Deanna J. Hayes

Mergers & Acquisitions and Venture Capital Transactions

Deanna regularly counsels strategic buyers and sellers, private equity firms, and venture-backed companies on mergers and acquisitions, carve-outs, and venture capital financings. She has experience with complex divestitures, multi-entity transactions, and pre-closing reorganizations. Deanna also advises clients on corporate governance and general corporate matters.

Mentorship and Attorney Development

She is deeply committed to the development and mentorship of junior attorneys. Deanna is actively involved in recruiting and talent development, having served as a longtime member of the firm’s Summer Committee and participating in on-campus and callback interviewing. She is a member of the Philadelphia Hiring Committee and has dedicated significant time to mentoring junior associates, both formally and informally, on substantive legal skills as well as career development. Deanna has also been involved in the firm’s First Year Training Program and previously served as a co-chair of the Women’s Committee.

Litigation

Prior to joining Faegre Drinker’s corporate group, Deanna was a member of the firm’s business litigation group, where she focused on complex commercial litigation, contract disputes, and class actions.

Prior Experience

Before joining the firm, Deanna was a judicial intern for the Honorable Michael Erdos of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas, Criminal Division. In law school, she served as a Littleton Fellow for Penn Law’s Legal Practice Skills curriculum. As a Littleton Fellow, Deanna taught legal writing, negotiation, and oral communication skills to first-year law students. She was also a member of Penn Law’s Mediation Clinic and acted as a third-party neutral mediator in matters throughout Philadelphia.

Personal Interests

Outside of the office, Deanna is a lifelong artist. She studied art in college and, prior to attending law school, sold her colored pencil drawings at art festivals and in galleries. Deanna always has a project underway, be it a painting, a stained-glass piece, or her self-imposed never-ending home renovations.