Kevin J. Loechl

Kevin has almost 30 years of experience advising U.S. and international clients on a wide range of transactional, corporate, intellectual property and employment matters. Kevin’s clients include startup, emerging-growth and mature companies, with a focus on privately held companies, along with charitable and religious organizations and individual entrepreneurs and executives. Kevin has advised for-profit and nonprofit clients on domestic and cross-border mergers, acquisitions and sales, joint ventures, and debt and equity financing transactions. Kevin also has extensive experience counseling investment advisory firms on matters ranging from regulatory compliance and data protection to risk management and corporate governance. Kevin is regularly called upon by clients to develop and negotiate complex commercial agreements, including joint venture, affiliation, licensing, distribution, services and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) agreements. Kevin regularly advises business owners on corporate and equity structure, compensation arrangements, and buy-sell agreements. In addition, Kevin advises employers and professionals with respect to employment, severance, restrictive covenants agreements, workforce restructuring and other employment matters. Kevin also represents authors and media and intellectual property owners in connection with publishing and licensing agreements. Kevin’s clients span a wide array of industries including financial services, technology, manufacturing, managed services, publishing, durable medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, consumer products, professional services and private equity funds, as well as schools, churches, public charities and private foundations.

Kevin most enjoys serving in the role of outside general counsel to his clients. In that role, Kevin is able to develop a comprehensive understanding of his clients’ businesses and deep relationships with client leadership teams. This understanding allows him to add greater value by proactively identifying and addressing legal issues and advancing his clients’ goals and missions.

While at the firm, Kevin was seconded to serve as general counsel to a major independent national financial advisory and wealth management firm with four divisions and thirteen offices nationwide and over $6.5 billion in assets under management. In that role, Kevin served on the company’s management and risk management committees, assumed responsibility for legal matters involving data protection, regulatory compliance, employment and litigation, oversaw contracting and corporate transactions including a spinoff of the firm’s national accounting practice, led a complete rewriting of the firm’s client agreements and positioned the company’s legal matters for the eventual sale of the company.

Kevin began his law practice at the Chicago headquarters of Baker & McKenzie, LLP, one of the five largest law firms with offices across the U.S. and in more than 40 countries. While at Baker & McKenzie, Kevin focused on international banking and finance law and served as counsel to financial institutions including banks, global custodians and securities exchanges in connection with exchange-traded derivative financial instruments, global regulatory compliance programs, securities lending, and corporate transactions. He also advised clients with respect to syndicated lending, cross-border credit facilities, structured financing and other complex debt financing. Kevin subsequently moved to Atlanta to join the firm and assume leadership of the firm’s corporate and securities practice and became a partner in 2003. Kevin assumed the role of managing partner of the firm in 2020.

Kevin was the recipient of the DeKruyger-Monsman Prize in Political Science, an endowed prize for distinguished academic work in the political science field, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Kevin was a National Merit Scholar during his full tenure at Calvin. He was elected as a Senator to the Student Senate in his first and second years of college, as Vice President of the Student Senate in his third year and as President of the Student Senate in his fourth year. He also served on various student-faculty committees while serving as President of the Student Senate. Kevin attended law school at the University of Chicago where he served as President of the Christian Law Students Association. Kevin was named a 2005 Georgia Rising Star Attorney by Super Lawyers and Atlanta Magazine.

In his spare time, Kevin enjoys hiking, traveling, reading and gardening.

Served as general counsel to a major independent national financial advisory and wealth management firm with four divisions and thirteen offices nationwide and over $6.5 billion in assets under management. Served on the company’s management and risk management committees; assumed responsibility for legal matters involving data protection, regulatory compliance, employment and litigation; oversaw contracting and corporate transactions including a spinoff of the firm’s national accounting practice; and led a complete rewriting of the firm’s client agreements and positioned the company’s legal matters for the eventual sale of the company. In addition, Kevin led legal efforts in connection with:

• the development and implementation of enhanced data protection policies and review and implementation of related insurance coverages;
• updating of company-wide employment agreements and policies;
• the strategic acquisition of investment advisory and accounting practices in Florida, California and Tennessee;
• the establishment and divestment of a separate investment fund family;
• trusteeship and trust protectorship matters and related asset custody matters;
• regulatory matters under the Investment Advisors Act and ERISA; and
• a restructuring of firm management, including a transition from founder management.

Serves as outside general counsel to a family of software and services companies that provide lost baggage and lost and found item tracing on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform and outsourced lost baggage and lost item management services for airlines and other travel and hospitality services companies, and to its related brick and mortar and e-commerce retail stores that resell unclaimed clothing, electronics and other items. In such capacity, has represented and advised the company in, among other things:

• the negotiation and documentation of SaaS and managed services agreements with numerous major U.S and foreign airline carriers and hospitality companies;
• a review and revision of the companies’ privacy and data protection policies;
• the revision and updating of executive incentive benefit and compensation arrangements and of the companies’ employment, confidentiality and restrictive covenant agreements;
• family intergenerational succession planning with respect to ownership and governance;
• the establishment of a private foundation dedicated to donating reclaimed clothing and other items to those in need and to recycling unsellable and undonatable items; and
• the restructuring of the workforces of several of the group companies.

Represented a Georgia-based consumer healthcare products distribution company and its subsidiaries as outside general counsel. Advised the company in connection with, among other things:

• its acquisition, from a major global pharmaceutical and healthcare products company, of a distributor of branded and private label diabetic self-care products;
• the restructuring of the company’s ownership in connection with the purchase of a controlling interest in the company by a Canadian group;
• the sale of medical device technology;
• the restructuring of the primary operating subsidiary;
• multiple debt financing transactions for the company;
• the development of a long-term incentive benefits plan for the company’s employees and executive compensation and restrictive covenant agreements; and
• the negotiation of major commercial contracts with U.S. and foreign suppliers and distributors.

