NEW YORK, July 21, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- McCarter & English announced today that Jamieson Karson has joined the firm as special counsel in the Corporate, Securities & Financial Institutions practice group in the New York office. He focuses his practice on general corporate matters and corporate governance. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Karson was Chairman and CEO of Steve Madden, Ltd., an international leader in fashion footwear.
"We are very pleased to welcome Jamie to the firm," said Stephen M. Fields, the head of the New York office of McCarter & English. "He has established himself as a leader in the retail space and the depth of his experience will be instrumental in helping us provide specialized knowledge that should prove invaluable to our growing list of retail clients."
Mr. Karson served as Chairman and CEO of Steve Madden, Ltd. for eight years. He was named one of the top ten retail CEOs in the country in 2008 by HVS, a global consulting organization. During his tenure at Steve Madden, Ltd., the company's sales, profits and market capitalization increased dramatically, with the company reaching approximately $1 billion in market capitalization. Mr. Karson currently sits on the Board of Directors of two privately held companies and is a special advisor to Lighthouse Partners, a management consulting firm. He started his career at the former Shea & Gould.
The addition of Mr. Karson is another step in the growth of the firm's corporate practice and the continued expansion of its New York office. The office attracts experienced practitioners who wish to grow their middle-market practice absent being saddled with an exorbitant rate structure that is no longer acceptable to clients. The firm's corporate department represents numerous private equity and mezzanine funds and SBICs in their formation and investment transactions. Its mergers and acquisition and securities focus is in the middle market.
McCarter & English, established more than 160 years ago, represents Fortune 500 and middle-market companies in their national, regional and local litigation and on important transactions. Its 400 attorneys are based in offices in Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Stamford and Wilmington.