JerylA.
Bowers

Partner•Co-Leader, Transportation Industry Team
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Jeryl Bowers

Overview

Jeryl Bowers is a corporate lawyer who focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions—particularly for healthcare and technology companies—as well as general commercial transactions and general corporate counsel. He is co-leader of the firm’s Transportation industry team.

During the course of his career, Jeryl has closed transactions with an aggregate value in excess of $20 billion.

With particularly deep expertise working with clients in the healthcare, connected vehicle technologies and mobility services industries, Jeryl has negotiated hundreds of software and IP-related transactions for clients in these sectors. He has also handled transactions for clients in the real estate services, medical device, entertainment, defense, gaming, and online retail industries and for a social network website.

Clients applaud Jeryl’s creativity, integrity and leadership as well as his methodical yet practical style and his ability to align legal advice with their business objectives. In addition to mergers and acquisitions, they rely on him to handle a full spectrum of business transactions, including:

  • Strategic alliances 
  • Software licensing
  • Sales agreements
  • Service agreements
  • Marketing agreements  
  • Vendor agreements
  • Supplier agreements
  • Outsourcing agreements
  • Employment agreements
  • Distribution agreements
  • Internet agreements

In addition to serving clients in the United States, Jeryl also has substantial experience with international transactions, negotiating deals in the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Europe and many other international locations.

Prior to entering private practice, Jeryl served as general counsel at PetSmart.com and Medialive International Holdings, which gives him particular insight into the needs and operations of clients in corporate legal departments and business units. An experienced issue spotter, Jeryl also serves as an outside general counsel to many of his clients.

In his free time, Jeryl enjoys golfing and the performing arts.

Experience

M&A Representations Include:

  • DaVita, Inc. in the $4.4 billion acquisition of HealthCare Partners, a leading national coordinated care provider. This acquisition resulted in Sheppard Mullin being awarded the Deal of the Year in the healthcare industry by the M&A Atlas Awards in 2013.
  • DaVita HealthCare Partners, Inc. in purchase, sale and joint venture transactions with multiple dialysis centers and nephrology groups.
  • Paladina Health in the acquisition of ModernMed, Inc., a healthcare service firm providing direct primary care in twelve states through employer-based on-site clinics and private physician practices.
  • Beckman Coulter, Inc. (a medical devices company) in the divestiture of its MicroPlate Reader Products Division
  • Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. (an entertainment company) in the sale of its IATS division to First American Payment Systems
  • Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. in the acquisition of Echomusic LLC
  • Azonix Corporation (a defense contractor) in the acquisition of Kontron America, Inc.
  • Mitek Corporation (a defense contractor) in the acquisition of Keragis Corporation
  • Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. (a gaming company) in the acquisition of PokerTek, Inc.
  • Golden State Foods, Inc. (a foodservice company) in the divestiture of American BDF, LLC
  • MediaLive International, Inc. (a technology and media company) in the purchase of Pulver.com 
  • Fulcrum Capital in the acquisition financing of Total Transportation Services, Inc. and Seattle Freight Services, Inc. (transportation and distribution companies)
  • Key3Media, Inc. in the acquisition of BCR Enterprises, Inc.
  • Key3Media, Inc. in the acquisition of Next Generation Ventures, Inc.
  • Spark Networks, PLC (an on-line social networking site) in the acquisition of MingleMatch, Inc.
  • PetSmart.com, Inc. (an on-line retailer) in the acquisition of the assets of Pets.com, Inc.

IP Licensing Agreement Representations Include:

  • Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. in connection with a licensing agreement with Apple, Inc.
  • MediaLive International, Inc. in connection with all of its IP licensing agreements
  • Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. in connection with various IP licensing agreements
  • Berman Center, Inc. (a provider of clinical research support) in connection with IP licensing agreements  
  • Toyota Motor Sales in connection with various IP licensing agreements
Credentials
Clerkships

Mr. Bowers served as a law clerk from January 1994 to January 1995 for The Honorable Joseph Hatchett of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Education

J.D., University of Chicago Law School, 1993, Managing Editor of Law Review (1992-1993)

B.A., Howard University, 1990

Admissions

California

Honors

The Legal 500 Hall of Fame – Mergers & Acquisitions-Middle Market, The Legal 500, 2020-2021

National Recognition as an Elite Leading Lawyer in Mergers & Acquisitions-Middle Market, Legal 500, 2016-2021

Legal 500, 2012-2015

“Best Corporate Attorneys Under 40,” Corporate Board Member Magazine (2002)

University of Chicago Law Review Service With Distinction Award

Memberships

University of Chicago Law School, Visiting Committee of the Board of Trustees (Committee Member, 2005-2007)

Los Angeles Zoo (Trustee, 2006-2012)

Association of Corporate Counsel (Board Member, January 2001-January 2004)

Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (Associate Board Member, 1997-1999)

Westlaw Corporation (Law Review Advisory Board Member, 1994-1995)

United Way/Crusade Of Mercy (Allocations Committee Member, 1996-1997)

Inside Out Writers Program (Board Member 2007 - 2012)

Thought Leadership
  • American Corporate Counsel Association of Southern California, "M&A Best Practices and the Life Cycle of an M&A Transaction," January 16, 2013
  • American Corporate Counsel Association of Southern California - In-House Counsel, "How to Be an Effective Corporate Secretary," 2012
  • Association of Corporate Growth Private Equity Forum, "Emerging Issues in Privacy Law", 2011
  • Corporate Governance Summit at the University of Southern California, “The Board’s Role in Corporate Disclosure Practices”
  • Corporate Director Training Program at the Harold Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA
  • Southern California In-House Counsel Conference sponsored by the Southern California Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, "M&A in 2010: Solutions for the New Economic Landscape"; "Corporate Governance Strategies for Economic Armageddon"; "Contract Boilerplate: Why You Should Read It"
  • UCLA School of Law, guest lecturer on M&A Transactions
  • Florida State University Law School, guest lecturer on Securities Issues
  • The RTC’s Override Regulation’s Freedom for Intrastate Branch Banking, University of Chicago Law Review, 1992