Elaine Kao

Elaine Kao advises public and private companies, private equity and institutional buyers on cross-border and domestic mergers and acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures, restructurings as well as venture capital investments, with a particular focus on complex transactions in the accounting and professional services fields, healthcare, and biotech. Ms. Kao's command of the sector-specific regulatory frameworks that govern deals involving medical practices, accounting firms, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)-registered broker-dealers, and government contractors makes her a trusted M&A advisor in industries where transaction risk extends well beyond the term sheet.

Ms. Kao's transactional practice spans a broad range of industries, including accounting and audit firms, professional services businesses such as wealth management and cybersecurity providers, physician practices, healthcare and biotech. She represents public and private clients in acquisitions, divestitures, venture capital investments, joint ventures and other commercial partnerships, bringing practical, business-focused counsel from the earliest stages of a transaction through closing and post-transaction guidance. Ms. Kao also provides ongoing general corporate counseling, advising clients on governance matters and strategic planning as their businesses grow and evolve.

A defining feature of Ms. Kao's practice is her deep familiarity with the regulatory frameworks that shape – and complicate – M&A transactions across key sectors. She regularly advises clients on issues specific to professional services firms, SEC-registered broker-dealers, the public sector and physician and medical practices, helping them identify risk, structure transactions effectively and navigate the regulatory processes that often determine a deal's ultimate success. This depth of sector knowledge enables Ms. Kao to deliver counsel that extends beyond transaction execution, helping clients anticipate governance and integration questions well before closing.