John C. Ericson

John Ericson is a Partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, where he is a member of the Firm’s Capital Markets Practice. John represents underwriters and issuers in a wide variety of capital markets offerings. His extensive corporate finance experience includes high yield and investment grade debt offerings, IPOs and secondary offerings, acquisition finance and restructurings. John is ranked by Chambers among U.S. and global capital markets attorneys for debt and equity, and he has been recognized as a “Next Generation Partner” in U.S. high yield by The Legal 500.

John’s transactional work spans several industries, including the healthcare, consumer/retail, industrials/manufacturing, hospitality, auto and tech sectors. He has advised:

• the underwriters in the 2023 high yield and investment grade offerings by Avis Budget, Carnival, Freedom Mortgage, Hyatt Hotels and Marriott International
• the underwriters in the 2023 and 2024 debt offerings to finance acquisitions by Bausch + Lomb, Carrier, Global Auto Holdings, Nordson Corporation and Smyrna Ready Mix
• the underwriters in the IPO of Braze and the re-IPO of Hertz, as well as secondary offerings of Rover Group, Albany International and others
• the dealer managers in exchange offers or other liability management transactions by Ascent Resources, Freedom Mortgage, MasTec, Motiva and others
• the underwriters in high yield offerings by Hertz, Marriott Vacations Worldwide, Michaels Stores, Newell Brands, Party City, SunCoke Energy, Xenia Hotels & Resorts and others
• the underwriters in the investment grade debt offerings by AstraZeneca, AutoNation, Brunswick, CoStar Group, H&R Block, Sallie Mae and Universal Health Services 
• the underwriters in the IPOs of Bright Horizons, Generac, Planet Fitness, ServiceMaster and SiteOne Landscape Supply

John’s practice has often involved advising issuers and underwriters in complex cross-border transactions. Fluent in Portuguese, John has particular experience in Brazil and Portugal, including deals by Braskem, BRF, Embraer, Gol-Lineas Aereas Inteligentes, Portugal Telecom and Vivo.

Born in the United States, John grew up in Lisbon, Portugal. In 1993, he received a B.A. in Political Science from Amherst College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. After working in Washington, D.C. for Congressman James A. Leach, John graduated in 1997 from Yale Law School, where he was an Articles Editor of the Yale Journal of International Law and a Co-Director of the Street Law Program. John serves on the Board of Directors of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.