Avrohom J. (“A.J.”) Kess is a Partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, where he is a member of the Firm’s Corporate Department and the Head of the Public Company Advisory Practice. A.J. advises clients on public and private offerings of securities and a wide range of general corporate and securities law matters. A.J. also regularly advises boards of directors and their committees regarding governance-related matters.

A.J.’s clients include large, multinational corporations such as Accenture plc, Genesee & Wyoming Inc., L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. and The Travelers Companies, Inc., which he counsels regarding general corporate, securities laws and governance matters. A.J. represented Ford Motor Company in connection with its $23.5 billion financing, one of the largest corporate financings in history. In addition, A.J. advised Accenture on its worldwide reorganization effected in connection with its initial public offering, as well as its subsequent redomiciliation from Bermuda to Ireland. A.J. has also represented major investment banking firms, including JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, in connection with various securities offerings.

A.J. served as special counsel, along with other Simpson Thacher & Bartlett attorneys, to The Conference Board Commission on Public Trust and Private Enterprise in connection with its issued “findings and recommendations” regarding executive compensation, corporate governance and audit and accounting matters.

A.J. is a frequent speaker and author on corporate governance matters. A.J. was recognized by Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2011 and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2010 as a leading lawyer in Capital Markets: Debt & Equity.

A.J. has been with the Firm since 1995. He received his B.S. in Accounting in 1989 from Brooklyn College, where he was a member of the Alpha Sigma Lambda Society, and he received his J.D., cum laude, from New York University in 1994. He was admitted to the New York Bar in 1995.