Dennis O. Garris

Dennis O. Garris


Alston & Bird LLP

Recognized since 2005

Washington, District of Columbia

Practice Areas

Corporate Governance Law

Corporate Law

Mergers and Acquisitions Law

Securities Regulation

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Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2023 - Corporate Governance Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2013 - Corporate Governance Law
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Dennis O. Garris is partner-in-charge of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office and is the former co-head of the firm’s securities, mergers and acquisitions practices. His practice focuses on securities and complex Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulatory and disclosure matters and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Garris is a nationally known expert on SEC regulatory matters, including the proxy rules, tender offer rules, going-private rules and beneficial ownership reporting rules. From October 1997 until early 2003, he served as chief of the Office of Mergers and Acquisitions, in the Division of Corporation Finance at the SEC. He began his career at the SEC in 1992.

As head of the SEC’s Office of Mergers and Acquisitions, Mr. Garris oversaw regulation of domestic and cross-border M&A transactions and the statutory and regulatory interpretive functions of the SEC as they relate to domestic and international tender offers, exchange offers and business combinations, issuer tender offers (including debt buybacks), proxy solicitations (both contested and non-contested), going-private transactions and beneficial ownership reporting. Mr. Garris worked closely with the SEC’s Division of Enforcement on enforcement matters involving M&A and beneficial ownership reporting issues.

Location
  • The Atlantic Building
    950 F Street, NW
    Washington, DC 20004-1404
Education
  • The University of Akron, J.D., graduated 1992
  • Youngstown State University, BS, graduated 1989
Bar Admissions
  • District of Columbia, The District of Columbia Bar
Affiliations
  • Advisory Board, Deallawyers.com - Member
  • Advisory Committee, DC Bar Foundation - Member
  • American Bar Association Subcommittee on Proxy Statements and Business Combinations of the Federal Regulation of Securities Committee - Vice-chair, and former Chair
  • Board of Governors, Ford’s Theatre - Member
  • Friends of Ballou, Ballou Senior High School, Washington, D.C. - Board Member

Alston & Bird LLP
Washington, District of Columbia

244 The Best Lawyers in America® awards

150 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America awards

Best Law Firms Badge Visit Website View Firm Profile

Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2023 - Corporate Governance Law Lawyer of the Year Badge - 2013 - Corporate Governance Law
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
  • Corporate Governance Law, Washington, D.C. (2023)
  • Corporate Governance Law, Washington, DC (2013)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 for work in:
  • Corporate Governance Law
  • Corporate Law
  • Mergers and Acquisitions Law
  • Securities Regulation
Special Focus:
  • COVID-19
Additional Areas of Practice:
  • Securities / Capital Markets Law

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Publications

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