George Kern
Encyclopedia
George C. Kern, Jr. a native of Baltimore, Maryland, was a leading New York corporate lawyer in the 1970s and 80s. After graduating from Princeton
(1947) and Yale Law School
(1952), Kern joined Sullivan & Cromwell
where he became a partner in 1960. Kern was widely viewed among the legal professional as a uniquely colorful figure who dabbled in all aspects of corporate law. When the mergers & acquisitions boom started in the 1970s, most established corporate law firms refused this sort of work and left it to upstarts such as Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
. Kern, alone among elite Wall Street corporate lawyers, understood that mergers would change the face of corporate America and relished in the takeover battles of the day. Kern was widely viewed as one of the early leaders at the M&A bar together with Joseph H. Flom
and Martin Lipton
. Kern retired from active practice in 1994.
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
(1947) and Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
(1952), Kern joined Sullivan & Cromwell
Sullivan & Cromwell
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is an international law firm headquartered in New York. The firm has approximately 800 lawyers in 12 offices, located in financial centers in the United States, Asia, Australia and Europe. Sullivan & Cromwell was founded by Algernon Sydney Sullivan and William Nelson...
where he became a partner in 1960. Kern was widely viewed among the legal professional as a uniquely colorful figure who dabbled in all aspects of corporate law. When the mergers & acquisitions boom started in the 1970s, most established corporate law firms refused this sort of work and left it to upstarts such as Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates , founded in 1948, is a prominent law firm based in New York City. With over 2,000 attorneys, it is one of the largest and highest-grossing law firms in the world. Forbes magazine calls Skadden "Wall Street's most powerful law firm"...
and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is a prominent law firm located in New York City. Herbert Wachtell, Martin Lipton, Leonard Rosen, and George Katz founded the firm in 1965. All four were graduates of New York University School of Law...
. Kern, alone among elite Wall Street corporate lawyers, understood that mergers would change the face of corporate America and relished in the takeover battles of the day. Kern was widely viewed as one of the early leaders at the M&A bar together with Joseph H. Flom
Joseph H. Flom
Joseph Harold Flom was an American lawyer. He was the last living named partner of the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. He specialized in representing companies in takeover battles.-Early life:...
and Martin Lipton
Martin Lipton
Martin Lipton is an American lawyer. He is a founding partner of the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz specializing in advising major corporations on mergers and acquisitions and matters affecting corporate policy and strategy. He has written and lectured extensively on these subjects...
. Kern retired from active practice in 1994.