Laurie A. Cerveny
Laurie A. Cerveny is an accomplished mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and securities lawyer. She has more than 25 years of experience counseling on M&A, ongoing disclosure and reporting requirements, corporate governance matters, annual meeting and proxy-related issues, securities laws, rules under the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), stock exchange listing requirements, executive compensation, and various other matters affecting US and multinational public and private companies and their officers, boards, and directors. With the economic and regulatory climate becoming increasingly complex, Laurie is a trusted advisor to boards and management teams on the disclosure, compliance, and regulatory challenges they face daily.
Laurie has a robust technology M&A practice, representing both public and private strategic buyers and sellers, which includes divestitures and carve-outs. In addition, she represents clients in the life sciences (pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device), security, energy, retail, artificial intelligence (AI), and communications industries.
She also has a significant cross-border practice, representing a number of dual-listed and foreign private issuers (FPIs) from Canada and other jurisdictions in securities, disclosure, and M&A matters, and representing international investors in their US interests. Laurie has experience helping her clients raise capital, including through initial public offerings, secondary offerings, and debt offerings.
Laurie serves as one of the firm’s three global Managing Partners and as a member of the firm’s international leadership council.
Representative Experience
- ADT in its acquisition of IOTAS
- ADT in its joint venture with Ford to create new company Canopy
- ADT Inc. in its $825 million acquisition of SunPro Solar
- ADT in its acquisition of Red Hawk
- ADT in its acquisition of Ackerman Security System
- Ascend Learning in its acquisition of StaffGarden
- Ascend Learning in its acquisition of Versant Healthcare Competency Solutions
- Shiseido Americas Corporation in its $700 million sale of bareMinerals, BUXOM, and Laura Mercier to Advent
- Shiseido Americas Corporation in its acquisitions of JWALK and Giaran
- Lightspeed Commerce in its $425 million acquisition of NuOrder
- Lightspeed Commerce in its $430 million acquisition of Upserve
- Lightspeed Commerce in its $500 million acquisition of Ecwid
- Lightspeed Commerce in its $350 million acquisition of Vend Limited
- Lightspeed Commerce in its $440 million acquisition of ShopKeep
- Iron Mountain in its $1.3 billion acquisition of the US operations of IO Data Centers
- Iron Mountain in the $220 million sale of its Intellectual Property Management Business to NCC Group
- Descartes Systems Group Inc. in its $115 million acquisition of 3GTMS
- Descartes Systems Group Inc. in its acquisitions of Sellercloud, OCR Services, GroundCloud, Supply Vision, Portix Logistics Software, QuestaWeb, MK Data Services, Airclic, Telargo Inc., IES, Computer Management, Customs Info, BearWare, Oz, Inc., Datamyne, ShipRush, PCS Trac, Appterra, MacroPoint, Aljex, Velocity Mail, BestTransport.com, GreenMile, Foxtrot, and XPS Technologies
- Descartes Systems Group Inc. as United States counsel in its public offerings of common shares in the United States and Canada
- Merck in its $773 million acquisition of Tilos Therapeutics
- Citrix Systems, Inc. in its acquisitions of ScaleXtreme, Zenprise, Cloud.com, ShareFile, Podio ApS, Byte Squared, Framehawk, Beetil Service Management, Skytide, RightSignature, Solid Instance, Grasshopper, Sanbolic, Unidesk, Virtual Solutions, Cedexis, and Sapho
- PTC Inc. in its acquisitions of Arena Solutions, Axeda Corporation, Servigistics, ColdLight, and Kepware
- athenahealth in its acquisitions of Arsenal Health and Praxify Technologies
- Rhythm Pharmaceuticals in its initial public offering and its subsequent follow-on public offerings
- Bright Horizons Family Solutions in its $250 public investment in private equity (PIPE)
Representative Clients
- ADT Inc.
- Ascend Learning
- ATN International, Inc.
- Bright Horizons Family Solutions
- Bruker Corporation
- CarGurus, Inc.
- Cengage Learning
- Cerence Inc.
- The Descartes Systems Group Inc.
- HubSpot, Inc.
- Iron Mountain Incorporated
- Jacobs Solutions
- Lightspeed Commerce Inc.
- Partners in Health
- PTC Inc.
- Selective Insurance Group, Inc.
- Shiseido Americas Corporation
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Company
- Wayfair Inc.
- Boston College Law School, 1996, J.D., cum laude
- Marist College, 1990, B.A., summa cum laude
- Massachusetts


Mentor, Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts, Mary K. Ryan Women’s Leadership Initiative (2025)
Distinguished Leader, New England Legal Awards (2023)
Top Women in Dealmaking, The Deal (2022)
Massachusetts Go To Lawyer, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (2022)
Client Service All-Star, BTI Consulting Group (2022)
Top Women of Law, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (2020)
Ranked, Corporate/M&A, Massachusetts, Chambers USA (2017–2025)
Recommended, M&A/corporate and commercial: Corporate governance, The Legal 500 US (2025)
Recommended, M&A/corporate and commercial: M&A: large deals ($1bn+), The Legal 500 US (2016–2021, 2023–2025)
Lawyer of the Year, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Boston, The Best Lawyers in America (2024)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law, Boston (2015–2026)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, Boston (2013–2026)
Top Woman Lawyer, The Best Lawyers in America (2016, 2017)
Recognized, Massachusetts Super Lawyers (2006, 2007, 2013–2021)
Highly Regarded – State, IFLR1000 Financial and Corporate (2020–2023)
Notable Practitioner, IFLR1000 Financial and Corporate (2019)
Highly Regarded – State, IFLR1000 United States (2019, 2020)
Notable Practitioner, IFLR1000 United States (2018)
Recognized, Acritas Star Lawyer (2017, 2021)
Member, American Bar Association
Member, Boston Bar Association
Member, Women’s Bar Association
