ABOUT JOEL T. MAY
Joel T. May is a seasoned corporate and capital markets lawyer with over 23 years of experience, currently serving as Partner and co‑chair of Jones Day's corporate governance practice in the Atlanta Office. In his capacity as Administrative Partner for the Atlanta region, he also plays a key leadership role in shaping firm strategy and operations.
Joel brings deep expertise handling both domestic and cross-border capital markets transactions, including:
Public equity and debt offerings, IPOs, SPACs, PIPEs, and Rule 144A high-yield bond deals, M&A, recapitalizations, restructurings, and reorganizations, Corporate governance, shareholder activism, proxy contests, and securities compliance.
Joel has advised high-profile clients such as Aaron's, Asbury Automotive Group, Allison Transmission, Bunge Ltd., Flowers Foods, HanesBrands, ExxonMobil, P&G, PureCycle Technologies, Roper Technologies, Southern Company, VSE Corporation, and Vintage Wine Estates, among others.
His work involves complex, high-value issuances and strategic corporate transactions, which have contributed to over $20 billion in domestic and international financings.
After beginning his career in Jones Day's Chicago office, Joel relocated to Atlanta in 2012.
As Administrative Partner, he helps oversee business and practice development in the region.
Joel actively contributes to civic initiatives: he is on the Board of Directors for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Make‑A‑Wish Georgia.
Joel T. May combines expertise in capital markets and corporate governance with industry-spanning transactional experience, guiding major public offerings, complex financings, and strategic board-level matters. His dual focus on legal excellence and firm leadership, along with deep community engagement, positions him as a respected advisor and leader within Jones Day and the broader Atlanta business community.
FIRM PROFILE
Jones Day is a top-tier, full-service global law firm founded in 1893 in Cleveland and now headquartered in Washington, D.C. With over 2,400 lawyers across 40 offices on five continents, it ranks among the largest and most influential law practices worldwide.
The firm operates under its hallmark philosophy, "One Firm Worldwide," ensuring seamless collaboration across borders and practices-from M&A, antitrust, and intellectual property to financial markets, cybersecurity, and ESG.
It is consistently recognized for its exceptional client service, earning top rankings in BTI Consulting's Client Service A-Team report for multiple consecutive years.
DEAL REPORT:
On June 5, 2024, HanesBrands (NYSE: HBI) announced the successful execution of a definitive agreement to sell its global Champion brand to Authentic Brands Group (ABG) for a base purchase price of $1.2 billion, with the potential to increase to $1.5 billion through performance-based earn-outs. This transformational deal is designed to unlock value, accelerate deleveraging, and streamline HanesBrands' strategic focus on its core innerwear operations.
Jones Day served as legal counsel to HanesBrands, advising the company on all aspects of the sale and transaction structuring.
