Lee A. Harkavy

Partner

How do you achieve success for clients?

We partner with our clients to execute successfully on their external growth and exit strategies in an efficient and productive manner.

Practices and Industries

Corporate Venture Capital Emerging Businesses Mergers & Acquisitions Corporate & Securities Securities

Lee Harkavy is the Partner In Charge of the Memphis office and a member of the Firm’s Corporate & Securities Service Team. He concentrates his practice in general corporate, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and real estate transactions. Prior to returning to the practice of law in 2007, he spent 9 years as a business executive primarily leading the acquisition or capital markets department.

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

Led acquisition department of a public company in originating and underwriting in excess of $500 MM in deals and closing on over $300 MM
Company point person in negotiation and closing of General Electric’s (“GE”) $2.3B sale of its Storage USA division
Sourced capital and negotiated and closed on: $100 MM plus in equity joint ventures with each of TIAA-CREF, Fidelity Investments, Heitman and GE; $90 MM plus in secured loan facilities with SunAmerica Life Insurance and Prudential Insurance; and $200 MM plus in lines of credit with Bank One as the lead bank, with more than 9 participating banks
Executed on disposition of interests in 21 inferior quality self storage properties to realize in excess of $14 MM in gross gains
Negotiated, documented and led due diligence and closing on numerous stock and asset acquisitions and dispositions ranging from $1 MM to in excess of $100 MM in various industries, including hotels and a broad range of other commercial real estate, grocery stores, logistics payment business, and financial institutions
Lead Counsel to start-up security guard company that achieved $200 MM in revenue through the acquisition of 10 other companies
Drafted and negotiated SEC registrations statements for: debt issuance and stock acquisitions by public bank holding company, including acquisition of another publicly held company, and equity offerings by 2 publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)

EDUCATION

J.D., Vanderbilt University, 1993
B.B.A., summa cum laude, University of Michigan, 1990 (Finance and Accounting)

ADMISSIONS

Tennessee

HONORS

Woodward/White’s The Best Lawyers in America® in Corporate Law 2009-present; Mergers and Acquisitions Law 2019-present
Memphis Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 for 2007
CEO Award of Excellence for Growth, 2004 from Storage USA, a division of GE Real Estate
Rabbi Arie Becker Young Leadership Award from the Memphis Jewish Foundation, 2001
Leadership Institute Graduate, Memphis, TN
Shapiro Negotiation Institute Graduate
Six Sigma Greenbelt Certified by GE
Team Trek Participant, Heber Springs, AR
GE Compliance Leadership Training, Dallas, TX

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Senior VP, Acquisitions and Joint Venture Relations for Extra Space Self Storage, a publicly traded REIT, 2005-2006
Senior VP, Business Development, Storage USA, a division of GE Real Estate, 2002-2005
VP, Capital Markets and Franchise Lending, 2001-2002; VP and Assoc. General Counsel, 2000-2001, and VP and Counsel, Acquisitions, 1998-2000; all for Storage USA, Inc., a publicly traded REIT
Associate Lawyer with Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, 1993-1998

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND MEMBERSHIPS

Memphis, Tennessee and American Bar Association
Executive Council Member, Tennessee Bar Association Business Law Section

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

Board member of Jewish Community Partners of Memphis and the Memphis Jewish Federation
Member, Chairman’s Circle, Memphis Chamber of Commerce
Past Board Member of The Jewish Federations of North America
Past President of the Memphis Jewish Federation
Past Chair of the Youth Sports Committee for the Memphis Jewish Community Center
Past Board Member of Anshei Sphard-Beth El Emeth Synagogue
Past Board Member of the Memphis Jewish Home

Lee A. Harkavy

Partner

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

EDUCATION

ADMISSIONS

HONORS

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND MEMBERSHIPS

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

Related News & Events

Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice Release New Antitrust Guidelines

Trump’s Unprecedented Labor and Employment Overhaul: How EEOC and NLRB Shakeups Impact Employers

The Revocation of Executive Order 11246 Affects Federal Contractors and Private Employers