Center for the Study of Mergers and Acquisitions

The Penn State Center for the Study of Mergers and Acquisitions, headed by Samuel C. Thompson Jr., examines corporate, securities, tax, antitrust, and other legal and economic issues that arise in mergers and acquisitions. An important part of the Center's mission is to sponsor continuing legal education programs addressing these issues.

Each fall, Penn State Law and the City Bar Center for CLE of the New York City Bar co-sponsor the Institute on Corporate, Securities, and Related Aspects of Mergers and Acquisitions. The Institute, which is co-chaired by Professor Thompson and H. Rodgin Cohen of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, is held at the Bar's facility in New York City. Sessions provide penetrating analyses of recent developments in this very dynamic area; speakers at the Institute include some of the world's leading M&A attorneys, investment bankers, and governmental officials.

In the spring, Penn State Law and the City Bar Center for CLE co-sponsor the annual Institute on Tax Aspects of Mergers and Acquisitions, co-chaired by Professor Thompson and Michael L. Schler of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. Program speakers are nationally and internationally recognized tax specialists as well as Treasury and IRS officials. The program begins with an introduction to the topic, and continues with an in-depth look at significant current issues of interest to all practitioners in this area. Information provided will help participants to, among other things: evaluate different acquisition strategies from a tax perspective; identify issues related to cross-border M&A transactions; recognize state tax issues in M&A transactions; and increase understanding of tax issues in M&A transactions, including those related to executive compensation and corporate M&A expenses.

New offerings in 2009 included a forum on the “Impact of the New Obama Administration on Laws Affecting Mergers and Acquisitions,” held in January in Washington, DC, and the “Executive Program in Mergers and Acquisitions: Producing a Positive Return in Troubled Times,” co-sponsored by Penn State Law, Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, Houlihan Lokey Investment Banking Services, and the City Bar Center for CLE of the New York City Bar (May 2009).

Please contact us if you would like to receive additional information on our programs.