Jo Watson Hackl, Of Counsel
Jo represents clients in corporate, securities, and employment law matters. Her practice has an emphasis on publicly traded companies and corporate governance issues. She has served as lead counsel on public registrations representing over a billion dollars. Jo has substantial experience in cross-border corporate acquisitions.
Jo also advises clients on a full range of corporate and commercial matters, such as Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, strategic transactions such as significant merger transactions, proxy contests, corporate reorganizations, raising capital, and managing complex commercial relationships.
In addition, Jo counsels clients on employment matters, focusing on reducing the risk of employment-related litigation.
Representative Matters
- Represented an international public company in connection with a shelf registration statement covering up to $750,000,000 of common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares, stock purchase contracts, stock purchase units, warrants, debt securities and trust preferred securities.
- Represented an international public company in connection with 144A private placement of $400 million of notes and subsequent registered exchange offering.
- Represented an international public company in connection with a $250,000,000 offering of floating rate notes. This offering was a takedown from the shelf registration statement described above.
- Represented a public company in connection with a tender offer and consent solicitation relating to its Senior Notes (approximately $31 million in aggregate amount then outstanding).
Professional Background
| 1989-Present | Wyche, P.A. |
|---|---|
| 1988–1989 | Law Clerk, Hon. Robert S. Vance, United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit |
Educational Background
| 1988, J.D. | Yale Law School; Yale Journal of International Law (Book Review Editor, (1986–87); Yale Law Journal (Notes Topic Editor 1987–88) |
|---|---|
| 1985, B.A. | Millsaps College; With high honors, Omicron Delta Kappa |
Professional Activities and Memberships
- Greenville Bar Association: President 2002; Executive Committee, 1998–2003
- Producer and Panelist of a Seminar for Directors of Closely Held Companies and Non-Profit Agencies, 2006
- Guest speaker, South Carolina Business Review, SCETV radio, “Most Common Questions and Answers About Ethics Programs”, “10 Questions to Ask Before Joining a Private Company or Non-Profit Board”, “Most Common Questions and Answers about Positioning Your Company for a Possible IPO”
- Legal Services Agency of Western Carolina, Inc.: Host and Producer of “Legal Aid, Justice for All,” a local cable television educational program, 1991–94; Past Chair, Board of Directors
Bar and Court Admissions
- Alabama Bar, 1990
- South Carolina Bar, 1990
Representative Community Activities
- Greenville Area Development Corporation, Immediate Past Chair, Board of Directors
- The Community Foundation of Greenville, Chair, Board of Directors
- Liberty Fellowship Economic Development Forum, Co-Chair
- The Emrys Foundation, President and Board Member
- Camperdown Academy Board of Directors
- Leadership Greenville, Class XIX; past Forum President
- Children’s Museum of the Upstate, past Member of the Board of Directors
- Peace Center for the Performing Arts: Philanthropist of the Year, 2002; past Member of the Executive Committee
- United Way of Greenville, Board of Directors
- Former Greenville County Human Relations Commissioner appointed by County Council
- Greenville Professional Women's Forum, Past President
Publications
- Co-author, “State Takeover Statutes and Shareholder Wealth; An Empirical Study,” 97 Yale Law Journal, 1988
Awards and Honors
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America for 2012
- Selected as one of Greenville Business Magazine's 50 Most Influential in 2010 and 2011
- Selected as a 2010 Woman of Achievement by the YWCA
- Recipient of the Richard Riley and the South Carolina Bar Pro Bono Award
- Featured in the American Bar Association American Barrister magazine for pro bono work
- Selected as one of 35 in the inaugural class of “Best and Brightest” by Greenville Magazine
- Liberty Fellow, Class of 2008
- Israel H. Peres Award for best student writing in the Yale Law Journal, 1988
- AV rating, Martindale-Hubbell