Karen L. Witt

Karen L. Witt

Partner
kwitt@lrrc.com vCard
303.628.9586 office
303.623.9222 fax
1200 Seventeenth Street
Suite 3000
Denver, CO 80202

Overview

Ms. Witt is a partner in the firm's Business Transactions group and is co-chair of the firm’s Banking Industry group. Her practice emphasizes securities, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance, corporate governance, corporate finance transactions and legal opinions.

In her financial institutions practice, Ms. Witt assists large and small financial institutions and their holding companies throughout the Midwestern and Western United States with mergers and acquisitions, branch purchases and assumptions, de novo charters, holding company formations, geographic expansion, capital raising, regulatory compliance issues, strategic planning, stock redemptions, FDIC-assisted bank purchases, business structuring issues and corporate governance matters.

Ms. Witt’s securities practice has included representing issuers and investors in underwritten public offerings and private placements of stock and debt instruments. Ms. Witt regularly advises boards of directors and board committees on regulatory compliance issues, fiduciary duties, recapitalizations, corporate governance matters, tender offers and going private transactions. Her securities practice experience includes working with publicly-held companies to comply with stock exchange rules and securities laws.

Ms. Witt has substantial experience in the formation, financing, acquisition, and disposition of businesses in a variety of industries, including banking, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, waste management, healthcare, real estate development, software, baby products, film production, paper products, environmental, alternative energy, information systems, and transportation. She represents clients in stock and asset acquisitions, joint ventures, tender offers and statutory mergers.

Memberships & Affiliations

  • Colorado Women's Bar Association, Member
  • Business Law Section of the Colorado State Bar, Member
  • Denver Bar Association, Member
  • American Bar Association, Member
  • Independent Bankers of Colorado Education Foundation, Director, 2014-2016

Representative Matters

Financial Institutions 

  • Representation of bank holding companies in public and private equity and debt offerings
  • Representation of banks and bank holding companies in all types of mergers, acquisitions and disposition transactions, including branch purchase and assumption transactions, charter conversions and FDIC-assisted bank purchases
  • Representation of banks and bank holding companies in de novo charters, holding company formations, S-corporation formations, squeeze-out transactions and stock redemptions 
  • Representation of financial institutions with federal and state regulatory approvals and compliance, including with the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, various State Banking Commissions, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the United States Treasury
  • Representation of banks, bank holding companies and their boards of directors in connection with regulatory compliance issues, strategic planning, business structuring issues and corporate governance matters

Capital Raising / Securities

  • Public and private offerings of equity, debt, and derivative securities 
  • Representation of both issuers and underwriters in public offerings, including initial public offerings, secondary offerings and registered shareholder offerings 
  • Private and public offerings in connection with mergers and acquisitions 
  • Representation of clients regarding compliance with Securities and Exchange Commission rules and regulations and stock exchange rules 
  • Assisting clients with ongoing compliance and reporting under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including Forms 10-Q, 10-K, 8-K and proxy statements

Corporate Governance

  • Representation of boards of directors and board committees with regulatory compliance issues, fiduciary duties, succession planning, business plans, compensation, charters, director qualifications and other corporate governance matters
  • Representation of financial institutions and their boards of directors with the negotiations of regulatory agreements and administrative proceedings related to cease and desist orders and other regulatory enforcement actions
  • Strategic planning retreats with boards of directors

Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Representation of individuals and public and private entities as both buyers and sellers in acquisition transactions
  • Representation in all types of mergers, acquisitions and disposition transactions, including statutory mergers, asset purchases, tender offers and branch purchase and assumption transactions
  • Mergers and acquisitions in numerous industries, including banking, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, waste management, healthcare, real estate development, software, baby products, film production, paper products, environmental, alternative energy, information systems and transportation

Related News

2/11/2014
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Partner Karen L. Witt Elected to Independent Bankers of Colorado Education Foundation Board of Directors

Presentations

“Raising Capital for Community Banks,” Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Seminar for Community Banks, October 2017

“How Securities Considerations Impact Deals,” Lewis Roca Rothgerber Seminar for Community Banks, April 2014

“Capital-Raising Methods,” Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons Seminar for Community Banks, 2012

Publications

Other Info

Education

J.D., University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, 1990, Order of St. Ives
B.A., Nebraska Wesleyan University, 1987, magna cum laude

Bar Admissions

Colorado, 1990

Court Admissions

U.S. District Court, Colorado
Colorado Court of Appeals
Colorado State Judicial District Courts
Colorado Supreme Court