National law firm Ballard Spahr has named Peter V. Michaud—a private equity attorney who has served as Managing Partner of the firm’s Minneapolis Office—to the position of Chair of the Business and Finance Department, effective January 1, firm Chair Mark Stewart announced today.

Mr. Michaud succeeds Brian M. Pinheiro, who will continue to lead the firm’s Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group, support the Business and Finance Department as Vice Chair, and serve on the firm’s Elected Board.

Mr. Michaud joined Ballard Spahr as part of its January 2018 merger with Lindquist & Vennum. Mr. Pinheiro played a leading role in that transaction.

“By combining with Lindquist & Vennum, we strengthened and significantly expanded our transactional practice, fulfilling a long-held goal, and we are grateful for Brian’s tireless efforts in helping to bring the merger to fruition and in leading our integration efforts,” Mr. Stewart said. “He has worked closely with Peter both during the merger and since and has the utmost confidence in the strategic guidance Peter will provide for the department.”

The merger with Lindquist & Vennum brought more than 60 attorneys to Ballard Spahr’s Business and Finance Department and gave the firm offices in Minneapolis and Sioux Falls. The attorneys in Ballard Spahr’s Business and Finance Department work with clients of all sizes and stages of maturity to negotiate, structure, and complete transactions that improve competitive position, add value, and sustain growth. They also advise clients on the best legal framework for operations, investments, and regulatory compliance. The department has more than 180 attorneys nationwide, practicing in two dozen areas of law.

Mr. Michaud advises private equity funds, their portfolio companies, and strategic buyers in stock and asset acquisitions and divestitures, mergers, recapitalizations, and other forms of sales and reorganizations.

Litigation Partner Karla Vehrs succeeds Mr. Michaud as Managing Partner of Ballard Spahr’s Minneapolis office, the firm’s largest location outside of Philadelphia.

Mr. Pinheiro focuses on compliance with the statutory and regulatory rules relating to executive compensation, tax-qualified retirement plans, cash balance pensions, and health and welfare plans. He has experience advising clients with respect to rules arising out of ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, HIPAA, COBRA, and the Age Discrimination Employment Act.

About Ballard Spahr

Ballard Spahr LLP, an Am Law 100 law firm with more than 650 lawyers in 15 offices in the United States, provides a range of services in litigation, business and finance, real estate, intellectual property, and public finance. Our clients include Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, life sciences and technology companies, health systems, investors and developers, government agencies, media clients, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations. The firm combines a national scope of practice with strong regional market knowledge. For more information, please visit www.ballardspahr.com.