Edward J. "Jack" Hardin

Overview

Edward J. (Jack) Hardin, a founding partner of the Firm, advises public and private corporations and their directors on corporate governance, corporate law and business transactions.

Mr. Hardin has broad domestic and international experience advising a wide variety of corporate and director clients regarding governance, internal investigations, merger and acquisition transactions, recapitalizations and reorganizations.

Representative Experience

• Representation of independent Directors of Fortune 50 information technology company regarding shareholder claims, internal investigations and governance issues;
• Continuing Independent Director representation of multiple public REITs;
• Continuing representation of Board of a major independent accounting firm;
• Representation of non-management directors of major resort developer and operator;
• Representation of Independent Directors of NYSE listed consumer services firm including internal investigations and restructuring committees;
• Representation of Directors of overseas based professional liability insurance company;
• Representation of Audit Committee of publicly traded defense contractor.

Professional & Community Activities

Mr. Hardin has received multiple recognitions for public service including the Elbert P. Tuttle Jurisprudence Award from the Anti Defamation League for dedication to justice and fair treatment to all peoples, the Centurion Award from Travelers Aid of Metropolitan Atlanta for his leadership in the areas of education, religious tolerance and alleviation of homelessness, and the Alexis de Tocqueville Award for public service by the United Way's de Tocqueville Society. He is Co-Chair of the Regional Commission on Homelessness, President of the Georgia Legal Services Foundation, Chairman of Gateway, LLC, a homeless services center, Chairman of the Board of Visitors of Grady Hospital, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a former Chair of the Board of Directors of the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta.

Mr. Hardin served on the Governor's Education Reform Study Commission (1999-2001). From 1990 to 2002, he was the Chairman of the Board of the Harvard Center for the Study of World Religions. Mr. Hardin formerly served as Chairman of the Board of Paidea School, Inc. and of the Children’s Theatrical Workshop, and as a member of the Board of the Georgia Early Learning Initiative and its successor, Smart Start Georgia.

Professional Recognition

• Best Lawyers has named Mr. Hardin Atlanta Best Lawyers Corporate Lawyer of the Year for 2011.
• Mr. Hardin is listed in Chambers USA and has been selected as one of the best corporate attorneys in the United States for more than 20 years by his peers in biannual surveys published in The Best Lawyers in America. He has been named one of the top 10 Georgia Super Lawyers three times in peer surveys published by Atlanta Magazine and has been listed as a Georgia Super Lawyer since the advent of the survey. Mr. Hardin has spoken often on corporate securities and corporate governance topics.
• Mr. Hardin has served on the boards of directors of a number of public and private companies and has chaired the Business Law Section of the State Bar and its Securities Committee. He was a member of the 1988-89 Georgia Corporation Code Revision Committee and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Shares, Distributions and Shareholders.
• Association of the Bar of the City of New York: Secretary (1970-71) of its Committee on Professional & Judicial Ethics
• Inter-American Bar Association
• American Law Institute
• International Bar Association
• Counsel on Foreign Relations
• Editor, Corporate Volume, Southeast Litigation Guide (Matthew Bender 1983)
• American Bar Association
• State Bar of Georgia