LAWYER
Kevin Kay
Partner | New York
Kevin Kay

Kevin Kay is a partner in Dechert’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice. He represents public and private clients on a wide variety of executive compensation, tax, employment and benefits issues in the context of mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, SPACs and other complex transactions, including cross-border matters.

Mr. Kay provides strategic advice to employers and executives regarding the negotiation of executive compensation arrangements, including employment, consulting, termination, severance, change-in-control and restrictive covenants agreements. He advises on the associated labor and employment law, ERISA and U.S. federal and state tax and securities implications.

In addition, Mr. Kay regularly advises public and private clients on U.S. federal income tax provisions, corporate governance and securities law, and other design and implementation-related considerations associated with cash incentive, equity-based and deferred compensation arrangements.

His practice also includes counseling issuers and investment banks regarding ERISA “plan asset” and other issues related to debt and equity financing transactions, including collateralized loan obligation and other finance transactions.

Prior to joining Dechert, Mr. Kay was a partner at another global law firm.

  • Complex Networks in its sale by Verizon and Hearst to Buzzfeed for US$300 million, part of Buzzfeed’s business combination with 890 5th Avenue Partners, Inc. (a SPAC).
  • ORIX Capital Partners in the acquisition of Optimad Media LLC.
  • Scott ‘Scooter’ Braun, founder and CEO of Ithaca Holdings, LLC, Scott Borchetta, founder of Big Machine Label Group, and other members of Ithaca’s management in the US$1 billion sale of Ithaca, which includes SB Projects and Big Machine Label Group, to HYBE (f/k/a Big Hit Entertainment), a publicly listed Korean media and entertainment company.
  • AstraZeneca on its US$39 billion acquisition of Alexion.
  • London Stock Exchange Group in its acquisition of Refinitiv from a consortium including Blackstone, CPPIB, GIC and Thomson Reuters in an all-stock deal for a total enterprise value of US$27 billion.
  • Starbucks on its US$7.15 billion global coffee alliance with Nestlé.
  • KLX on the US$4.2 billion sale of its aviation parts and services business to Boeing and the spin-off of its energy services business.
  • Unimin, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sibelco, on its cash and stock merger with Fairmount Santrol.
  • The underwriters led by BNP Paribas, J.P. Morgan, and Wells Fargo Securities in Republic Services' SEC-registered US$650 million, 3.375 percent (notes due 2027) bond offering.
  • One Equity Partners on their acquisition of Neology, a California-based provider of integrated solutions for the tolling, electronic vehicle registration and public safety market.

Includes matters prior to joining Dechert.

  • Management Equity Programs, Harvard Business School Venture Capital & Private Equity Club (November 17, 2021)
Services Industries
    • Molloy College, B.S., 2006, summa cum laude
    • Hofstra University School of Law, J.D., 2010, magna cum laude, Hofstra Labor & Employment Law Journal
    • New York