S. Halle Vakani

Attorney

phone icon919.865.1125 hvakani@wyrick.com
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Bio

Halle has more than 20 years of experience advising public and private companies on capital markets, securities and general corporate law matters. She represents companies in their initial organizations, securities transactions (including various forms of equity and debt offerings, tender offers, mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic transactions), SEC reporting, compliance and governance matters, investor relations and disclosure issues, stock exchange rules and regulations, and shareholder proposals and engagement. Halle also represents investment banking firms in securities offerings. Prior to joining the firm in 2005, Halle practiced with McMillan LLP, a leading Canadian business law firm.

Halle is the Capital Markets Practice Group Leader at Wyrick Robbins and is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. She is the founder and former chair of the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

Halle received her B.A. in French and International Trade Economics, Dean’s Honors List, from the University of Waterloo (Canada). She received her M.A. in French Literature, Dean’s Honors List, from Queen’s University (Canada). Halle completed her law degree at Osgoode Hall at York University (Canada) where she won the Cassels Brock & Blackwell Centennial Prize in Lawyering Skills. Halle received her LL.M. in Corporate Law and Finance, cum laude, from Widener University School of Law. Halle is licensed to practice law in North Carolina and called to the Bar in Ontario, Canada.
 
Languages: French and Gujarati

  • Recipient of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Award (NCCJ) 2021
  • Recipient of Leaders in Diversity Award (Triangle Business Journal), Raleigh, NC, 2016
  • North Carolina State Bar
  • North Carolina Bar Association and member of the Minorities in the Profession Committee
  • Wake County Bar Association
  • Called to the Bar in Ontario (Canada)
  • Board member, Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina
  • Member of the South Asian Bar Association of North Carolina
  • Member of Alliance Française (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill)
  • Outside securities counsel to an NYSE listed Fortune 100 company
  • Represents a South Carolina based cloud software company listed on Nasdaq on certain SEC matters and represented that company in acquisitions totaling over $400 million
  • Attends Board and committee meetings of a local specialty pharmaceutical company listed on Nasdaq and represented that company in multiple capital raising transactions totaling over $151 million
  • Advises a global medical device company listed on Nasdaq on SEC and corporate governance matters
  • Represented a North Carolina based pharmaceutical company in its alternative public offering and continue as its outside securities counsel
  • Attended Board and committee meetings of a South Carolina based SaaS software company listed on Nasdaq and represented that company in its $150 million IPO and subsequent equity offerings for a total of over $750 million
  • Attended Board and committee meetings of a New York-based clinical stage ophthalmic biopharmaceutical company listed on Nasdaq and represented that company in multiple equity offerings totaling over $60 million
  • Represents multiple Canadian public and private companies on U.S. capital markets and general corporate matters
  • Represented a local clinical stage biopharmaceutical company on SEC matters and in its $86 million IPO
  • Represented a major RTP-based global CRO (contract research organization) on SEC matters and in its $172.5 million IPO and subsequent equity offerings

Practice Areas

Capital Markets

Our Capital Markets practice group assists clients with their most complex and challenging capital raising and corporate governance needs, leveraging the deep expertise of our attorneys and paralegals. We work with companies navigating every stage of the capital raising process, including advising issuers, underwriters, and other financial institutions on an all types of equity and debt capital raisings in a practical and highly responsive manner.

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Mergers & Acquisitions

Our M&A practice group is composed of experienced transactional attorneys focused on handling the complexities of M&A transactions. We take pride in working closely with our clients at every stage of the process, from pre-transaction preparation and deal structuring in order to maximize value and minimize risk, through due diligence, to drafting and negotiating definitive agreements, and ultimately to closing and post-closing advice.

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