Howard S. Lanznar draws from his experience as a legal and business executive for major companies to help his clients in planning and executing sophisticated, complex and transformative transactions. Howard currently serves in concurrent roles as of counsel at Katten and as executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Diamond Resorts International, a leading global hospitality company.

He represents purchasers and sellers in all types of mergers and acquisitions—public and private, hostile and friendly, stock sales, asset sales and mergers, including many cross-border transactions, both inbound and outbound—and works with clients on joint ventures and strategic alliances. Howard also advises corporations and their directors, officers and owners on a wide variety of business and legal issues, including corporate governance, fiduciary duties, regulatory compliance, employment and compensation matters, and strategic and business planning.

Howard guides clients through complicated, multifaceted transactions that require effective coordination of multiple legal disciplines: leveraged buyouts entailing multiple levels of financing; public tender offers and mergers; acquisitions of companies operating in regulated industries; “auction” sale processes managed by investment firms; and acquisitions or sales of businesses in financial distress or bankruptcy.

His clients recognize his ability to accomplish such transactions, calling him “an excellent attorney and a fine adviser” (Chambers USA).

In his role as executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Diamond Resorts, he is responsible for legal, compliance, risk management, corporate development and strategy, and manages the company’s merger, acquisition and financing transactions.

Earlier in his career, Howard was general counsel at Fruit of the Loom and worked in marketing management at Procter & Gamble.