Michael S. Harris
Practice Areas: Licensing and Technology Transactions, Mergers and Acquisitions, Employment Law and Human Resources Counseling, General Corporate
E-mail: msharris@optimum.net; Tel: (914) 232-7314
Michael Harris's practice focuses on corporate transactions, licensing and intellectual property, and executive compensation and employment matters. Until May 2002, Mr. Harris was the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of The Thomson Corporation (now Thomson Reuters), where he held executive-level positions from 1989 until his retirement in 2002. At Thomson, where he ran not only the Legal department, but also risk management, real estate and procurement, Mr. Harris was responsible for negotiating and completing hundreds of tactical and strategic acquisitions in the information and publishing industries, including West Publishing, Harcourt General and Primark. Mr. Harris is a former Small Claims Court Judge and a commercial panel member of American Arbitration Association; he has also served as an arbitrator for the New York Stock Exchange until its acquisition by Euronext. Mr. Harris started his legal career at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom. He received his B.A. degree from New York University, where he was on the Dean's List and Order of the Coif, and received his J.D. degree from St. John's University School of Law in 1974. Mr. Harris resides with his wife and children in Golden's Bridge, New York.