Overview

Jesse Payne-Johnson is a Partner and Chief Operating Officer of the firm, where his practice focuses on the intersection of the firm's strategic, operational and legal needs. Jesse brings extensive experience advising a wide variety of institutions on both legal and business matters, including organizational design, governance, operations, growth and risk management.   

Jesse began his legal career at a leading New York law firm, where he was an Associate specializing in corporate transactions and governance, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures and capital markets transactions.  

Jesse served as Head of Legal for a venture-backed start-up operating in the consumer automotive space. As such, he oversaw the entirety of the organization's legal and regulatory portfolio from early-stage capitalization through preparation for an initial public offering. 

Something of an entrepreneur by nature, Jesse has founded several successful ventures, including a firm in the legal technology space and a fintech/real-estate-tech start-up. As a founder, he was responsible for all aspects of each firm's creation, growth, management and strategy.        

Prior to attending law school, Jesse was an Associate and Consultant at a leading global management consulting firm in New York.  

Jesse holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal and the Yale Journal of International Law, and an A.B. from Harvard College.  

Bars and Courts

New York State Bar