Represented a group of U.S. and Canadian investors in the establishment of a Quebec-based diabetic self-care products venture, including in connection with cross-border tax and investment law issues and structuring of Canadian partnership.

Represented an Australia-based investor group in connection with the restructuring of ownership of U.S.- and U.K. based publishing companies, including in connection with a tax-exempt U.S.-U.K. merger and drop-down of publishing assets and in connection with investment in an additional U.S.-based publishing venture.

Represented the owner of a Georgia-based group of companies that provides third party administrative services for employer-sponsored group insurance services in the Southeast and South Central United States in a tax-exempt spinoff transaction in which the owner acquired the stock of the two companies that form the core of the group of companies; and represented those companies and the owner in the:
acquisition of Florida, Louisiana and Texas-based third party administrators from major nationwide insurance brokerage firms; and
the sale of the group of companies to a major national health insurance company.

Represented a Chicago-based private equity fund manager as outside general counsel, including in:

• the organization of a private equity fund focusing on investments in developing economy microfinance institutions;
• the private placement of interests in the fund;
• the fund’s investment in a Guadalajara, Mexico-based microfinance bank; and
• the Fund’s structuring and investment in a Dutch holding company and offshore intermediary and its related indirect investment in three Eastern European microfinance banks.

Advised lead banks and participating banks in multi-lender syndicated primary and mezzanine credit facilities ranging in size from $100 million to over $1 billion.

Advised a Chicago-based major national securities exchange in the development of new exchange-traded derivative financial instruments and swap transactions.

Represented various prime custodian banks in the implementation of mutual fund regulatory compliance programs involving their global custodian bank networks, including under Rule 17f-5 of the Investment Company Act of 1940.

Advises a family-owned, Atlanta-based plastics packaging manufacturer with 23 manufacturing facilities across the United States. Advised the company and its shareholders in connection with, among other things:

• developing and implementing a comprehensive estate and business succession planning strategy to facilitate the transfer of a controlling interest in the company to the next generation and to address leadership succession; and
• a restructuring of family owned real estate holdings comprising company-leased manufacturing facilities.

Serves as outside general counsel to a Georgia-based manufacturer and exporter of computer equipment for heavy industrial settings. Has advised the company with respect to compliance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, development of privacy and data handling policies, corporate governance and various employment matters.

Represented and advised the controlling shareholders of a group of franchised sports training facilities located in the Southeastern U.S. in connection with the acquisitions of training facilities and structuring of the group’s ownership.

Represents a major regional accounting firm with offices throughout the Southeastern U.S. with respect to compliance with data protection laws.

Serves as outside general counsel to a national accounting firm with offices in the Southeastern and Southwestern U.S. Has advised the firm on, among other things, the restructuring of the firm’s corporate entity and equity ownership, data protection matters, the strategic acquisition of another Southeastern accounting firm and various employment and corporate matters.

Represents a family trust in connection with its various business ventures, including the acquisition of a stake in a California-based precision manufacturer of high-technology custom metal parts for satellites, space launch vehicles and aircraft, and the establishment of equipment leasing companies.

Represents a nonprofit foundation that owns a major English-language Bible translation in connection with the licensing of the Bible translation to mobile app developers and in connection with complex negotiations relating to a joint venture involving the use of artificial intelligence to facilitate Bible translation.

Represented a globally-known author in connection with publishing agreements, exploitation of motion picture rights, and derivative merchandise rights related to a series of books including a #1 New York Times bestseller that sold over 9 million copies.

Turning the Tables – Principals of Constructive Negotiation presented at Christian Legal Society 2019 National Conference, Chicago, Illinois, October 2019

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): I Don’t Have to Worry About That… Or Do I? presented at Ronald Blue & Co. Business Leaders Forum, Atlanta, Georgia, 2018

Categorical Exemptions for Employers – State & Federal Wage & Hour Law presented as part of wage and hour law panel at 24th Annual BMWL National Nonprofit Conference, Orlando, Florida, September 2016.

Legal Issues in Establishing an Overseas Business – An Overview presented at Financial Executives Networking Group International NewVo Business Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, November, 2012, and at Atlanta Leaders Group Executive Roundtable, Atlanta, Georgia, March 2013

A Primer on the Law of Private Equity Capital Raising and Recent Changes presented at Atlanta Leaders Group Executive Roundtable, Atlanta, Georgia, October 2012

Georgia Rising Star Attorney by Super Lawyers and Atlanta Magazine

Marquis Who’s Who in American Law

Kevin is a member of the American Bar Association, the Georgia Bar Association and the Christian Legal Society. Within the American Bar Association, he is a member of the Section of Business Law, the Section of Taxation and the Section of Taxation’s Partnership and Unincorporated Business Organizations Subcommittee. Kevin is a member and served as President of the Atlanta Leaders Group, a network of Atlanta business leaders, and for more than ten years served as a member of the Board of Directors, including as a member of the Executive Committee, of the Georgia Center for Opportunity, a nonprofit public policy institution focused on enhancing educational and economic opportunities for poor and underserved communities in Georgia and nationwide. Kevin is a founder and board member of JH Outback Atlanta, LLC, a ministry to married couples, families and children that focuses on building strong family and relationships and Christian discipleship through outdoor weekend adventures. For six years, Kevin served as an elder at Hope Presbyterian Church in Marietta, Georgia. He teaches Sunday School and leads a men’s discipleship group at East Cobb Presbyterian Church.