About me

Address: Dallas: 2300 N. Field Street, Suite 1800, Dallas, TX 75201-2481

Areas of Focus: Corporate; Capital Markets; Mergers & Acquisitions; Corporate Governance; Joint Ventures & Strategic Alliances; Public Company Advisory

Biography:
Garrett has led public equity and debt offerings, private placements, and mergers and acquisitions in a wide range of industries, including energy, retail, restaurants, infrastructure, manufacturing, aviation and finance, for almost 30 years.
Garrett has extensive experience in public offerings and private placements of debt and equity securities, including initial public offerings (IPOs) and Rule 144A offerings. He also regularly advises public companies and investors on securities law compliance and exemptions, SEC reporting issues, securities exchange compliance, shareholder relations and communication and other corporate governance matters. He serves as the co-head of the firm’s capital markets practice.
Garrett has also led numerous corporate mergers and asset and stock purchase and sale transactions for public and private companies, including significant leveraged buyouts, strategic mergers, carve-outs, drop-down transactions, joint ventures, and buy and build strategies.

Representative Work:
- Represented a retailer in its $10.95-billion investment grade notes offering.
- Represented a REIT in its $1.5 billion senior notes offering.
- Advised a fashion company in its $150-million registered notes offering.
- Advised an infrastructure company in its $350-million common share offering and $500-million tack-on notes offering.
- Advised an infrastructure company in its $600-million senior secured Rule 144A offerings as part of its spin-off from a Nasdaq-listed public company.
- Represented an international restaurant company in its $650-million Rule 144A offering.

Credentials:
Education: J.D., University of Chicago Law School, 1994; B.S., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1991 (with highest honors)
Bar Admissions: Texas, 1994

Recognitions:
- D Magazine , Best Lawyers, 2026.
- The Legal 500 US , Capital markets: debt offerings and high-yield debt offerings, 2022–2025; and M&A / Corporate and Commercial: corporate governance, 2025.
- D Magazine , Best Lawyers in Dallas, Corporate Securities/Capital Markets , 2022.
- Acritas , Acritas Star, 2018-2022.
- The Best Lawyers in America , Corporate Law, 2014-2022.
- D Magazine , Top Corporate Lawyer in Dallas.
- Super Lawyers.

Affiliations:
- Author, Revisions to American Bar Association’s (ABA) Model Stock Purchase Agreement, ABA Negotiated Acquisitions Committee
- Member, Akin Retirement Committee

Insights:
- SEC Proposes Regulation Crypto Assets: A Tailored Offering Framework for Crypto Investment Contracts (August 19, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/sec-proposes-regulation-crypto-assets-a-tailored-offering-framework-for-crypto-investment-contracts
- DExit: The Reincorporation Decision — A Guide for Investors (July 29, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/articles/dexit-the-reincorporation-decision-a-guide-for-investors
- Is It Time to DExit?  A Guide for Boards (July 22, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/articles/is-it-time-to-dexit-a-guide-for-boards
- SEC Proposes Regulation E-Delivery: Electronic Delivery Would Become the Default (July 17, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/sec-proposes-regulation-e-delivery-electronic-delivery-would-become-the-default
- SEC Expands Availability of Five Business Day Tender and Exchange Offers (July 6, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/sec-expands-availability-of-five-business-day-tender-and-exchange-offers
- SEC Proposes Reforms to Registered Offerings and Public Company Reporting (May 21, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/sec-proposes-reforms-to-registered-offerings-and-public-company-reporting
- SEC Proposes Optional Semiannual Reporting for Public Companies: What You Need to Know (May 6, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/sec-proposes-optional-semiannual-reporting-for-public-companies-what-you-need-to-know
- SEC Grants Relief Permitting Shortened Tender Offer Periods for Equity Securities (April 20, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/sec-grants-relief-permitting-shortened-tender-offer-periods-for-equity-securities
- SEC Adopts Final Rules Requiring Section 16(a) Reporting for Directors and Officers of FPIs, and Provides Exemptive Relief for FPI Directors and Officers in Qualifying Jurisdictions (March 12, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/sec-adopts-final-rules-requiring-section-16a-reporting-for-directors-and-officers-of-foreign-private-issuers-fpis-and-provides-exemptive-relief-for-fpi-directors-and-officers
- Does AI Care About Caremark? Applying the Core Principles of Corporate Governance to Artificial Intelligence Integration (March 11, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/articles/does-ai-care-about-caremark-applying-the-core-principles-of-corporate-governance-to-artificial-intelligence-integration
- Section 16(a) Reporting Will Be Required for Foreign Private Issuer Directors and Officers (December 23, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/Section-16a-Reporting-Will-Be-Required-for-Foreign-Private-Issuer-Directors-and-Officers
- White House Executive Order Targets Proxy Advisory Firms – Potential Implications for Companies and Investors (December 23, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/white-house-executive-order-targets-proxy-advisory-firms-potential-implications-for-companies-and-investors