Kelly C. Payne

Kelly Payne leads our portfolio company services team in advising private equity firms, their portfolio companies, and their senior management teams on a broad range of legal matters arising throughout the life cycle of a sponsor’s portfolio investment. Kelly regularly assists clients and efficiently manages internal teams on employment and executive compensation arrangements, corporate restructurings, recapitalizations, equity financings, and corporate governance issues. She leverages her prior experience serving as primary mergers and acquisitions (M&A) counsel for private equity clients in order to minimize the areas of risk most critical in a future exit.

In addition, Kelly leads knowledge management and thought leadership initiatives on behalf of the firm's M&A practice to optimize client service. In this role, Kelly supervises the development and organization of internal and external resources that facilitate the sharing of market knowledge, legal developments, and deal terms across the M&A practice.