Daniel G. Kelly, Jr.

Partner

dan.kelly@davispolk.com

Mr. Kelly is a founding partner of Davis Polk’s Menlo Park office. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions and joint ventures. He has significant experience in representing boards of directors in governance and sensitive corporate matters. Mr. Kelly has also been involved in financial restructurings as both a lawyer and, earlier in his career, an investment banker.

Mr. Kelly has served as the primary outside corporate counsel for several major clients, including E*TRADE Financial, Westar Energy and El Paso Electric Company. In this capacity, he regularly advises the board and management on legal and compliance issues and has represented these companies in a broad variety of transactions. He regularly represents issuers and underwriters in equity and debt offerings and private equity funds in acquisitions, divestitures and leveraged recapitalizations.

Mr. Kelly was a Notes and Comments Editor of the Columbia Law Review and a law clerk for the Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He began his legal career at Davis Polk in 1977 and spent two years in our Paris office, from 1980 to 1982. Before rejoining the firm as a partner in 1999, Mr. Kelly was a senior officer of a major investment banking firm, the chief legal officer of a New York Stock Exchange-listed corporation and a partner of a large international law firm.

Contact

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Menlo Park
1600 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025
P: 650-752-2001
F: 650-752-3601

New York
450 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017
P: 212-450-4719

Related Practices

Corporate
Technology

Bar Admissions

State of California
State of New York
U.S. District Court, E.D. New York
U.S. District Court, S.D. New York

Education

B.A., Yale College, 1973
- magna cum laude
J.D., Columbia Law School, 1976
- Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
- Notes and Comments Editor, Columbia Law Review

Work Highlights

$2.5 billion sale of GSI Commerce, Inc. to eBay (counsel to Special Committee of Board of GSI Commerce)
$2.55 billion recapitalization of E*TRADE Financial Corporation by Citadel Investment Funds, and subsequent $2.2 billion equity sale/debt exchange
Bankruptcy auction/sale of Frontier Airlines to Republic Airways
Sale of Protection One by Westar Energy
Acquisition of Hollywood Park Racetrack from Churchill Downs by Stockbridge Real Estate Investment Fund
Leveraged recapitalization of Fender Musical Instruments Corp. by Goldman Sachs Credit Partners
Chapter 11 reorganization of El Paso Electric, and issuance by Niagara Mohawk of debt and common stock, which was the culmination of a recapitalization
Represented Silicon Graphics, Mercury Interactive, Ventro Corporation, BlueKite and other technology companies in connection with debt tender offers, repurchases and other restructuring transactions
Represented California Public Utilities Commission and UBS Warburg in the financing of a Chapter 11 plan of reorganization for Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Recognition

Frequent speaker and panelist, including at Stanford Directors’ College, and regular teaching of "Deals" courses at Stanford and Columbia Law Schools

Listed as a leading lawyer in several legal industry publications, including:

Practical Law Company’s Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions Handbook
Law Business Research’s Who’s Who Legal: California, Who’s Who Legal–International Who’s Who of Corporate Governance Lawyers and Who’s Who Legal–International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers

Mr. Kelly has been recognized as a “BTI Client Service All-Star” in a survey of corporate counsel at large and Fortune 1000 organizations.

Professional History

Partner, Davis Polk, 1999-present
Partner, Executive Committee, Sidley & Austin, 1990-1999
Partner, Managing Partner, Manatt Phelps, 1987-1990
Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Kaufman and Broad, 1985-1987
Senior Vice President, Lehman Brothers, 1983-1985
Associate, Davis Polk, 1977-1983

Law Clerk, Hon. Irving R. Kaufman, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit 1976-1977

News

Davis Polk Advises El Paso Electric on Amendment and Restatement of Its $200 Million Revolving Credit Facility

Davis Polk Advises E*TRADE on Senior Notes Offering

Davis Polk Advises E*TRADE on Block Trade by Citadel

View More > >

Client Publications

Governance Practices for IPO Companies: A Davis Polk Survey
Client Memorandum

In re American Home Mortgage Holdings, Inc.
Insolvency and Restructuring Update

TOUSA, Inc. – District Court Quashes Infamous Fraudulent Transfer Decision
Insolvency and Restructuring Update

