John S. (Jack) Baumann

Corporate attorney with more than 35 years of experience advising on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, complex transactions, securities offerings, joint ventures, and high-level strategic business initiatives.

Corporate Law and M&A

4 Publications 4 Events

Professional Profile

John S. (Jack) Baumann is a corporate attorney with more than 35 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, complex corporate transactional work, public and private securities offerings, joint ventures, investment advisory registration, and strategic business development initiatives.

His experience includes work at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom L.L.P. and Cogent Law, as well as serving as Chief Legal Officer of Public Storage and Syncor International Corporation, in addition to numerous other public and private companies.

While at Public Storage, Jack orchestrated Public Storage’s $5 billion hostile acquisition of rival self-storage operator Shurgard Storage Centers, Inc., which was the first hostile and first all-stock acquisition of a Real Estate Investment Trust.

Signature Focus

Decades of M&A and Transaction Experience

Jack brings more than 35 years of experience handling mergers and acquisitions, private equity matters, securities offerings, joint ventures, and other sophisticated corporate transactions.

Executive-Level Business Judgment

Having served as Chief Legal Officer for major public companies, Jack provides practical legal advice shaped by real operational leadership, board-level decision-making, and strategic business execution.

Proven Record on High-Stakes Deals

His experience includes major market-defining transactions, including Public Storage’s $5 billion hostile acquisition of Shurgard, along with ongoing leadership on significant strategic acquisitions, reorganizations, and securities matters.

Areas of Focus

Mergers and acquisitions strategy and execution
Private equity transactions and structuring
Public and private securities offerings
Joint ventures and complex strategic transactions
Corporate reorganizations and divestitures
Investment advisory registration matters
Strategic business development and growth initiatives
High-value corporate transactions across regulated and emerging industries

Credentials & Recognition

Mergers and acquisitions, private equity, corporate transactions, securities offerings, joint ventures, investment advisory registration, and strategic business development initiatives.

Former Chief Legal Officer of Public Storage and Syncor International Corporation, with substantial experience advising both public and private companies.

Lead counsel on strategic acquisitions, divestitures, reorganizations, bitcoin mining operations, bank holding company acquisitions, telecom reorganizations, securities placements, and U.S. securities compliance matters.

Ibanera LLC, Gattaca Genomics LLC, Ovalife LLC, Orano USA LLC, Alpha Watt LLC, Watch Communications, Inc., and Eckert & Ziegler AG, among others.

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Matters described here reflect work performed by the attorney, in some cases with other counsel or at a prior firm, and outcomes depend on the specific facts and law of each matter.

Thought Leadership