James A. Lebovitz is the chief operating officer of Dechert LLP and a partner in the corporate and securities group. As chief operating officer, Mr. Lebovitz works closely with the Firm’s co-chairs to position Dechert as a leading global law firm advising asset managers, financial institutions and corporations on issues critical to managing their business and their capital.

In addition to serving a chief operating officer, Mr. Lebovitz continues to represent clients in securities transactions, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances and general corporate matters. He has extensive experience advising public and privately held corporations in the life sciences, healthcare, financial and business services sectors, business development companies and other specialty finance companies, and investment banks in corporate transactions and financings.

Having previously worked in-house as general counsel of a publicly-traded company in San Diego, California, Mr. Lebovitz brings a particularly strong commercial perspective when representing clients in transactions. In fact, Chambers USA, a referral guide to leading lawyers in the United States, which consistently recognizes Mr. Lebovitz as a leading lawyer for corporate/M&A and private equity, has described him as a "consummate professional," "collaborative, thoughtful, commercial lawyer" who “has the ability to focus on the important aspects of a transaction while not losing sight of its overall objectives.” He has also been recognized as a leading lawyer in The Best Lawyers in America, LMG Life Sciences, IFLR1000 and The Legal 500 (U.S.).

Before being elevated to chief operating officer, Mr. Lebovitz served as the firm's finance partner. He previously served on the Firm's Policy Committee, and as chair of Dechert's firm-wide lawyer hiring committee, partner responsible for associate development, and chair of the firm’s business and technology practice groups.

  • In the last few years alone, Mr. Lebovitz has advised on a wide range of transactions, including:

    • FS/KKR Advisor in its merger of FS KKR Capital Corp. (NYSE:FSK) and FS KKR Capital Corp. II (NYSE:FSKR), two publicly-listed business development companies (BDCs), creating one of the largest BDCs in the U.S. with $14.9 billion in assets under management.
    • FS Investment Corporation (NYSE: FSIC) in its merger with Corporate Capital Trust, Inc. (NYSE: CCT), two publicly-listed BDCs advised by FS/KKR Advisor, to create the second largest publicly-traded BDC by assets under management. 
    • HFF, Inc. (NYSE: HF) in its US$2 billion acquisition in a cash and stock merger with Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE: JLL).
    • FS Investment Corporation II, FS Investment Corporation III, FS Investment Corporation IV and Corporate Capital Trust II in their merger to create the second largest BDC by assets under management.
    • JetPay Corporation (NASDAQ: JTPY), a leading provider of vertically integrated solutions for businesses including card acceptance, processing, payroll, payroll tax filing, human capital management services, and other financial transactions, in connection with its US$184 million acquisition by NCR Corporation (NYSE: NCR). Previously advised JetPay on several financings and transactions, which were preceded by the representation of Universal Business Payment Solutions Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), in its US$72 million initial public offering of common stock, and subsequent acquisition of two operating companies, Jet Pay, a real-time card and ACH processor as well as merchant account provider, and A D Computer, a comprehensive payroll and tax filing service.
    • Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBRG), the owner and operator of two Italian restaurant brands (BRAVO! Cucina Italiana and Brio Tuscan Grille), in its US$161 million initial public offering and US$74 million secondary offering, followed by its ultimate US$100 million going-private sale to Spice Private Equity.
    • FS Investments, a leading alternative investment manager, in connection with its partnership with KKR, a leading global investment firm, to create the largest business development company (BDC) platform, with US$18 billion in combined assets under management. 
    • FS Investment Corporation, FS Energy & Power Fund, FS Investment Corporation II, FS Investment Corporation III, and FS Investment Corporation IV, five business development companies, in connection with their continuous offerings of US$2.6 billion, US$1.5 billion, US$2 billion, US$4 billion and US$2.6 billion, respectively, of their common stock.
    • Covance Inc., a leading clinical research organization (CRO) providing drug development services, in its: US$2.2 billion ten-year strategic alliance with Sanofi-Aventis and its related US$25 million acquisition of Sanofi's research and development sites in Porcheville, France and Alnwick in the United Kingdom, US$1.6 billion ten-year strategic alliance with Eli Lilly and Company, and its acquisition of the Gene Expression Laboratory from Merck.
    • Adolor Corporation, a biotechnology company, in its US$415 million sale to Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc., which included an innovative contingent payment right valued at up to US$225 million. Previously advised Adolor on its initial public offering and subsequent follow-on offerings of common stock as well as M&A transactions and general corporate matters.
    • HFF, Inc., a commercial real estate capital intermediary, in its US$257 million initial public offering of Class A common stock and secondary offerings of common stock.
    • Underwriters, led by JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, in connection with numerous public offerings of common stock by Amicus Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FOLD), a biopharmaceutical company focused on rare genetic diseases.
    • 2021 Permanent & Private Capital Summit — Virtual Conference (June 2-3, 2021)
    • Permanent and Private Capital in the Time of COVID-19: Where We've Been and Where We're Going — Dechert LLP, Virtual Conference (August 20, 2020)
    • 2017 Permanent Capital Summit — Dechert LLP, New York , NY (March 08, 2017) 
    • Current Trends in Permanent Capital: What Alternative Managers Need to Know Now — Dechert LLP, New York, NY ( January 22, 2015) 
    • Forging a Launch Pad for Emerging Growth IPOs — The Burrill Report Podcast, Philadelphia, PA (April 06, 2012)
    • Investments in Russian Pharma Market — Russian-American Pharmaceutical Conference, Philadelphia, PA (April 27, 2010)
    • Member of the Corporate Council of The Barnes Foundation
    • Former trustee of Choate Rosemary Hall and Vice Chair of the Board
    • Former trustee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
    • Former trustee of The Baldwin School
    • Former president and current member of the Board of Trustees of the Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial