Ballard Spahr's Katayun Jaffari Elected Chair of the Philadelphia Bar Association's Board of Governors

Ballard Spahr Partner Katayun I. Jaffari has been elected Chair of the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Bar Association, the oldest association of lawyers in the country.

Ms. Jaffari's one-year term began on January 1, 2018. The Board of Governors is responsible for overseeing all Bar Association business and policy. The Bar Association's mission is to serve the profession and the public by promoting justice, professional excellence, and respect for the rule of law, and to foster understanding of, involvement in, and access to the justice system.

Ms. Jaffari served last year as Board of Governors Vice Chair, following a year-long term as Chair of the Business Law Section. One of the Philadelphia Bar Association's oldest and largest sections, the Business Law Section organizes continuing legal education programs to keep members up to date on developments in the field and supports a community atmosphere for business attorneys. During her tenure as Section Chair, Ms. Jaffari spearheaded a mindfulness series for lawyers. Under Chancellor Mary Platt's leadership, Ms. Jaffari’s initiative to promote wellness for lawyers will be made available to all Bar Association members.

Ms. Jaffari previously served as Chair of the Business Section's Small Business Committee, where her leadership was recognized with a Chair of the Year award in 2012 and Committee of the Year award in 2014.

Ms. Jaffari is a partner in Ballard Spahr's Business and Finance Department and handles complex securities transactions for businesses in a variety of industries, including biotechnology, energy, and technology. She advises clients in multibillion-dollar deals and has broad experience in business finance, including public offerings, stock-for-stock mergers, private placements of common stock, and offerings of convertible notes.

Ms. Jaffari also focuses on corporate governance, counseling clients on complying with federal laws such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, and the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act). She helps clients develop compliance programs and guides them in matters concerning their corporate governance responsibilities.