Joel May is a corporate lawyer with more than 20 years of experience. He has recently represented clients in more than $20 billion of domestic and international corporate financing transactions in the manufacturing, consumer products, chemical products, real estate, e-commerce, telecommunications, and information management industries. These matters have included public equity and debt offerings, initial public offerings (IPOs), special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) and related private investment in public equity (PIPE) transactions, Rule 144A high yield offerings, private capital raisings, reorganizations, restructurings, recapitalizations, and other M&A transactions as well as counseling public companies and their boards of directors on a broad range of corporate governance and compliance matters.
Joel joined the Atlanta Office in 2012 after spending the first part of his career in Jones Day's Chicago Office. He currently serves as the administrative partner for Atlanta. Joel's notable clients include Asbury Automotive Group, Bespoke Capital Acquisition Corp, Bunge Ltd., FleetCor Technologies, Flowers Foods, Hanesbrands, HD Supply, Helios Technologies, Mark Capital, Milliken, Newell Brands, PGT Innovations, PureCycle Technologies, Nutrien, Rayonier, Roper Technologies, Sonoco, Southern Company, Vintage Wine Estates, and VSE Corporation.
Joel has been recognized as a leading lawyer by The Legal 500 United States. He is a member of the American Bar Association and the State Bar of Georgia.
Joel is a member of the board of directors for Make-A-Wish Georgia and serves on the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
Experience
Speaking Engagements
- December 1, 2016
Jones Day/EY - Emerging Risks in Financial Reporting and Disclosures - October 27, 2016
Georgia Bas Association / 35th Annual Business Law Institute - What Keeps In-House Law Departments Up At Night - January 7, 2016
Jones Day Atlanta Hosts Diversity Meet & Greet - November 9, 2015
Atlanta Bar Association / Scrutinizing Executive Compensation - The SEC's New Clawback and Pay Ratio Rules - March 23, 2012
Introduction to the Resale of Restricted and Control Securities, ICLE Basic Securities Law Program
- Indiana University (J.D. cum laude 2000; Executive Notes and Comments Editor, Law Review); Valparaiso University (B.A. summa cum laude 1997)
- Georgia and Illinois