October 30, 2017 (San Diego) – Procopio Partners Michael J. Changaris, Dennis J. Doucette, Paul B. Johnson and Roger C. Rappoport have been named 2017 Advisors of the Year by BNY Mellon Wealth Management for their legal work in mergers, acquisitions, and securing of expansion capital. These annual awards are selected by a panel of experts in mergers and acquisitions, and recognize legal and financial advisors who, according to the award criteria, “provide extraordinary service and value to owners of middle market companies in the sale, expansion or recapitalization of their companies.”

Doucette won two awards, with Changaris, Johnson and Rappoport each securing an additional award. Procopio won more awards than any other organization, including other competing law, accounting and financial firms.

The five 2017 BNY Mellon Advisor of the Year awards won by Procopio partners are as follows:
•  Buy-side Legal Representation, Less than $25 Million: Dennis J. Doucette
•  Expansion Capital Advisory by an Attorney, More than $25 Million: Dennis J. Doucette
•  Sell-side Legal Representation in Sale to a Public Company, Less than $25 Million: Paul B. Johnson
•  Sell-side Legal Representation in Sale to a Public Company, More than $25 Million: Roger C. Rappoport
•  Sell-Side Legal Representation in Sale to a Private Company, Less than $25 Million: Michael J. Changaris

Procopio’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Strategic Joint Venture team has closed hundreds of deals, big and small—ranging from $5 million to more than $1 billion–totaling billions of dollars. Its substantial bench strength is deep across all industries. Attorneys operate within a friendly and collegial knowledge-sharing environment at Procopio, routinely partnering internally to extract the firm’s full spectrum of legal expertise to attack any deal issues. Procopio has the infrastructure to support smaller and mid-sized companies, as well as large multi-state and multinational companies. The team is available to clients 24/7 on every M&A and Strategic Joint Venture deal, and shepherds all aspects of the transaction to completion.

Michael J. Changaris advises clients in corporate and partnership merger and acquisition transactions for public and private companies; negotiation of joint venture relationships involving foreign and domestic corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies; tax-exempt financing transactions and other corporate and business transactions; and federal, state, local and international tax planning and structuring for corporations, partnerships, REITs and tax-exempt organizations.

Dennis J. Doucette is Chair of Procopio’s Corporate and Securities Practice Group. He has participated in more than 350 corporate finance transactions, including corporate, securities, mergers and acquisitions and venture financing. Dennis’s practice focuses on buyers and sellers in mergers, stock and asset purchases, management buyouts and related transactions. He has extensive experience with formations, corporate stock issuances, recapitalizations and reorganizations, stock restriction agreements, officers and directors advice, equity incentives/compensation, higher education compliance/governance, securities compliance and corporate governance. Dennis is also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego School of Law.

Paul B. Johnson is Co-Chair of Procopio’s Mergers & Acquisitions and Strategic Joint Ventures Practice Group. He helps entrepreneurs and their investors get companies formed, funded and sold, including initial formation of corporations and LLCs, negotiation of seed, early and mid-stage equity financings and buy and sell-side mergers and acquisitions. Paul is also adept at venture capital investments, public and private securities offering and compliance and general business counseling.  Paul has also counseled some of San Diego’s most successful companies in Securities and Exchange Commission compliance and general corporate governance.

Roger C. Rappoport is the Emerging Growth & Technology Practice Group Leader. He has extensive experience advising emerging growth companies, from inception through exit, and the investors that finance them. Roger’s practice focuses on venture capital and angel investor financings (including convertible notes, SAFEs and other debt financings), mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, distribution, development, manufacturing and licensing transactions, executive compensation, including the establishment of equity incentive plans and general corporate governance. Roger is a frequent speaker on topics related to “doing it right” from inception, developing an appropriate funding strategy and negotiating term sheets. Roger has experience with clients in a diverse array of industries including software (B2B and B2C), hardware, communications, internet, renewable energy, medical devices, med-tech, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. Prior to becoming an attorney, Roger was an entrepreneur for 10 years.
Procopio attorneys routinely are named to various lists of top attorneys, including Martindale-Hubbell®, Super Lawyers®, Best Lawyers in America® and other national and regional lists.