice and in-house, is an immediate asset to the firm’s nationally recognized M&A and debt finance teams. Plus, having most recently served as Lordstown Motors Corp.’s general counsel, she will be able to offer unparalleled counsel and advice to clients in the automotive industry.
Leonard is the latest partner to join BakerHostetler’s national Business Practice Group, which most recently welcomed Jim Wiehl and Cleve Glenn in late 2023.
Key quote
“Melissa is a prominent and highly regarded corporate attorney who has outstanding relationships with businesses across the automotive industry and beyond. I couldn’t be more excited to kick off 2024 by welcoming her back to the firm,” said John Allotta, chair of the firm’s nationwide Business Practice Group. “Her return to BakerHostetler helps reinforce BakerHostetler’s reputation as a nationwide middle market M&A leader.”
About Leonard’s practice
An experienced corporate and transactional attorney, Leonard has built an impressive practice that concentrates on M&A and debt financing transactions, with substantial experience representing private equity and private and public company clients in both control and non-control transactions and in various stages of financing and capital formation. Her financing experience includes senior secured and unsecured financings, mezzanine financings, project and structured finance, real estate development financings, debt restructurings, and hedging transactions. Among business leaders, Leonard has developed a stellar reputation for collaborating with companies to successfully represent their interests and obtain the desired results.
Leonard received her B.S. from Miami University, summa cum laude, and her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School.
Key quote
“I am thrilled to welcome Melissa back to BakerHostetler and our Cleveland office. She is a well-respected practitioner and her arrival further strengthens our firm’s reputation for providing sophisticated counsel on clients’ most complex corporate needs.” said Matthew Tenerowicz, managing partner of BakerHostetler’s Cleveland office.“
BakerHostetler’s Business Practice Group handles thousands of corporate transactions each year. The full-service team, consisting of more than 250 attorneys in offices across the United States, has extensive experience closing all varieties of transactions – including mergers and acquisitions, private equity, real estate, debt finance, capital markets and securities, healthcare and regulatory, restructuring and bankruptcy, emerging companies and venture capital, commercial transactions, and other matters central to a company’s success. A national group with a global reach, BakerHostetler’s Business Practice Group is consistently named as a go-to practice by both Chambers USA and Legal 500. For more information visit bakerlaw.com/services/business/. Connect with us on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @BakerHostetler or on LinkedIn @BakerHostetler, @JohnAllotta, @MatthewTenerowicz or @MelissaLeonard.
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About BakerHostetler BakerHostetler helps clients around the world address their most complex and critical business and regulatory issues. Our highly ranked attorneys deliver sophisticated counsel and outstanding client service. We have six core practice groups — Business, Digital Assets and Data Management, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, Litigation, and Tax — and more than 1,000 lawyers coast to coast. For more information, visit bakerlaw.com.