View More > >

Events

Daniel Kelly and Linda Chatman Thomsen to Speak at 16th Annual Directors’ College at Stanford Law School

Last Name
Title ALL TITLES Associate Consultant Counsel Counsel - Registered Foreign Lawyer General Counsel Law Clerk Litigation Counsel Partner Registered Foreign Lawyer Senior Counsel
Offices ALL OFFICES Beijing Hong Kong London Madrid Menlo Park New York Paris São Paulo Tokyo Washington DC
Practices ALL PRACTICES Antitrust Asia Practice Bankruptcy Litigation Board of Directors Litigation and Strategic Counseling Capital Markets China Practice Commercial Dispute and Contract Compliance and Advisory Compliance and Advisory Consumer Class Action Consumer Products Corporate Corporate Governance Credit Derivatives and Structured Products Energy/Utilities Environmental Europe Practice Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Financial Crisis and Subprime Lending Financial Institutions Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Health Care Health Care/Life Sciences Hedge Funds India Practice Insolvency and Restructuring Intellectual Property Intellectual Property Litigation Internal Investigations International International and Domestic Arbitration International Litigation and Enforcement Investment Funds Litigation and Investigations Investment Management Leveraged Finance Litigation M&A-Related Litigation Mass Torts and Product Liability Media and Telecom Mergers and Acquisitions Private Equity Professional Liability Project Finance Real Estate Securities Class Actions Securities Enforcement Spain and Latin America Practice Tax Tax Controversy Technology Trading and Markets Trusts and Estates White Collar Criminal Defense
Law School ALL SCHOOLS Albany Law School American University, Washington College of Law Australian National University Australian National University College of Law Beijing Foreign Studies University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Bond University Faculty of Law Bordeaux University Boston University School of Law BPP Law School Brigham Young University, J. Reuben Clark Law School Brooklyn Law School Campus Law Centre, Delhi University Chicago-Kent College of Law - I.I.T. China University of Political Science and Law College of Law, London Columbia Law School Columbia University Cornell Law School Duke University School of Law Ecole de formation des Barreaux (EFB-Paris) Emory University School of Law Fordham University School of Law Frankfurt University, Institute for Law and Finance Fudan University Law School George Washington University George Washington University Law School Georgetown University Law Center Ghent University Faculty of Law Harvard Law School Hofstra University School of Law Howard University School of Law Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Faculty of Law King's College London School of Law King's College, University of London Leiden University London School of Economics London School of Economics and Political Science London School of Economics Department of Law McGill University, Faculty of Law Murdoch University School of Law National Taiwan University (NTU Law) National University of Singapore Faculty of Law New York University New York University School of Law Northwestern University School of Law Oberlandesgericht Koln Osgoode Hall Law School of York University Peking University Pontificia Universidade Católica de São Paulo Faculdade Paulista de Direito Queensland University of Technology Renmin University of China Renmin University of China Law School Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Die Juristiche Fakultät Rutgers University Rutgers University School of Law - Newark Seton Hall University School of Law Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade Shanghai University of Finance and Economics Southern Methodist University School of Law St. John's University School of Law Stanford Law School Stanford University Stockholm University School of Law SUNY Buffalo Tel Aviv University The College of Law, Chester, England Transnational Law and Business University Trinity