W. Robert Shearer — Partner at Baker & Hostetler

Mr. W. Robert Shearer is a Transactional Partner at Baker & Hostetler's Houston office. He concentrates his practice on mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings and corporate governance matters. Mr. Shearer regularly represents issuers in connection with initial and follow-on public offerings, Rule 144A offerings, private placements, and venture capital transactions. He advises publicly traded companies with respect to compliance with securities regulations, including Section 16 and Regulation FD. Mr. Shearer also advises publicly traded companies with respect to their preparation of periodic reports, proxy statements and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as NYSE and Nasdaq reporting and corporate governance requirements. He has experience representing public and private companies in domestic and international acquisitions and divestitures, mergers and joint venture formation, with particular emphasis on transactions in the energy industry. Mr. Shearer speaks Spanish and has represented several clients in transactions in Latin America. Prior to working at Baker & Hostetler, he worked at Hollywood Media Corp. as a Senior Vice President and General Counsel. Prior to that, Mr. Shearer practiced law with Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions and securities law. He is a member of the Houston advisory board to Texas C-BAR, a nonprofit organization that coordinates the provision of free legal assistance to Texas nonprofits working to improve the quality of life in low-income neighborhoods. Mr. Shearer received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas in 1991 with high honors and a J.D. degree from the University of Houston Law Center in 1994, magna cum laude. He served as the Editor in Chief of the University of Houston Law Review during 1993 and 1994.