Joseph S. Payne is Counsel in the Corporate Department of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. He represents issuers and financial institutions in a broad array of public and private capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings and other equity offerings, investment-grade, high-yield and convertible debt financings, liability management transactions and SPAC deals. He has advised on transactions in a wide variety of industries, including the biotech, consumer goods, financial services, industrials, natural resources, pharmaceuticals, TMT, transportation and utilities sectors. He also advises U.S. public companies on general corporate, securities-law and governance matters.

He received his J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was a James Kent Scholar, earned the Parker School Recognition of Achievement in International and Comparative Law and served as Public Affairs Editor of the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law. He received his A.B. from Harvard University. Prior to attending law school, Joe served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy and received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.