Practice Areas
Edward Best is a partner at Willkie, where he is a member of the Corporate & Financial Services Department and Co-Chair of the Capital Markets practice. Eddie is based in Chicago and maintains an office in New York. With over 35 years of experience, Eddie is recognized as one of the nation’s leading capital markets lawyers, representing issuers and underwriters in debt, equity, convertible and hybrid securities offerings, and liability management transactions in the U.S. and international markets.
Eddie’s comprehensive capital markets practice includes a particular focus on offerings by financial institutions, including banks, insurance companies, broker-dealers and specialty finance companies, and cross-border offerings. Eddie also regularly advises publicly listed clients on ongoing securities law compliance, listing compliance and corporate governance matters.
Eddie also advises clients on mergers and acquisitions transactions. Eddie’s M&A practice includes a focus on transactions by financial institutions, including insurance companies, broker-dealers and asset managers.
Eddie received his JD, cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in 1986 and a A.B. from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 1982.
Awards
Capital Markets: Debt & Equity, Chambers Global, (since 2010; and also in 2000)
Capital Markets: Debt & Equity, Chambers USA (since 2009; and 2005-2007)
Capital Markets: Debt; Capital Markets Equity and M&A, IFLR1000
Named 1 of 31 “Best of the Best USA” capital markets lawyers by Expert Guides (2022)
Capital Markets Lawyer of the Year - Illinois, Global 100 (2021 and 2023)
Capital Markets: Debt Offerings; Capital Markets: High-Yield Debt Offerings, The Legal 500 United States