Morgan Helme
PEOPLE

Morgan Helme

Partner
helme.morgan@dorsey.com

Overview

MORGAN IS A TRUSTED AND PRACTICAL BUSINESS ADVISOR, COUNSELING CLIENTS ON COMPLEX MERGER AND ACQUISITION TRANSACTIONS AND COMMERCIAL CONTRACTS.

Morgan’s practice centers around mergers and acquisitions, representing both buyers and sellers in a wide range of deal sizes. She has extensive deal experience in the healthcare, food/agriculture and energy industries. She also regularly advises clients in drafting and negotiating commercial contracts ranging from supply agreements, distribution agreements, co-manufacturing agreements and joint ventures. She seeks to provide sensible advice to help clients meet their business goals in an efficient manner and manage risk.

Morgan is vice chair of the firm's Food, Beverage & Agribusiness industry group. She has significant experience representing agribusinesses, food manufacturers and cooperatives in various transactions, including formations, member offerings, consolidations, and commercial contract negotiations.

Morgan serves as co-chair of the Minneapolis Women Attorneys’ Resource Group. Morgan also maintains an active pro bono practice advocating for reproductive rights, including providing general counsel support for Just the Pill, a non-profit organization working to bring telehealth and mobile reproductive healthcare to patients across the nation regardless of their ability to pay.

Prior to joining Dorsey, Morgan served as a law clerk for a Fortune 500 food and agriculture company, where she worked closely with several business units on routine commercial contracts.

Education & Admissions

University of Minnesota Law School (J.D., Business Law Concentration, 2014), magna cum laude; Order of the Coif; Notes and Comments Editor, Volume 98, Minnesota Law Review; Minnesota Law Review Outstanding Staff Publication Award (2013)

Chapman University (B.A., English and Journalism, 2010), cum laude with University Honors

Admissions

  • Minnesota

Experience

Representative Work

Mergers and Acquisitions

Food and Agriculture

  • Represented Land O'Lakes, Inc. in the merger of its crop inputs business with United Suppliers, Inc.
  • Represented Land O’Lakes, Inc. in its tender offer acquisition of Ceres, Inc., a biotechnology seed company
  • Represented natural food store cooperatives in acquisitions and strategic consolidations
  • Represented global communications company in acquisitions of agricultural software companies
  • Represented company in its divestiture of its reproductive technologies business

HealthCare

  • Represented Optum in acquisitions of numerous physician practices
  • Represented medical device company in strategic acquisition of surgical implant device company and related financing transactions
  • Represented UnitedHealth Group in the acquisition of an insurance provider
  • Represented UnitedHealth Group in the acquisition of a healthcare data science company
  • Represented American Eagle Instruments in its sale of the company to Young Innovations

Energy

  • Represented Xcel Energy in acquisitions of power plants
  • Represented various clients in acquisitions of wind projects

Other Industries

  • Represented Early Warning Services, LLC in its acquisition of clearXchange, LLC, the largest bank-owned digital payments network in the United States
  • Represented Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers in its acquisition of Leake Auction Company

Cooperatives

  • Represent clients in member loan and preferred stock offerings
  • Represent consumer and supply cooperative in commercial agreement negotiations
  • Represented natural foods cooperatives in strategic consolidation
  • Represented clients in formation of new investor-model cooperatives (i.e. Minnesota 308B cooperatives)
  • Assist clients in addressing organizational issues and compliance concerns

Commercial Contracts

  • Represent clients in drafting and negotiating supply, distribution, co-manufacturing, and other commercial agreements
  • Represent clients in vendor outsourcing agreements
  • Represent medical device companies in drafting and negotiating supply agreements and equipment loan and sales agreements

Emerging Companies

  • Regularly advise emerging companies on general corporate matters, including contract preparation and negotiation, corporate governance, and ongoing strategic matters
  • Represent emerging companies in venture financings, restructurings and start-up exits Represented privately held medical device company in its Series B preferred stock financing Represented privately held telehealth company in its Series A preferred stock financing

Pro Bono

  • Represent Just the Pill, a non-profit organization based in Minnesota providing abortion and reproductive healthcare in the Midwest, on general corporate matters
  • Represent cooperatives and non-profits in commercial contracts, business formation and governance issues
  • Participate in Election Protection research and Election Day volunteer programs

Industries & Practices

  • Closely Held Businesses
  • Cooperative Law
  • Corporate Governance & Compliance
  • Emerging Companies
  • Energy & Natural Resources
  • Food, Beverage & Agribusiness
  • Healthcare & Life Sciences
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Technology
  • Technology Commerce

Professional & Civic

Professional Achievements

  • Minnesota State Bar Association
  • Minnesota Women Lawyers

Accolades

  • Named "Minneapolis Ones to Watch" in Corporate Governance and Compliance Law / Mergers and Acquistions Law by Best Lawyers®, 2023 and 2024

   Diversity Inclusion Recognition 2023 Diversity & Inclusion 50+ Hours 2022  Diversity & Inclusion 50+ Hours 2021 Diversity & Inclusion 50+ Hours 2020

  • Contributed more than 50 Diversity hours, 2020-2023

    Pro Bono 50 Hours 2022Contributed 50+ Pro Bono Hours in 2020

  • Contributed more than 50+ Challenge pro bono hours, 2020 and 2022

     North Star Lawyer logo

  • MSBA North Star Lawyer, 2015-2017 and 2022
Morgan Helme