July 6, 2015 – DLA Piper announced that John (Jay) Watkins has joined the firm’s Corporate practice as a partner in the Baltimore office.
Watkins, who earlier in his career was a corporate partner in Baltimore with DLA Piper’s predecessor firm Piper & Marbury, focuses on private equity, venture capital, M&A, securities, and debt and equity financing transactions. He represents public and private entities ranging from early stage, high-growth companies to large global corporations. In addition to advising Baltimore clients, Watkins will spend time in DLA Piper’s Washington office servicing the needs of his DC area clients as well. His practice covers a wide variety of industries, including healthcare, government contracts, technology and life sciences, among others.
“This move coincides with a very active period for the healthcare and technology communities he knows so well,” said Jay Smith, chair of DLA Piper’s US Corporate practice. “Many of our clients and partners have worked with him in the past and know him as a high-quality business lawyer, experience that will strengthen our transactional capabilities in Baltimore and the Mid-Atlantic region.”
Watkins is the most recent addition to DLA Piper in Baltimore, following the hiring of corporate of counsel Eric Miller in April. He also follows corporate partners Louis Lehot in Silicon Valley, Anthony Newton and Arthur Howard in Houston and Fahd Riaz and Lauren Murdza in Philadelphia, earlier this year.
“Jay’s return to our firm and to the Baltimore office highlights DLA Piper’s tradition as a destination for the top lawyers in the world, a continuation of our history as a foundation and anchor office of the firm,” added Paul Tiburzi, managing partner of DLA Piper’s Baltimore office.
Active in the legal community, Watkins is associated with the American Bar Association’s Business of Law Section and its Private Equity and Venture Capital Committee, LLCs, Partnerships and Unincorporated Entities Committee and Federal Regulations of Securities Committee. He is also affiliated with the Association for Corporate Growth and the Northern Virginia Technology Council. Additionally, Watkins has served on the advisory board of the Corporate Counsel Institute of the Georgetown University Law Center since 2012.
Watkins joins DLA Piper from Wiley Rein. He received his J.D. from University of Michigan Law School and his B.A. from Johns Hopkins University.
