James P. Peterson is Chair of the firm’s Corporate Department and a member of the firm’s Private Equity & Venture Capital, Transactional & Securities, and International Practices. James has extensive experience in acquisitions, divestitures, structuring of corporate venture capital entities and related investments, and general corporate law. James regularly represents Scandinavian and other European-based companies in U.S. acquisitions, joint ventures, and general corporate counselling matters.
Prior to practicing law, James represented the State of Wisconsin’s interests at the State of Wisconsin Office of Federal-State Relations in Washington, D.C. and worked as a staff member for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means.
Awards and Recognition
- Peer review rated as AV Preeminent®, the highest performance rating in the Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ system
- Selected by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as a leading corporate and mergers and acquisitions attorney (2007-2024)
- Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the fields of:
- Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law (2011-2024)
- Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2013-2024)
- Named the Best Lawyers® 2016 Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Milwaukee
- Recipient of Foley & Lardner’s Carl Hitchner Mentor of the Year Award, which is an annual award recognizing outstanding mentoring to young attorneys by partners and senior counsel (2016)
- Awarded the M&A Advisor “Deal of the Year” in the Industrial Manufacturing/Distribution Category for his work on the acquisition of the automotive industrial plastics business of Wicor Holdings AG. He led the multi-national team that advised the acquirer in this transaction (2014)
Affiliations
- Milwaukee Bar Association
- American Bar Association
Community Involvement
- James is a member of the board of directors of Wellpoint Care Network, a nonprofit organization which provides therapy, prevention, education, and case management for children and families, including kids in foster care, foster care families, and youth aging out of the foster care system.
- He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Milwaukee
Presentations and Publications
- Co-author, “The Impact of an Asset Purchase Transaction Structure on FCPA Risk,” Global Banking & Finance Review (August 2020)
Foley Achieves Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2024
Foley & Lardner LLP is pleased to announce that it is again recognized by Chambers & Partners as one of the leading law firms in the country in the 2024 edition of Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
Foley Attorneys Recognized in 2024 Best Lawyers in America
Foley & Lardner LLP proudly announced today that 236 of the firm’s attorneys across 20 U.S. offices have received recognition in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.
Foley Earns Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2023
Foley & Lardner LLP is pleased to announce that it has again been recognized by Chambers & Partners as one of the top law firms in the country in the 2023 edition of Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
Foley Attorneys Recognized in 2023 Best Lawyers in America
Foley & Lardner LLP proudly announced that 250 of our attorneys across 20 offices have received recognition in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
Foley Ranks Among Nation’s Top Law Firms in Chambers USA 2022
Foley has again been recognized by Chambers & Partners as one of the top law firms in the 2022 edition of Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.
Foley Attorneys Recognized in 2022 Best Lawyers in America
Foley & Lardner LLP announced today that 236 of the firm’s attorneys from 18 U.S. offices have been recognized in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, and 46 lawyers from 13 offices were included in the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch list. Additionally, 14 of the firm’s attorneys received the special designation of “Lawyer of the Year,” an honor earned by only one lawyer in each practice area and metropolitan region.