Barry Genkin has recently served as the head of Blank Rome’s Business Department, consisting of more than 325 attorneys practicing globally in numerous industries and as Asia Practice Chair. He has more than 30 years of experience advising public-company clients in public and private offerings of equity and debt securities; mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures; and corporate governance. His extensive experience includes the following:
- Capital-formation transactions, including IPOs and follow-on offerings
- Mergers, acquisitions, divestures, and joint ventures
- Chinese companies listing in U.S. and Chinese company M&A
- Private equity, including venture capital and other early-stage transactions
- Proxy contests and defensive planning
- Federal securities law and compliance
- Take-overs and anti-takeover defenses, including rights plans
- Complex outsourcing arrangements
- Corporate governance, special board committee investigations, and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance
Barry is a trusted adviser of CEOs, CFOs, boards of directors, and audit and special board committees, who rely upon him for providing practical solutions to complex legal and business matters. His strong business and financial acumen, coupled with years of high-level experience, enable him to be a creative problem solver, especially when the stakes are high. His commonsense approach, strong communication skills, and calming style create client confidence and make him a persuasive advocate. He typically functions as the lead lawyer in transactions requiring a multi-faceted team approach and prides himself on being responsive to client needs.
Before joining Blank Rome, he served as special counsel for the Division of Corporate Finance at the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C., where he was a recipient of the Special Merit Award.
Barry is a frequent speaker and has authored numerous publications about raising capital (“IPOs”), including Chinese companies, M&A, shareholder activism, proxy contests, capital formation, and corporate governance.
Barry is ranked by Chambers USA as a leader in corporate, M&A, private equity, and securities law. Clients say “he is stellar: completely responsive, focused on delivering the best quality work and not concerned with his ego.”
The Legal Intelligencer awarded “Best Law Firm” (Pennsylvania)—Corporate Practices/Corporate Governance—to Blank Rome, highlighting Barry’s leadership and achievements.
Outside the Firm
Barry served as president of the Board of Directors at Pennsylvania State University’s Smeal College of Business and the Farrell Center for Entrepreneurship. He served as a trustee for the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia and Board member of the ACE Club.