Biography

Jim Kennedy practices in the Business Representation & Transactions Group. The focus of his practice is corporate, securities, and financing law, where he has extensive experience in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures representing public corporations, their subsidiaries, and other entities. In his more than 34 years as an attorney for American Financial Group, Inc, its subsidiaries, and affiliates ("AFG"), he has overseen many acquisition and divestiture transactions in recent years with an aggregate transaction value in the billions of dollars. He has significant experience in initial and follow-on public offerings of securities and in representing issuers and investors in private placements of securities. He regularly advises clients on corporate governance, financing, compliance and litigation matters. After the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, he consolidated and managed the AFG Internal Audit and Investigative Services department.

Jim has performed professional legal services for clients such as AtriCure, Inc., American Financial Group, Chiquita Brands International, Inc., Meridian Bioscience, Inc., Medpace Investors, Inc., LSI Industries, Inc., Multi-Color Corporation, and National Interstate Corporation. Jim served AFG in various capacities and retired as Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Secretary. As Secretary of AFG for more than 25 years, he served as the primary interface with AFG's independent board members and their committees.

Representative Work

Infinity Property & Casualty Corporation in its $1.6 billion merger with Kemper Corporation;

American Financial Group, AtriCure, Inc. and Multi-Color Corporation in financial transactions;

Casablanca Capital in its proxy context involving Cliffs Naturals Resources;

Casey Capital in its proxy contest involving Essex Rental;

RX Investor Value Corp. in its proxy contest involving HealthWarehouse.com, Inc.

Professional and Community Involvement

American Bar Association, Member, Business Law Section

Cincinnati Bar Association

Ohio State Bar Association

Ohio Supreme Court Task Force on Commercial Dockets, 2011

University of Cincinnati College of Law, Board of Visitors

PreventionFIRST!, Board Member (2006-2018)

Awards & Recognition

Named the "Cincinnati Best Lawyers' Securities Regulation Lawyer of the Year", 2022

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, 2018-2024

Named to Cincy Leading Lawyers, 2018-2023

  • Best Lawyers (Don't Delete)
  • Cincy Leading Lawyers

News & Resources

Publications

Blogs

Blog Posts

Admissions

  • Ohio
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio

Education

J.D., University of Cincinnati College of Law, 1976

B.B.A., University of Cincinnati, 1973

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