Dave Vander Haar practices primarily in public and private mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances and other collaborations, general corporate and limited liability counseling, antitrust counseling in connection with mergers and acquisitions, and hostile takeover defense.  He has been consistently ranked among The Best Lawyers in America in Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Corporate Law and Corporate Governance. 

Mergers and Acquisitions

He has almost 30 years experience in successfully representing both publicly held and privately owned companies, in mergers and acquisitions, large and small, negotiated and contested. These transactions have involved a wide variety of structures and forms, including mergers, cash tender offers, proxy contests, sales or purchases of stock or assets, representation of special committees, representation of foreign buyers and investors, and court ordered divestitures.  Representative transactions include transactions for well-known companies such as Target Corporation, J.M. Smucker Company, International Multifoods and American Express and for numerous privately held and smaller public companies.

Strategic Alliances

Dave has assisted numerous clients in working through the complexities of structuring joint ventures and other collaborations including the formation of joint venture entities and representation of majority and minority stakeholders and 50/50 partners, as well as contractual joint ventures and licensing arrangements.  He brings to these engagements both experience and a collaborative style which is important to ensure that the parties not only successfully launch their venture, but that they are able to work together after the closing.  Representative clients include Target, U.S. Bank, American Express, TransCanada Pipeline and Hutchinson Technology.

Dave advises public and private corporations concerning a wide range of corporate law issues.  He also works with limited liability companies and partnerships and frequently acts as special counsel on Minnesota law matters.

He has drafted changes to substantial portions of the Minnesota Business Corporation Act and Minnesota Limited Liability Company Act, including the business combination provisions, provisions regarding limitations on director liability, anti-greenmail provisions and amendments to provisions regarding shareholder inspection rights, shareholder and proxy voting, control share acquisitions, dividends, stock splits, dissolution, special meetings, and stock and option issuances. 

Antitrust

Dave counsels clients in connection with antitrust advice on mergers and acquisitions, including advice as to premerger filing requirements, working with the FTC and Department of Justice to expedite clearance, and responding to second requests by the FTC or the Department of Justice for additional information. Significant contested matters include transactions for Target Corporation, Xerxes Corporation, Bemis Company, Inc., International Multifoods Corporation, and for HMOs and life science companies.

Honors

Professional Associations

Civic Activities

• Greater Twin Cities United Way, board of directors

Presentations

• Legal Hot Spots in M&A:  Things You Should Know in Today's M&A Practice
  Minnesota Business Law Institute (2008, 2009) 
• Going Private Transactions
  Faegre & Benson M&A Conference (2008) 
• Ten Important Elements of M&A Work
  Minnesota Business Law Institute (2007) 
• Ten Ways to Get Into Trouble in M&A
  Minnesota Business Law Institute (2006)

Legal Updates