Brian K. Wydajewski
Biography
Brian K. Wydajewski practices in the area of compensation and employment. He also heads the Chicago Office’s Global Equity Services Practice which assists multinational corporations with the design, implementation and operation of global equity compensation plans. Mr. Wydajewski has authored numerous articles, and is a frequent speaker on employee benefits, executive compensation and global equity compensation issues. In addition, Mr. Wydajewski is past chair of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Employee Benefits Section Council, and is an adjunct professor at the Center for Tax Law and Employee Benefits at the John Marshall Law School.
Practice Focus
Mr. Wydajewski focuses his practice on domestic and international employee benefits and executive compensation. He advises on registration and prospectus requirements associated with the offer of equity compensation abroad, structure of equity compensation arrangements, as well as data privacy requirements in the collection, processing and transfer of personal data across borders. He also counsels multinational corporations on employee benefit, executive compensation and equity compensation issues arising in complex corporate transactions such as mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs and initial public offers.
Representative Legal Matters
- Advised CommScope Holding Company Inc. on the complex benefits separation and transition issues in approximately 50 different countries in relation to its USD3 billion acquisition of NYSE-listed Swiss electronics firm TE Connectivity's telecom, enterprise and wireless business.
- Advised global financial services company on the impact of an internal corporate reorganization on outstanding equity compensation grants held by employees in 20 countries.
- Serving as lead M&A counsel for multinational medical devices company on multiple transactions with responsibility for domestic and international employment, compensation and benefits matters.
- Advising international engineering and construction corporation on remedial actions for legal, regulatory and tax errors associated with equity compensation grants made to employees in various countries.
- Advising global agricultural company on employment, compensation and benefits matters associated with establishment of a joint venture with operations in more than 30 countries.
- Counseling over 35 multinational companies on the various legal, regulatory and tax issues associated with the annual grant of various equity compensation vehicles to employees in more than 60 countries.
Professional Honors
-
“Recognized Practitioner (Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation),” Chambers USA, 2016
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Global Equity Organization
- Illinois State Bar Association
- National Association of Stock Plan Professionals
- American Bar Association
- Chicago Bar Association
- John Marshall Law School - Adjunct Professor
Admissions
- Illinois~United States (1994)
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois~United States
- U.S. Tax Court~United States
Education
- Loyola University Chicago School of Law (J.D.) (1994)
- DePaul University (B.A.) (1988)
Languages
- English
Baker & McKenzie LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership organized under the laws of the State of Illinois (USA) and is a member of Baker & McKenzie International, a Verein organized under the laws of Switzerland.