Diane G. Kerr

Partner

diane.kerr@davispolk.com

Ms. Kerr is a member of Davis Polk’s Corporate Department and also a member of our Latin America and Spain Practice Group. She represents clients in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, partnerships, takeover defense, shareholder activism, corporate governance and, in general, corporate and securities law matters.

Ms. Kerr’s work emphasizes cross-border and other international transactions for both U.S. and foreign clients. Having lived in Spain and France, she speaks fluent Spanish and French. She spends a substantial portion of her time representing clients in Spain and Latin America.

As part of her international work, she participated and continues to participate in structuring the first cross-border transactions between various combinations of countries. In this capacity, Ms. Kerr has worked closely with members of the business community and the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission in the development and evolution of the cross-border exemptions to the U.S. rules affecting business combinations and she continues to advocate for appropriate changes in these rules.

Contact

New York
450 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017
P: 212-450-4529
F: 212-701-5529

Related Practices

Bar Admissions

State of New York

Education

B.A., University of Virginia, 1978
- summa cum laude
J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, 1981
- Order of the Coif
- Member, Virginia Law Review

Languages

Spanish
French

Work Highlights

Latin America and Spain Representations

Telefónica de España in a recent going private transaction involving its Argentine affiliate, Telefónica Argentina, S.A.
Gafisa S.A., a large Brazilian home builder in connection with the acquisition by Gafisa of all shares of its subsidiary Tenda S.A. not previously owned by Gafisa
Banco Santander of Spain in its recent acquisition of Sovereign Bank
Telecom Argentina on the restructuring of its debt
Private equity investors in the acquisition of major oil exploration rights in Brazil
Cosan, Ltd., one of the world’s largest ethanol and sugar companies, in a global restructuring of its business
Vivo Participacoes, a major Brazilian telecommunications company, in the acquisition of Telemig Participacoes and in connection with the restructuring of the acquired businesses

Other Representations

Hero Group A.G. of Switzerland in its acquisition of the Beech-Nut baby food business
Julius Baer Holding Ltd. in a proposed sale of one of its U.S. businesses
Bank of America in connection with multiple financial advisory assignments
Other transactions for Telefónica de España and its affiliates, Repsol, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya, Endesa S.A. and its affiliates, Quilmes

Recognition

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

Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Business Lawyers
Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
IFLR1000: The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms
Legal Media Group’s Expert Guide to the World’s Leading M&A Lawyers
incisivemedia’s (formerly American Lawyer Media) Corporate Counsel: Best Lawyers in Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Law

Of Note

Panelist, Latin American Regional Forum Conference in Santiago, "The Economic Crisis and the Banking Industry," 2010
Panelist, International Bar Association Conference on Mergers and Acquisitions in Latin America, “The Financial Crisis and M&A: Lessons Learned in Latin America and Elsewhere,” 2009
Author, “The Revised U.S. Cross Border Rules – Additional Flexibility or an SEC Warning?” International Comparative Guide to M&A, 2009
Panelist, Williams Act Conference, Georgetown University Law Center, “Balancing Global and U.S. Takeover Regulation,” 2008
Panelist, New York Bar Association, “The SEC's Recent Initiatives Affecting Foreign Private Issuers – Is the Tide Turning?”
Panelist, ABA Fall Meeting 2006, “Current SEC M&A Topics”

Memberships

American Bar Association, Mergers & Acquisitions Committee;
International Bar Association, Committee on Corporate and M&A Law, Latin American Regional Forum

Professional History

Partner, 1989-present
Associate, 1981-1989
Paris office, 1985-1986

News

Davis Polk to Open Office in São Paulo

Events

Diane Kerr to Speak at Biannual IBA Latin American Regional Forum Conference

Last Name
Title ALL TITLES Associate Consultant Counsel Counsel - Registered Foreign Lawyer General Counsel Litigation Counsel Partner Registered Foreign Lawyer Senior Counsel Special Counsel for Pro Bono
Offices ALL OFFICES Beijing Hong Kong London Madrid Menlo Park New York Paris São Paulo Tokyo Washington DC
Practices ALL PRACTICES Antitrust and Competition -- Litigation Antitrust and Competition -- Transactional 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 Japan Practice 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
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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. Beezer, Robert Berman, Richard Bernstein, Stuart M. Binnie, Ian Block, Frederic Boggs, Danny J. Bork, Robert H. Boyle, Terrence Breitel, Charles D. Breyer, Stephen G. Brody, Morton A. 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 Haight, Jr., Charles S. Hall, John E. Hays, Paul R. Henry, Robert H. Herndon, David R. 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. 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. O'Scannlian, Diarmuid F. 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. Raggi, Reena Rehnquist, William H. Robinson, Stephen C. Roth, Jane R. Sand, Leonard B. Saunders, Mary E. Scalia, Antonin Scheindlin, Shira A. Seitz, Collins J. 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. 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. 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, 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