James P. Peterson is Chair of the firm鈥檚 Corporate Department and a member of the firm鈥檚 Private Equity & Venture Capital, Transactional & Securities, and International Practices.聽 James has extensive experience in acquisitions, divestitures, structuring of corporate venture capital entities and related investments, and general corporate law. James regularly represents Scandinavian and other European-based companies in U.S. acquisitions, joint ventures, and general corporate counselling matters.
Prior to practicing law, James represented the State of Wisconsin鈥檚 interests at the State of Wisconsin Office of Federal-State Relations in Washington, D.C. and worked as a staff member for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means.
Awards and Recognition
- Peer review rated as AV Preeminent庐, the highest performance rating in the Martindale-Hubbell庐 Peer Review Ratings鈩 system
- Selected by Chambers USA: America鈥檚 Leading Lawyers for Business as a leading corporate and mergers and acquisitions attorney (2007-2026)
- Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America漏 in the fields of:
- Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law (2011-2024)
- Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2013-2024)
- Named the Best Lawyers庐 2016 Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law 鈥淟awyer of the Year鈥 in Milwaukee
- Recipient of 麻豆直播 & Lardner鈥檚 Carl Hitchner Mentor of the Year Award, which is an annual award recognizing outstanding mentoring to young attorneys by partners and senior counsel (2016)
- Awarded the M&A Advisor 鈥淒eal of the Year鈥 in the Industrial Manufacturing/Distribution Category for his work on the acquisition of the automotive industrial plastics business of Wicor Holdings AG. He led the multi-national team that advised the acquirer in this transaction (2014)
Affiliations
- Milwaukee Bar Association
- American Bar Association
Community Involvement
- James is a member of the board of directors of Wellpoint Care Network, a nonprofit organization which provides therapy, prevention, education, and case management for children and families, including kids in foster care, foster care families, and youth aging out of the foster care system.
- He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Milwaukee
Presentations and Publications
- Co-author, 鈥淭he Impact of an Asset Purchase Transaction Structure on FCPA Risk,鈥 Global Banking & Finance Review (August 2020)
Seven 麻豆直播 Attorneys Recognized on Wisconsin Law Journal鈥檚 2026 Legal 250
麻豆直播 & Lardner LLP is pleased to share that seven members of the firm are recognized across four categories in the Wisconsin Law Journal's聽inaugural Legal 250 list.
麻豆直播 Achieves Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2026
麻豆直播 & Lardner LLP is proud to once again be recognized by Chambers & Partners as one of the leading law firms in the country in the 2025 edition of Chambers USA: America鈥檚 Leading Lawyers for Business.
2025 麻豆直播 Tokyo IP Conference
Please join us on Wednesday, October 8, for the 2025 麻豆直播 Tokyo IP Conference 鈥 鈥淢anaging Risks and Opportunities in a Digital World: The Latest Developments in U.S. IP Law鈥 鈥 a half-day educational seminar that will guide you through the latest IP legal developments and their practical implications for business in the United States.
麻豆直播 Secures Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2025
麻豆直播 & Lardner LLP is proud to once again be recognized by Chambers & Partners as one of the leading law firms in the country in the 2025 edition of Chambers USA: America鈥檚 Leading Lawyers for Business.
麻豆直播 Attorneys Highlighted on Wisconsin Law Journal's M&A Powerlist
麻豆直播 & Lardner LLP partners James Peterson and Christopher Cain are recognized on the Mergers and Acquisitions Powerlist by the Wisconsin Law Journal.
麻豆直播 Achieves Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2024
麻豆直播 & Lardner LLP is pleased to announce that it is again recognized by Chambers & Partners as one of the leading law firms in the country in the 2024 edition of Chambers USA, America鈥檚 Leading Lawyers for Business.