Brian has extensive experience advising public and private companies in mergers and acquisitions, venture capital investments, securities offerings and corporate governance matters. He represents clients across a broad range of industries including manufacturing, retail, consumer packaged goods, finance and insurance.
Brian volunteers with Central Virginia Legal Aid’s Pro Bono Hotline program, and frequently lectures on mergers and acquisitions and venture capital at the Washington and Lee University.
Experience
- Representation of 3D Systems Corp. (NYSE: DDD), a leader in additive manufacturing solutions, in its acquisition of Allevi, Inc., a developer of bioprinting solutions, comprising 3D bioprinters, biomaterials and specialized laboratory software.
- Represented several public companies in multi-jurisdictional carve-out divestitures.
- Represented a Fortune 200 CPG company in several investments and acquisitions across a broad spectrum of technologies and products.
- Represented a public insurance company in multiple acquisitions of non-insurance businesses, including follow-on acquisitions and on-going corporate governance matters.
- Represented both acquirors and targets in several financial institution M&A transactions.
- Represented a Fortune 500 company in the disposition of its multinational media packaging division.
- Represented a publicly traded bank holding company in its initial capital raise, primary acquisition and subsequent acquisitions and divestitures.
- Represented a private equity fund in multiple acquisitions of organic and natural food companies.
- Represented multiple corporate venture capital investors in investments ranging from start-up financing to late-stage senior preferred rounds.
- Represented a software company in its acquisition by a public company.
- Represented a health care technology company in its acquisition by an international pharmaceutical company.
- Represented a REIT in multiple private placement rounds of preferred equity.
- Represented the syndicator of low-income housing tax credits in funds totaling more than $1 billion in assets.
- Represented institutional investors in investments in historic tax credit and low-income housing tax credit properties.
- Represented an alternate investment management firm with more than $3.8 billion in assets in the sale of a majority stake to a large US mutual life insurance company.
- Represented an electronic product and technology services firm in its formation and initial capital raise.
- Represented a Fortune 100 company in public debt issuances totaling $6 billion.
- Represented a private equity fund in its equity investment in a privately owned domestic airline.
- Represented public and private companies in connection with the disposition of coal properties.
- Represented a public distribution services company in its acquisition of a regional division of a public broadline foodservice distributor.
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Washington and Lee University School of LawJD
cum laude, Editor in Chief, Washington and Lee Law Review
2004 -
West Virginia UniversityBS
summa cum laude
2001
Member, American Bar Association, Business Law Section
Member, Virginia Bar Association
- Speaker, "Nonprofit Boards: Director Recruitment, Retention, and Relationships with Staff ," 20th Annual Nonprofit Seminar, September 2023
- Presenter, "Acquiring IP in M&A Transactions," CLE Presentation to Northern Virginia Technology Council–Tech Law and Procurement Committee, March 23, 2017
- Presenter, "Best Practices and Recent Trends in Confidentiality Agreements," CLE Presentation at Annual Meeting of the Virginia Bar Association, January 20, 2017
- Guest Lecturer, "Mergers and Acquisitions," Washington and Lee University School of Law, 2010 - present
- Virginia
Named “Lawyer of the Year,” Venture Capital Law, Richmond, The Best Lawyers in America, 2025
Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law, 2022-2025; Venture Capital Law, 2023, 2024, 2025; Mergers and Acquisitions Law, 2024, 2025; Woodward/White, Inc.
Selected for inclusion in “Legal 500 United States,” M&A: Middle-Market, 2023, 2024
Selected for inclusion in America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Corporate/M&A, Southern Virginia, Chambers USA, 2023, 2024
Named a ‘Legal Elite for Business Law,’ Virginia Business Magazine, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Named a ‘Rising Star,’ Virginia Super Lawyers Magazine, 2011-2019
- Author, FDA Proposes Standards Banning Flavored Cigars and Menthol Cigarettes, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, May 13, 2022
- Editor, Business Law, chapter of The Virginia Lawyer: A Deskbook for Practitioners, 2005-2010
- Author, Fourth Circuit Declines to Create Exception for Disinterested Publishers from § 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5; Supreme Court Denies Defendant’s Cert. Petition, Monthly Practice Tip of the Business Law Section, Bar Association of the City of Richmond, October 2010
- Author, District Court Rejects Disappointed Investors’ Claims that a Bank Holding Money in Escrow for a Third Party Owes a Contractual or Fiduciary Duty to the Investors, Monthly Practice Tip of the Business Law Section, Bar Association of the City of Richmond, July 2009
- Author, The Virginia Supreme Court Rejects the ’Sale of Business’ Doctrine, Monthly Practice Tip of the Business Law Section, Bar Association of the City of Richmond, July 2008