Jonathan L. Awner, Esq.

Akerman LLP
Awner, Jonathan

Jonathan Awner is a Partner in the Miami office of Akerman who has broad experience in public and private securities transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity investments. Mr. Awner served as chair of Akerman's national Corporate Practice Group for 15 years. He regularly serves as counsel to boards of directors, audit and special board committees, and senior executives of public companies with respect to corporate governance issues, management succession, relationships with institutional and activist investors, compensation practices for directors and officers, conflict of interest matters, and change-of-control transactions.

Mr. Awner's committee representations include leading investigations of alleged management misconduct, whistleblower complaints, stock option backdating, accounting irregularities, auditor resignations, violations of securities laws including insider trading, and in response to shareholder concerns involving lack of operating performance or excessive compensation.

He has served as lead counsel to issuers in numerous underwritten public equity and debt offerings, including a $1.5 billion IPO, the largest initial public offering ever of a Florida-based company. In addition, he has been counsel to public and private companies and investor groups in private placements of equity and debt securities, including numerous early stage and other venture capital financings.

Mr. Awner earned his B.A. from Swathmore College and his J.D., cum laude, from the Boston University School of Law.

He is a co-author of Bloomberg BNA Corporate Practice Portfolio Series No. 94, The Florida Corporation: Legal Aspects of Organization and Operation.