Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership | This website contains attorney advertising.

J. Jeffrey Brown

Senior Counsel

Overview

Jeff Brown advises public and private companies on acquisitions, securities offerings and corporate governance matters. He also represents financial investors and management participants in private equity and venture capital transactions, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations and other complex transactions.

Jeff has been engaged in many high-profile transactions as an adviser to global companies including Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., CrossAmerica Partners LP, Phillips 66, Interactive Intelligence Group, Inc. and World Fuel Corporation. He has been named Indianapolis’ “Lawyer of the Year” by the Best Lawyers in America 11 of the past 12 years in the areas of M&A, Private Equity, Venture Capital and Corporate Law. He is currently the city’s 2024 Mergers & Acquisitions “Lawyer of the Year” and was recently named the 2025 "Lawyer of the Year" for both the Private Equity and Venture Capital categories.

In addition to practicing law, Jeff is a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) charterholder and an active investor. Jeff and his wife, Helen, were profiled for their investment approach in Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine ("An Investing Success Story: Jeff and Helen Brown").

Related Industries

Credentials

Bar Admissions

Indiana
New York

Education

University of Virginia School of Law
J.D. Order of the Coif (1987)

Georgetown University
M.B.A. (1984)

Indiana University, Bloomington
B.A. (1982)

Insights & Events

Leadership & Community

Civic Activities

  • Sigma Chi Fraternity, Lambda Chapter (IU) — House Board President
  • IU Alumni Inter-Fraternity Council — Past Director
  • Boy Scouts of America — Executive Board, Crossroads of America Council
  • Naples Reserve (Naples, Florida) — Director and Chair of the Finance Committee
  • Association for Corporate Growth — Past Director
  • Butler University College of Business — Past Member of Board of Visitors
  • The Penrod Society — Past President; Past Chairman of the Penrod Arts Fair
  • Indianapolis Museum of Art — Past Trustee
  • Indianapolis Opera — Past Director
  • Dance Kaleidoscope — Past Trustee
  • Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series — Class XVII

Honors

  • The Legal 500 — M&A Powerlist: United States, 2024
  • Chambers USA — Band 1: Indiana, Corporate/M&A
  • Best Lawyers® — Corporate Law, 2007-25 (Lawyer of the Year - 2020); Mergers & Acquisitions, 2007-25 (Lawyer of the Year - 2015, 2018, 2024); Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, 2007-25 (Lawyer of the Year - 2012, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025); Venture Capital, 2007-25 (Lawyer of the Year - 2014, 2021, 2023, 2025)
  • Indiana Super Lawyers — Mergers & Acquisitions, 2004-09, 2013-24
  • Indianapolis Business Journal — Forty Under 40 Award
Awards Methodology
No aspect of these recognitions has been approved by the highest court of any state.