Bruce P. Paige

Bruce is a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and the chair of the firm’s M&A practice group.  He regularly assists firm clients, including numerous Fortune 1000 corporations, local and regional health care providers, private equity firms and their respective portfolio companies, and various state instrumentalities, in the structuring and negotiation of joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions involving both private and public companies.  He also works with both public and private companies in matters involving corporate governance, director and officer liability, fiduciary duties, and risk management.  He serves as corporate counsel to a number of closely-held businesses and nonprofit corporations, and in the course of such representation, frequently negotiates and prepares general corporate and commercial agreements.  He has been loaned to multiple clients, including two of Ohio’s largest public companies and a large local health care provider, to join their in-house legal team for extended periods of time.

Representative transactions include:

• Advised Hollister Co., a division of Abercrombie and Fitch Co., in a joint venture launching a new fashion brand, Social Tourist
• Represented Bob Evans Farms, Inc. in the acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Pineland Farms Potato Company, Inc.
• Represented Bob Evans Farms, Inc. in the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Kettle Creations, Inc.
• Representing Myers Industries, Inc. in acquisition of Signature Systems
• Represented The Scotts Company LLC in multiple transactions with Monsanto Company relating to The Scotts Company LLC serving as the exclusive agent for the marketing, sale and distribution of Roundup products in the consumer lawn and garden market
• Represented The Scotts Company LLC in the sale of certain assets of Smith & Hawken, Ltd. to Target Brands, Inc.
• Represented Worthington Industries, Inc. in the acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Palmer Mfg. &Tank, Inc.
• Represented Worthington Industries, Inc. in the acquisition of certain assets of The Coleman Company, Inc.
• Represented M/I Homes, Inc. in the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of a Detroit, Michigan homebuilder, a Houston, Texas homebuilder, a San Antonio, Texas homebuilder and a Minneapolis, Minnesota homebuilder
• Represented Big Lots, Inc. in the acquisition by way of Plan of Arrangement of Liquidation World Inc., a publicly-traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange
• Represented The Ohio State University on behalf of its Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute in connection with the negotiation of the ORIEN Master Collaboration Agreement with the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute Hospital, Inc. pursuant to which the parties formed the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN) to accelerate discoveries in cancer research
• Served as U.S. counsel to Kilmer Capital Partners in the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of English Bay Batter (2014) Ltd, a North American market leading bakery company producing premium gourmet cookies and frozen and refrigerated dough
• Served as U.S. counsel to Rolls-Royce Corporation and Rolls-Royce Energy Systems, Inc. in connection with the sale of Rolls-Royce’s energy gas turbine and compressor business to Siemens Energy, Inc.

Bruce received his J.D. with honors from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, where he served as the associate editor of the Ohio State Law Journal.  He received his MBA from The Ohio State University and his B.A. summa cum laude from Ohio University, where he was Phi Beta Kappa.

Bruce is a frequent speaker regarding issues impacting businesses as well as colleges and universities.  Most recently he co-presented “Affiliated Entities” at the Ohio Attorney General's 24th Annual Conference for Public College and University Attorneys.

Bruce is actively involved in the Vorys Initiative for Business Empowerment, an innovative program aimed at making legal services more accessible to racial and ethnic minority owned businesses.

Bruce was a member of the Leadership Columbus class of 2011.  He also has devoted significant time to Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio as a “Big Brother” and mentor and, between 2008 and 2022, served as a director and executive officer.

Honors & Recognitions

Columbus CEO, Best Lawyers, Corporate Law, 2023-2024

The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law, 2017-2025

Columbus CEO, Top Lawyers in Columbus, 2015

Columbus Business First, Forty under 40, April 2011

Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Health Care, 2011-2012, 2016; Corporate, 2015

Professional & Community Activities

Adjunct Professor, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, Spring 2023