Since Melvin Epstein joined the firm in 1962, he has been engaged in the firm’s securities, capital markets and corporate practice areas. He has participated in the creation of innovative transactions made feasible as a result of developments in national and international financial and regulatory environments. These transactions have included the first mortgage-backed bonds, a particular type of sovereign debt instrument used in international finance, developing country privatizations, and the conversion of not-for-profit entities to a for profit structure. He has been involved in all phases of these transactions, from the initial planning and structuring through the final negotiations, including those with relevant regulatory authorities.

Recently, Mr. Epstein has been heavily involved in private equity and merger and acquisition transactions and corporate governance questions. He has represented private equity investors in connection with both their investment and their exit, as well as investee and other companies seeking to acquire or to be acquired. He has represented special committees of boards of directors, or their equivalent, in connection with evaluating such matters as sales of the company and transactions with controlling shareholders. He has also counseled investment banking firms in their role as financial advisors to targets, acquirors and special committees of both.

In addition to these practice areas, Mr. Epstein works with the firm’s Financial Restructuring Group on the securities law aspects of novel ways of providing financing to distressed companies, and with the firm’s Personal Client Services Group on succession planning and other governance matters for privately held businesses. As chairman of the firm’s opinions committee, he deals with a great variety of questions, particularly under the securities and corporate laws.

Admitted to Practice

New York, 1963

Education

LL.B., Harvard Law School, 1962

A.B., cum laude, Harvard College, 1959