Roger A. Stong

Drawing on a remarkably broad transactional background

Roger A. Stong advises clients on mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions, financing, corporate governance and other sophisticated business matters. His experience encompasses a wide range of economic sectors, with particularly substantial work in recent years involving banking, precious metals, traditional manufacturing, retail, agriculture and specialty chemicals. He also continues to draw on extensive experience with bankruptcy-related acquisitions and dispositions, debtor-in-possession financing and reorganizations, where his corporate and transactional perspective provides an important complement to restructuring counsel.

Fully comprehending the business behind the deal

Roger believes effective business counsel requires more than mastering the technical aspects of a transaction. With many long-time clients, he has developed such deep knowledge of their businesses and industries that they can call him, explain what is happening, listen to his sage counsel, and, together, they can move directly toward a solution. When working with a new client, he first seeks to understand the client’s industry and objectives, allowing him to approach the legal issues in the context of the business rather than in isolation.

Anticipating problems and finding practical solutions

Roger’s clients value his ability to see around corners and recognize issues before they become problems. Four decades of seen-it-all experience has given him a perspective that makes it difficult for a new deal structure, legal issue or negotiation tactic to surprise him, and he applies that experience with a practical focus rather than raising esoteric issues simply because they exist. His background in law firm management and financial leadership further strengthens his ability to understand the concerns of C-suite executives and communicate with them in the language of business.

Building consensus while protecting clients’ interests

Roger approaches negotiations by trying to determine exactly what the other side hopes to accomplish and then identifying opportunities for common ground. He communicates frankly about his client’s position and the reasons behind it, while keeping the process constructive and, whenever possible, lighthearted. He also believes in keeping things short and simple rather than repeating points for the sake of repetition—an approach that reflects his larger philosophy of providing counsel that is clear, practical and focused on getting the transaction completed.

Delivering results that extend beyond the transaction

Roger takes particular satisfaction in the tangible results that emerge when a deal succeeds. The transactions he handles can help companies expand, create jobs, strengthen their communities, and, in some circumstances, survive challenging periods. For him, that sense of accomplishment—seeing a complicated business matter move from problem to solution—is one of the most rewarding aspects of practicing law.