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Peter A. Rome
Partner

Chair, Business Law Practice:
          Mergers & Acquisitions;
          Private Equity/Venture Capital;
          Corporate Finance
Marketing Partner
Capital Markets & Securities Transactions

Cleveland Office
p 216.583.7124
f 216.583.7125
prome@ulmer.com
At a Glance
Peter is the chair of the Firm’s Business Practice and oversees its Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity/Venture Capital and Corporate Finance Practices. Peter works with public companies, private equity and venture funds, family offices, emerging businesses and entrepreneurs to help them achieve their goals. He helps clients in all stages of business – from strategic planning to debt and equity financings, board and governance counseling, executive and incentive compensation, technology and complex business transactions and other commercial arrangements, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, corporate succession planning and divestitures. Peter is a passionate dot connector who knows the value of relationships. He has been named to The Best Lawyers in America and “Ohio Super Lawyers”.
 

Representative clients in recent matters include: American Greetings Corporation, Avery Dennison Corporation, CapitalWorks LLC, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cliffs Natural Resources, Emergency Medicine Physicians, HDT Tactical Systems,  IMG Worldwide, Jo-Ann Stores, Inc., Cuyahoga Capital Partners fka KCC Investors, Key Principal Partners, The Kirby Company, Kirtland Capital Partners, Lake Erie Monsters Professional Hockey Club, Lincoln Electric, Metalmark Capital, NetCash, Park-Ohio Holdings Corporation, Quicken Loans Arena, Resilience Capital, Revol, Safeguard Properties, The Scott Fetzer Company, World Book, and various family offices and financial institutions.

Education
Tufts University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1981)

George Washington University (J.D., with high honors, 1984) Order of the Coif
Gestalt Institute of Cleveland (Organizational Systems and Development - Intensive, 2001-2002)
Practices/Industries
Areas of Concentration
  • Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures
  • Corporate Finance
  • Venture Capital
  • Securities
  • Joint Ventures
  • Emerging Businesses
  • Business Law
  • Technology Transactions
  • Strategic Planning
  • Succession Planning
  • Executive and Incentive Compensation
Representative Experience
  • Has significant experience representing a variety of corporate and other entities in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, financings (borrowers and lenders), joint ventures, private equity fund transactions, securities offerings, venture capital transactions, going private transactions, due diligence with respect to transactions, technology transfers, executive and incentive compensation, succession planning, general business, commercial law matters and regulatory compliance matters.
  • Has served as General Counsel of numerous privately-owned corporations, including many manufacturing and/or distribution businesses, service providers and e-commerce businesses, including the largest distributor of hollow metal doors, frames and architectural hardware in the country.
  • Has significant experience in the counseling and nurturing of start-up and emerging businesses, from the preparation of the business plan through the organization and syndication of the venture, through the start-up and emerging business phase and to the exit.
  • Has significant experience in the negotiation and drafting of investment, finance, merger, acquisition, divestiture, employment, non-competition, consulting, management, indemnification, release, option, executive and incentive compensation, franchise, shareholder/close corporation, limited liability, partnership, joint venture, technology transfer, lease, licensing, distributorship and other agreements.
  • Has significant experience in strategic planning and corporate and other entity counseling.
Honors/Distinctions

AV Rated - Martindale-Hubbell

Leadership Cleveland (Member, Class of 2005)

Named an "Ohio Super Lawyer" in a survey of Ohio lawyers by Law & Politics and Cincinnati magazines (2006, 2010-2012)

Named to The Best Lawyers in America®, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Woodward/White (2011-2012)
Publications/Presentations
 

Publications
"The Importance of Terms and Conditions of Sale," with Miles Free. Production Machining (June 2005)

"Website Compliance Becomes Increasingly More Involved," Ulmer & Berne Business and Tax Law Letter (Winter 2002)

Presentations
"Post-Crunch M&A," Ulmer & Berne LLP Business Group Series (July 2008)

“Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About M&A But Were Afraid to Ask,” Ulmer & Berne LLP Business Group Series (January 2008)

"M&A in 2007 - Strategies for Success," Ulmer & Berne LLP Business Group Series (June 2007)

"Winning M&A Strategies," Ulmer & Berne LLP Business Group Series (January 2007)

"Value Engineering: Maximizing Value in M&A Transactions and Recapitalizations," Business Group Series (February 2006)

"Incentive Compensation: How Companies Attract and Retain Top Talent," Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Business (Spring 2005)

"Advanced Business Associations: Representing the Internet Start-Up Company," Case Western Reserve University Law School, Guest Lecturer, Autumn Semester, 2000-2001 School Year.

"Private Placements For Emerging Businesses:  The Venture Capital Transaction," Ulmer & Berne LLP Breakfast Forum Series (June 1998)

"Private Equity For Emerging Businesses," Ulmer & Berne LLP Breakfast Forum Series (May 1997)

"Financing The Emerging Business," Council Of Smaller Enterprises Entrepreneurship Conference (1995)

"Executive Compensation," Cleveland Bar Association Securities Law Institute, (March 1994)

"Protecting Your Trade Secrets In Your Dealings With Others," Ulmer & Berne LLP Seminar (October 1994)

"Venture Capital Transactions and the Protection of Minority Shareholders," Cleveland Bar Association, Securities Law Institute (February 1993)

"Oppression of Minority Shareholders: Response to Direct Squeeze Out Attempts,"  Cleveland Bar Association, Corporation, Banking and Business Law Institute (May 1990)

"Buying/Selling Part or All of a Closely-Held Business and The Federal Securities Law," Cleveland Bar Association, Securities Law Institute (March 1989)

"ERISA Fiduciary Duties In Contests For Corporate Control," Cleveland Bar Association Securities Law Institute (March 1987)

Professional Affiliations
American Bar Association (Member, Business Law and Franchise Law Sections, Committees on Negotiated Acquisitions and Governance)

Ohio State Bar Association 

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (Chair, Securities Law Section, 1997-1998/Vice Chair 1995-1997; Securities Council, 1989-1992; Securities Institute Planning Committee, 1986-1992)
Community Involvement
American Heart Association - Cleveland Metro Section (Board Chairman, 2005-2007; Board Chairman-Elect, 2004; Board Member 2003-present; Corporate Committee Chair, 2003 - 2006 Cleveland Metro Heart Galas; Leadership Development Committee, 2010-present)

Case Western Reserve University School of Law (Guest Lecturer, Advanced Business Associations, 2000)

Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management (Guest lecturer, "Attracting and Maintaining the Best & Brightest": Human Resource Practices for Entrepreneurial Firms, 2005)

Center For Families and Children (Board Member 2003-present; Member, Executive Committee 2010-present)

Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital (Board of Directors 2010-present)

Cleveland Sports Commission (Board Member, 2005-present; Governance and Nominating Committee 2010-present; Continental Cup Local Organizing Committee 2005-present)

Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE) (Leadership Council, 1992-1994; Entrepreneurship Conference Speaker, 1995; Small Business Development Center Council, 1989-1995; Start-Up Business)

Friends of Breakthrough Schools (2011-present)

Friends of E Prep (Founding Board Member, 2006-present)

Hawken School (Board of Trustees, 1990-1992; Alumni Board, 1986-1994; President of the Alumni Board, 1990-1992; Alumni Annual Fund Chair, 1992-1996; Development Committee of the Board of Trustees, 1990-1998; Legal Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees, 1992-1998; Class Parent Council, 2002-2003; Development, 1984-2007)

Leadership Cleveland (Member, Class of 2005)

Tufts University (Co-Founder, Northern Ohio Tufts Alliance, 1996-present; Tufts Alumni Admissions Program)

United Way (Co-Chair, Ohio – Downtown/South, 2008-present)

Admissions
State of Ohio

District of Columbia (inactive)

U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio