Charles W. Mulaney

Background

Charles W. Mulaney was born in 1949 in Chicago, Illinois. His professional life has been centered in Chicago, where he developed a long career in corporate law and became associated with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Education

Mulaney received an A.B. degree summa cum laude from Georgetown University in 1971 and a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School in 1974. Georgetown University, founded in 1789, is the oldest Catholic university in the United States and has long combined liberal-arts education with professional training. Yale Law School, established in 1824, is a major American center for legal scholarship and professional education.

While at Yale, Mulaney was an editor of the Yale Law Journal in 1973–1974. His legal education was followed by a federal judicial clerkship, providing an early transition from academic study to professional practice.

Career

Mulaney began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge Edward Weinfeld of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York from 1974 to 1975. The federal district court is a trial court with jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters in Manhattan and surrounding counties, and judicial clerkships there traditionally involve legal research, analysis, and preparation of memoranda and opinions.

He joined Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom after his clerkship and became a senior corporate lawyer in the firm's Chicago practice. Skadden, founded in 1948, developed into an international law firm particularly prominent in mergers and acquisitions, securities, corporate finance, and restructuring. Mulaney's practice has focused on friendly and hostile acquisitions, corporate governance, corporate financings, securities matters, disclosure issues, directors' duties, shareholder activism, special-committee work, and internal investigations.

Among the transactions in which he has represented clients are Rockwell Collins' $30 billion acquisition by United Technologies and its $8.6 billion acquisition of B/E Aerospace; Hospira's $17 billion acquisition by Pfizer; Ball Corporation's $6.9 billion acquisition of Rexam; Ameritech's $60 billion merger with SBC Communications; and Tribune Company's $13 billion going-private transaction. He has also represented companies and financial institutions in public and private securities offerings and in transactions involving Baxter International, Ecolab, Exelon, Guidant, Scientific-Atlanta, Stryker, Waste Management, and other major corporations.

Mulaney has lectured on mergers, acquisitions, and corporate governance at director and corporate-law institutes associated with Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and Duke University. He has served as of counsel in Skadden's mergers-and-acquisitions practice and has remained professionally associated with the Chicago legal community.

Achievements

• Mulaney has represented clients in major mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, financings, and corporate-governance matters, including multibillion-dollar transactions involving Rockwell Collins, Hospira, Ball Corporation, Ameritech, Tribune Company, and other public companies.

• He has lectured on mergers and acquisitions, securities law, and corporate governance at programs associated with Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and Duke University.

Membership

Mulaney has participated in professional, educational, humanitarian, and community organizations. He has been associated with the Corporate and Securities Law Institute of Northwestern University School of Law and has served on boards connected with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago and Midtown-Metro Achievement Centers.

These organizations represent different aspects of his public activity: the Northwestern institute supports education and discussion in corporate and securities law, Catholic Charities provides social services and humanitarian assistance, and Midtown-Metro Achievement Centers supports educational and youth-development programs.

• Member of the institute and its executive committee.

  Corporate and Securities Law Institute, Northwestern University School of Law , United States

• Member of the board of directors.

  Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago , United States

• Member of the board of directors.

  Midtown-Metro Achievement Centers , United States

• Phi Beta Kappa , United States

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• Chambers has described Mulaney as a standout corporate lawyer active in some of the largest transactions in the field and regularly advising on multibillion-dollar acquisitions.

References

• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP — Charles W. Mulaney, Jr. professional profile Documents Mulaney's education, judicial clerkship, mergers-and-acquisitions practice, major transactions, lectures, professional memberships, and recognitions.
• Chambers Global — Charles W. Mulaney Jr. Describes Mulaney's corporate and mergers-and-acquisitions practice, education, professional affiliations, and standing as a senior practitioner.
• Lawdragon Announces 2023 Hall of Fame Inductees Documents Mulaney's inclusion in the Lawdragon Hall of Fame as a dealmaker in mergers and acquisitions.
  2023