College, Dublin School of Law Trinity College, University of Cambridge Tsinghua University UC Berkeley - Boalt Hall School of Law UC Davis School of Law UC Hastings College of the Law UCLA School of Law Universidad Carlos III de Madrid School of Social Sciences and Law Universidad Católica Argentina (Buenos Aires), Facultad de Derecho Universidad de Buenos Aires Universidad de Deusto Universidad Pontificia Comillas (ICADE) Universität Zu Köln Université de Droit & Sciences Economiques Nancy II Université de Strasbourg Faculté de droit Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3, Faculté de droit Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas Université Sceaux-Paris XI University at Buffalo Law School - SUNY University College London, Faculty of Laws University of Bristol School of Law University of British Columbia Faculty of Law University of Cambridge University of Cambridge, Faculty of Law University of Cape Town University of Cape Town, Faculty of Law University of Chicago University of Chicago Law School University of Cologne University of Connecticut School of Law University of Delhi Faculty of Law University of East Anglia University of Edinburgh School of Law University of Florida University of Genoa (Italy) Faculty of Law University of Georgia School of Law University of Glasgow School of Law University of Groningen University of Hong Kong University of Hong Kong, Faculty of Law University of International Business & Economics University of Iowa College of Law University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Law University of London University of Melbourne University of Melbourne Law School University of Miami School of Law University of Michigan University of Michigan Law School University of Minnesota Law School University of Munich, Faculty of Law University of Murcia University of Naples Federico II School of Law University of Natal, School of Law University of New South Wales University of New South Wales, Faculty of Law University of Notre Dame Law School University of Otago, Faculty of Law University of Oxford University of Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania Law School University of Pittsburgh School of Law University of Queensland University of Queensland, TC Beirne School of Law University of San Diego School of Law University of Sao Paulo Law School University of South Carolina School of Law University of Southern California Gould School of Law University of Stellenbosch, Faculty of Law University of Sydney Law School University of Tel Aviv, The Buchmann Faculty of Law University of Texas at Austin University of Texas School of Law University of the West of England, Bristol University of the Witwatersrand, Oliver Schreiner School of Law University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law University of Toronto, Faculty of Law University of Toronto, Faculty of Law/Joseph L. Rotman School of Management University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law University of Virginia University of Virginia School of Law University of Warsaw, Faculty of Law and Administration University of Washington School of Law (Seattle) University of Western Australia University of Western Australia, Faculty of Law University of Western Ontario University of Wisconsin Law School Univerzita Karlova v Praze Vanderbilt University Law School Wake Forest University School of Law Washington & Lee University School of Law Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis School of Law Wayne State University Law School Yale Law School Yale University
