Renee Lewis brings over twenty years of experience in Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) transactions to her national practice. Her extensive experience spans the full spectrum of ESOP matters, including new formations, the sale of companies, the financing and structuring of transactions and strategic advisory services for companies navigating complex transactions and life as an ESOP company. 

Renee has a proven track record of representing a diverse array of clients on ESOP transactions and related matters, including financial institutions, corporations, private equity firms and independent fiduciaries. Her practice encompasses a wide range of transactions, including mergers, leveraged buy-outs, corporate reorganizations, owner succession transactions and management buy-outs. She is adept at structuring and financing ESOP transactions, ensuring that each deal is meticulously tailored to meet her clients’ unique needs and objectives.

Renee’s clients benefit from her deep understanding of the intricate legal and financial aspects of ESOP transactions. She excels at providing innovative solutions that balance the interests of all parties involved, drawing on her years of experience and comprehensive knowledge of the law and the regulatory environment. Her strategic insight and pragmatic approach ensure that her clients achieve their goals efficiently and effectively, whether they are seeking to establish a new ESOP, navigate a complex sale, restructure their corporate framework, fulfill their fiduciary obligations as an independent trustee or provide financing to an ESOP owned company.

With a commitment to excellence and a client-centric mindset, Renee is dedicated to providing personalized service and advice that drives successful outcomes and closings.

Renee actively participates in the ESOP community and is a regular speaker at the Beyster Institute, University of California San Diego, Rady School of Management and at national and local conferences sponsored by the ESOP Association and the National Center of Employee Ownership.

Education

  • DePaul University College of Law (J.D.)
    • DePaul University (B.A.)
      • Accounting

    Bar Admission

    • Illinois

    Court Admissions

    • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

    Professional Affiliations

    •  The ESOP Association
      • Illinois Chapter, Vice President of Government Relations, 2019-2024
      • Public Policy Council, Founding Member, Executive Committee 2021-2024
    • Member of the Legislative and Regulatory Advisory Committee
    • Employee-Owned S Corporations of America (ESCA)
      • Member of Advisory Board, 2025-Present   
    • The National Center of Employee Ownership (NCEO)

    Recognition

    • Named by Corporate/Strategic Deal of the Year, 18th Annual M&A Advisor Awards, 2019
    • Recognized by ESOP Deal of the Year ($100 Million +), 2nd Annual U.S.A. M&A Atlas Award for Middle Markets
    Publications
    All Publications
    ESOP Transactions and the Duty to Monitor Revisited
    Key Takeaways: Board’s Duty to Monitor the Trustee: A company’s board of directors has a fiduciary duty to monitor the ESOP trustee’s actions in an ESOP transaction, ensuring that the trustee is acting in the exclusive interest of the ESOP participants and has sufficient information to make informed decisions with respect to the transaction. Trustee Certification and Fairness Opinion: Historically, it has been standard practice for the ESOP trustee to provide a certification confirming several aspects of a transaction, including a financial advisor’s opinion on the adequacy of the deal consideration and the fairness of the transaction's terms. Role of Special Meetings: Based on recent caselaw, advisors have begun holding a special meeting with the board and trustee before the closing of the
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    Department of Labor Proposes Rule on Valuing Stock for ESOP Stock Purchase and Sale Transactions
    On January 16, 2025, the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) at the Department of Labor (DOL) released drafts of long-awaited proposed regulations seeking to clarify the definition of “adequate consideration” as set forth in Section 3(18)(B) of ERISA and a proposed class exemption from certain prohibited transaction restrictions in connection with an employee stock ownership plan’s (ESOP) initial acquisition of privately held employer stock from a selling shareholder.   The ESOP community has sought clear guidance on what the term “adequate consideration” means ever since ERISA’s inception 50 years ago. Although EBSA first proposed “adequate consideration” regulations in 1988, the DOL never finalized these rules. Without such guidance, the ESOP community has expressed concerns that plan sponsors, selling shareholders and ERISA fiduciaries could be left
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