Mark A. Harris is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and is based in the Firm’s Chicago office. Mark regularly counsels both public companies and private equity funds on M&A, corporate governance, securities and general corporate matters. Mark also frequently represents entrepreneurs and their businesses on a variety of general corporate, M&A, executive compensation and other matters.
During his 25+ year legal career, Mark has handled a wide range of corporate, technology, tax and litigation matters for clients of all types and sizes. Recent transactions include representing Merge Healthcare in its bid-topping acquisition of AMICAS, its pending public acquisition of Ophthalmic Imaging Systems and several other transactions; Health Care Service Corporation in several strategic transactions; Munich Re in its acquisition of Windsor Health Group; the management teams of CDW Corporation and Nuveen Investments, Inc. in their going-private transactions led by Madison Dearborn Partners; a Special Committee of the Chicago Board of Trade in its acquisition by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange; a Special Committee of a public company in connection with a possible going-private transaction; Click Commerce, Inc. in its sale to Illinois Tool Works; GameSpy in its sale to IGN Entertainment; Applied Systems Inc. in its sale to Vista Equity; and Merrick Ventures, Edgewater Capital, MH Equity, GTCR Golder Rauner, Winona Capital and others on various private equity investments or sales. His other public company clients include Las Vegas Sands, Heritage Crystal-Clean, Covance, HCP and Snap-On Tools, among others. His earlier transactions include the acquisitions of Pebble Beach Resorts and RJR Nabisco, as well as a variety of deals for Kohlberg, Kravis & Roberts, Sears, Roebuck and Co., Harrah’s Entertainment, Playtex and Bally Total Fitness.
Before joining MWE, Mark was the COO and a Principal, Portfolio Manager of GTCR Golder Rauner, LLC, a leading Chicago private equity firm. Mark has also served as a senior executive and the chief legal officer for two VC-backed technology companies -- PrairieComm, Inc. and Click Commerce, Inc. Mark has been an outside Director of two public companies, including Global Imaging (Nasdaq: GISX), a distributor and servicer of computer peripherals and copiers, which was acquired by Xerox in 2007.
Chambers USA 2009 described Mark as a “strong practitioner with an impressive workload” and a leader in the Chicago Corporate/ M&A & Private Equity area. Mark is also acknowledged in Chambers USA 2010 and The Legal 500 and Illinois Leading Lawyer Magazine.
Mark is admitted to practice in Illinois and is a member of the American and Illinois State Bar Associations.
Education
- Northwestern University School of Law, J.D. (cum laude), 1982
- Saint Louis University, B.A. (summa cum laude), 1979