Clerkship ALL CLERKSHIPS Amon, Carol Bagley Aspen, Marvin E. Bates, John D. Bea, Carlos T. Becker, Edward R. Benton, Duane Berman, Richard Bernstein, Stuart M. Binnie, Ian Block, Frederic Boggs, Danny J. Bork, Robert H. Boyle, Terrence Breitel, Charles D. Breyer, Stephen G. Brown, Janice Rogers Buchwald, Naomi Reice Byrne, Jr., William Matthew Cabranes, José A. Caffrey, Andrew A. Callinan, Ian Cardamone, Richard J. Casey, Richard Conway Castel, P. Kevin Cedarbaum, Miriam Goldman Chagares, Michael A. Chandler III, William B. Chin, Denny Clark, Thomas A. Clay, Eric L. Coffey, John L. Conboy, Kenneth Conner, William C. Cote, Denise Cummings, Walter J. Cyr, Conrad K. Daniels, George B. Davis, Legrome Drain, Robert D. Duffy, Kevin Thomas Edelstein, David N. Feinberg, Wilfred Fisher, Raymond C. Flannery, Thomas A. Fogel, Jeremy Fuentes, Julio Gagliardi, Lee P Garaufis, Nicholas G. Garibaldi, Marie L. Garth, Leonard I. Ginsburg, Douglas H. Ginsburg, Ruth Bader Glasscock III, Sam Glasser, I. Leo Gleeson, John Goettel, Gerard L. Goodwin, Alfred T. Gorenstein, Gabriel W. Greenberg, Morton I. Gregory, Roger L. Griesa, Thomas P. Grunis, Asher Hall, Janet C. Hall, John E. Hays, Paul R. Henry, Robert H. Herndon, David R. Hochberg, Faith S. Hornby, D. Brock Hurley, Denis R. Iacobucci, Frank Imber, Annabelle Clinton Irenas, Joseph E. Irizarry, Dora L. Jacobs, Dennis Jiuyong, Shi Judges' Chambers, Senior Kaplan, Lewis A. Karas, Kenneth M. Katzmann, Robert A. Kaufman, Chief Judge, Irving R. Kearse, Amalya L. Keeley, Irene M. Keenan, John F. Kelly, Jr., Paul J. Kennedy Jr., Henry H. Kennedy, Anthony M. Kennedy, Cornelia G. King, Carolyn Koeltl, John G. Korman, Edward R. Kravitch, Phyllis A. Laster, Travis Leaphart, W. William Lechner, Jr., Alfred J. Legg, Benson E. Leisure, Peter K. Leon, Richard J. Letts, J. Spencer Leval, Pierre N. Lew, Ronald S.W. Lumbard, J. Edward Luttig, J. Michael Marshall, Thurgood Martin, Jr., John S. Matthes, M.C. Mauskopf, Roslynn R. McLaughlin, Joseph M. McLaughlin, Mary A. McMahon, Colleen Motz, J. Frederick Mukasey, Michael B. Murphy, Diana E. Nelson, David A. Newman, Jon O. Nickerson, Eugene Oakes, James L. Orie, Alphons O'Scannlian, Diarmuid F. Otero, S. James Otis, Louise Owen, Richard Parker, Barrington D. Patterson, Jr., Robert Pauley III, William H. Pitman, Henry B. Platt, Thomas C. Pogue, Donald C. Pollak, Louis H. Pooler, Rosemary S. Pratt, George C. Preska, Loretta A. Rabner, Stuart Raggi, Reena Rehnquist, William H. Ripple, Kenneth F. Robinson, Stephen C. Roth, Jane R. Rufe, Cynthia M. Rymer, Pamela Ann Sand, Leonard B. Saunders, Mary E. Scalia, Antonin Scheindlin, Shira A. Seitz, Collins J. Selna, James V. Sifton, Charles P. Silberman, Laurence Silberman, Laurence H. Skotnikov, Leonid Smith, D. Brooks Smith, Jerry E. Snow, G. Murray Sprizzo, John E. Stahl, Norman H. Stein, Sidney H. Stotler, Alicemarie H. Straub, Chester J. Sullivan, Richard J. Swain, Laura Taylor Sweet, Robert W. Sykes, Diane Tauro, Joseph L. Thomas, Clarence Thompson, David Tjoflat, Gerald B. Townes, Sandra L. Trager, David G. Van Dusen, Francis L. Wallace, J. Clifford Walls, William H. Webster, William H. Weinfeld, Edward Weinstein, Jack B. Wellford, Harry W. Wesley, Richard C. White, Byron R. Widener, Jr., H.E. Wilbur, Richard C. Williams, Richard L. Williams, Stephen F. Wilson, Charles R. Winter, Ralph K. Wisdom, John Minor Wollman, Roger Wright, Caleb M. Young, William G. ALL COURTS British Columbia Court of Appeals Delaware Court of Chancery District of Columbia Court of Appeals High Court of Australia International Court of Justice Montana Supreme Court New Jersey Supreme Court New York Court of Appeals Quebec Court of Appeals Supreme Court of Arkansas Supreme Court of Canada Supreme Court of Israel U.S. Bankruptcy Court, S.D. New York U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit U.S. Court of International Trade U.S. District Court, Arizona U.S. District Court, C.D. California U.S. District Court, Connecticut U.S. District Court, Delaware U.S. District Court, District of Columbia U.S. District Court, E.D. New York U.S. District Court, E.D. North Carolina U.S. District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania U.S. District Court, E.D. Virginia U.S. District Court, Maine U.S. District Court, Maryland U.S. District Court, Massachusetts U.S. District Court, N.D. California U.S. District Court, N.D. Illinois U.S. District Court, N.D. West Virginia U.S. District Court, New Jersey U.S. District Court, S.D. Illinois U.S. District Court, S.D. New York U.S. Supreme Court U.S. Tax Court UN ICTY