Robert L. Brown

Robert Brown advises on trade, investments, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures for U.S. companies and foreign companies operating in the U.S., including manufacturing, distribution, sales, retail and wholesale operations.

He has worked closely with companies as an investment banker and attorney, serving both in-house and as an outside advisor in Louisville, London, New York City, Tokyo, San Francisco and San Diego.  Robert is admitted as an attorney in New York, Washington, D.C., California and Kentucky, and is qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales and in Hong Kong.  From 1991-1993 he was admitted as a foreign lawyer in Japan.

He has two PhD. degrees.  The first was from Cambridge University and studied Japanese privatization, while the second one was from The London School of Economics and Political Science and dealt with Indonesian legal reforms and creditor relations.  He also has a Masters degree from Jochi University in Tokyo, and an Advanced Accounting Certificate from Bellarmine University.  Recently, he completed an LL.M in international trade and development from the University of London.  During three years of law school, he earned J.D., M.B.A. and Masters Degrees from the University of Louisville.  Robert has taught international transaction courses at the law schools of University of California Berkeley, University of San Francisco and University of Louisville, as well as accounting, business, economic and finance courses at the school of business of Bellarmine University, where he served as dean from 2015-16.

He is the author of many books, including:

• Doing Business on the Internet. Aspen/Harcourt Brace. 2000. 2001.
  • Limited Liability Companies Guide. Aspen/Harcourt Brace. 2000. 2001.
  • Financing Start-Ups. Aspen/Harcourt Brace. 2000-2009.
  • Equity Finance: Venture Capital, Buyouts, Restructurings and Reorganizations. Aspen. 2001 Supplement.
  • The Concise Guide to Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures. Palgrave/Macmillan. 2007.
  • Emerging Companies. 2005. 2010. 2019.
  • Buying a Business. Aspatore. 2013.
  • Advising New Businesses. Thomson/Sweet & Maxwell. 2003.
  • Going Global. Thomson. 2006-2012. 2019.
  • International Business Plans. World Trade Press. 2003.
  • Managing Your e-Business/Hong Kong. CCH. 2000.
  • Asian Economic and Legal Development. Kluwer. 1998.
  • Commercial Laws of East Asia. Sweet & Maxwell. 1997.
  • Intellectual Property Laws of East Asia. Sweet & Maxwell. 1997.
  • Doing Business in South Korea. Thomson Reuters/West. 2010. 2011. 2012.
  • Doing Business in Vietnam. Thomson Reuters/West. 2010. 2012.

He also has a long history of serving as an officer and a board member of many organizations, including:

• American Bar Association, Section of International Law, Chair 2018-20
• National District Export Council, Board of Directors, Member; former Chair; Advisory Board, Chair
• World Trade Center Kentucky, Board of Directors, Member, Secretary, and former Chair

• Bellarmine University School of Business, Executive Board, former Chair
• Japan/America Society of Kentucky, former Chair
• National Council for International Visitors, former Treasurer
• Sister Cities of Louisville, former Treasurer
• Venture Connectors, former Chair
• World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana, former Chair

Recently, the Emperor of Japan conferred on Robert the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette in recognition of his efforts to strengthen ties between Japan and the United States. He was also included in the Insider Louisville’s Top 100: Change-Makers and Groundbreakers.

He has been given AV Preeminent Rating by Martindale Hubbell and selected as Kentucky Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters.