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Kimberly Ward Burns

Member
fax +1 412.394.2555

Kimberly Burns represents clients in mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, corporate law issues, and business contracts.

Kim assists clients in evaluating, structuring, negotiating, and documenting complex transactions, including mergers, equity and asset acquisitions and sales, strategic investments, corporate reorganizations, joint ventures, and private equity investments.

Kim also works with both for-profit and non-profit organizations, often in an “outside general counsel” role, providing counsel and advice on matters including business planning, business formation, governance, ownership succession issues, and the preparation and negotiation of complex business contracts and transactional documents. Her experience includes clients across a number of industries, including manufacturing, technology, transportation and logistics, healthcare, food, and entertainment. Kim also represents individuals in matters including equity purchases and redemptions, executive compensation, and separation and severance matters.

Prior to attending law school, Kim was employed by the New England Regional Office of the American Arbitration Association, where she supervised the commercial, construction, and insurance caseloads and was responsible for coordinating the screening of new members of the arbitration panel and coordinating and conducting arbitrator training programs. During this time Kim completed a Basic Mediation Training Program (33 hours) facilitated by the Cambridge Dispute Settlement Center.

Education

J.D., magna cum laude, University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1999, Order of the Coif
B.A., State University of New York, Buffalo, New York, 1987, Economics

Recognitions

Named among Best Lawyers in America® for Corporate Law by Best Lawyers (2024)

Memberships

American Bar Association

Allegheny County Bar Association

Member, Board of Directors, Family Hospice and Palliative Care

Member, Board of Directors, Home Nursing Agency and Visiting Nurse Association

Former Member, Board of Directors, Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra

Former Member, Board of Directors, Westminster Child Development Center/Westminster Nursery School

Past Chair and Current Council Member, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Business Law Section

Pennsylvania Bar Association, Title 15 Drafting Committee, Business Law Section

Pennsylvania Bar Association, Women in the Profession Committee

State Bar Licenses

Pennsylvania

Court Admissions

U.S. District Ct., W.D. of Pennsylvania
Articles
  • “Entering the United States Market: Business Entity Selection, Location and Formation,” Communiqué, April 2012
Presentations
  • Presenter, “Big Changes for LLCs, LLPs, LPs and GPs,” PBI Seminar, March and July, 2017
  • Presenter, “Mergers & Acquisitions,” Maher Duessel Annual Non-Profit Update Seminar, July 2015
  • Presenter, “Mergers & Acquisitions: Developments and Practice Tips,” PBI Seminar, June 2015
  • Presenter, “The New Pennsylvania Law on Entity Transactions,” PBI Seminar, May 2015
  • Presenter, “Post Closing Price Adjustments,” Financial Executives International (Pittsburgh Chapter) Seminar, March 2012, TRA Seminar, November 2012
  • Presenter, “Piercing the Corporate Veil,” PBI Seminar, May 2012
  • Presenter, “Commercial Document Series 2011 – LLC Documents,” PBI Seminar, March 2011
  • Presenter, “Preparing LLC Documents,” PBI Seminar, March 2010
  • Presenter, “Business Valuation Issues and Opportunities in a Down Economy,” TRA seminar, January 2010
  • Presenter, “Dealing with Financially Troubled Companies,” TRA seminar, June 2009