Peter is the senior partner and a founder of Barack Ferrazzano. He practices in the area of corporate and securities law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions and financial planning matters. He regularly represents clients in mergers and acquisitions, strategic business planning and other sorts of corporate counseling. In addition, he advises a variety of large public companies, including many foreign companies in their American business activities.
As examples of the diverse nature of his practice activities, Peter has represented a large French public company in its $3.2 billion acquisition of a 62.5 percent interest in an international retailer, another large French company in the merger of its business travel services subsidiary with an American business travel company to form an international company with over $8 billion in annual turnover, the controlling family in a merger of its publicly held sporting goods company into a large privately held sporting goods company and its subsequent listing on the NASDAQ national market system, and a public company in its $350 million acquisition by way of a tender offer and merger into a private equity fund.
Peter began his career as an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and an Associate Professor of Law at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. He has continued his academic affiliations by serving as an Adjunct Professor of Corporate Law and the holder of the Edward Avery Harriman Lectureship at Northwestern Law School, where he teaches Business Planning, Corporate Finance, and Securities Regulation. He also is an Adjunct Professor in Finance at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management where he teaches Mergers and Acquisitions. He also teaches Mergers and Acquisitions in various mid-career Executive Programs at the Kellogg School of Management.
Peter is the author of numerous articles on corporate and securities matters, a speaker on corporate law subjects, and a member of various corporate law committees, including the Ray Garrett Jr. Corporate and Securities Law Institute and the Corporate Counsel Institute for which he served as Planning Director for many years. Peter is also a member of the Boards of Trustees of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and of the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art.
Representative Experience
Representation of Sephora in negotiations with Kohl's on a long-term strategic partnership to create a new era of elevated Beauty at Kohl's, marrying Kohl's expansive customer reach and omnichannel convenience with Sephora's prestige service, product selection and exceptional beauty experience.
Represented Moët Hennessy, a division of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, in its acquisition of a minority stake & distribution partnership with WhistlePig Whiskey.
Represented Fendi in its acquisition of a controlling interest in Taramax SA, its watch licensee, and entry into long term license agreement.
Representation of Football Fanatics in connection with its recapitalization and sale of Series A Preferred Shares to a well-known private equity firm.
Representation of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton in its acquisition of a UK company that owns Hotel Saint-Barth Isle de France, a 5-star hotel located on the Caribbean Island of St. Barthémy. The acquisition involved complex holding structures that required extensive tax planning and negotiations with minority shareholders.
The Firm has a longstanding relationship with LVMH, an iconic luxury goods and services conglomerate with 60+ brands, serving as outside counsel for its corporate and real estate transactions, as well as intellectual property and litigation matters around the world, and providing strategic legal counsel in connection with acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, brand management, employment agreements, and endorsement agreements.
Representation of Kendo Holdings, Inc., a cosmetics and beauty incubator company owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and affiliated with Sephora, in strategic transactions related to the formation and launch of the brand Fenty Beauty by Rihanna.
Representation of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) in strategic corporate and intellectual property transactions related to the formation and launch of Fenty by Rihanna, a new luxury fashion maison of ready-to-wear clothing, shoes, and accessories. The historic collaboration will make Rihanna the first woman to create an original LVMH brand, and Fenty the first LVMH-established fashion house in more than 30 years (Announced: May 2019).
Representation of LVMH Moët Hennessy in its acquisitions of a majority stake in Off-White LLC, the trademark owner of Virgil Abloh's Off-White brand. LVMH and Virgil Abloh came to an agreement that will give the designer leeway to launch brands and seal partnerships across the full range of the luxury conglomerate's activities, beyond just the fashion division.
Representation of Moët Hennessy, a division of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, in its partnership with Shawn Jay-Z Carter, pursuant to which Moët Hennessy acquired a 50% stake in the Champagne brand, Armand de Brignac, previously wholly-owned by Jay-Z.
Representation of Moët Hennessy USA in its acquisition of Woodinville Whiskey Company, LLC.
Activities & Honors
- Selected, Corporate Law, The Best Lawyers in America© (2015-2023)
- Selected, Illinois Super Lawyers (2007-2021)
- Selected, Leading Lawyers Network (2003-2022)
- Recipient, Lt. John A. Larkin, Jr. Memorial Prize
- Recipient, Nuffield College Fellowship
- Selected, The Best Lawyers in America© (2015-2022)
- Corporate Law
- Recipient, Princeton Prize Fellowship
- Marshall Scholar
- Order of the Coif
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Member, Editorial Board, Harvard Law Review
Articles & Publications
News
Education
Harvard University Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, 1970
Oxford University, B.Phil. (Lincoln College-1966) (Nuffield College-1967)
Princeton University, A.B., summa cum laude, 1965
Bar & Court Admissions
- State of Illinois
- U.S. Court of Appeals - 7th Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Representative Clients
- Christian Dior
- Fendi
- LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton
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