Best Lawyers in America for Corporate Law

Howard Herndon is a nationally recognized thought leader in the fintech and electronic payment systems space, known for his strategic counsel to next-generation businesses, financial sponsors, and key stakeholders. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Howard is widely recognized for the pivotal role he has played in establishing the city as a growing fintech hub. He is highly respected both locally and nationally and is frequently sought after to speak at major industry events across the country. W...

Gregory W. Stype is a partner in the Columbus office of Barnes & Thornburg, where he is a member of the Government Services and Finance Department. With more than 30 years of experience, Gregory devotes his practice to public and infrastructure finance and economic development. Gregory has served as counsel to state government entities, including the Ohio Public Facilities Commission, the Ohio Office of Budget and Management, and the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission, as well as...

Mr. Larner’s practice has focused in the areas of business and corporate law, financing transactions and mergers and acquisitions. He regularly serves in the role of outside general counsel and trusted advisor to privately held companies and their owners, as well as family offices. For many years, he has represented private equity firms in connection with the acquisition, business operations and governance of portfolio companies. His transactional and advisory roles have encompassed a b...

Lori M. Waldron is Chair of the Sills Cummis & Gross Life Sciences Practice Group. Her practice focuses on the representation of both emerging growth and well-established public and private companies in sophisticated business transactions, with a particular emphasis on the life sciences and biotech industries. Ms. Waldron has extensive experience representing clients through all phases of their business cycles and advising them how to best take advantage of varying business opportunities,...

Curtis Shelton is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Appellate Practice, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Litigation - Banking and Finance and Litigation - Bankruptcy. Curtis, who practices law in Shreveport, Louisiana, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Curtis is held by other top lawy...

David Birke serves as co-chair of Akerman’s M&A and Private Equity Practice Group. David’s practice focuses on representing private equity funds, family offices and their portfolio companies in complex acquisitions, divestitures, recapitalizations, restructurings, growth capital investments, and debt and equity financings. David’s wide ranging practice also encompasses representing other private and public companies with corporate governance, joint ventures, executive co...

Dave Roettgers is a Shareholder focusing his practice on the purchase and sale of businesses, taxation, corporate finance and business law. He is a Certified Public Accountant and uses his prior experience at Arthur Andersen LLP where he provided tax planning and business advice for individual and business clients. Representative Matters and Experience Representation of families and owners in all types of business planning including the transition of the business to the next generation, finan...

Rivers Lelong is a partner in the Corporate Practice Group and a member of the Jones Walker board of directors. He has a broad-ranging transactional practice representing clients across several industries. Rivers’ practice involves a variety of commercial transactions comprising secured finance, real estate, acquisitions and divestitures of privately held companies and their assets, and the negotiation of sophisticated commercial contracts. He is also general outside counsel to an inter...

Charmaine is a member of the firm’s Board of Directors and is chair of the firm’s integrated Healthcare Practice Team. She is one of only 129 attorneys certified by The Florida Bar in healthcare law, and has maintained this certification since 2012. Charmaine represents health systems and hospitals, academic medical centers, clinically integrated networks, physician group practices, and other healthcare providers in complex transactions and regulatory matters. Charmaine assists ph...

Louis T. M. Conti is a partner in the Tampa office of Holland & Knight. Mr. Conti's practice includes serving as outside counsel to businesses of all sizes, mergers and acquisitions, cash flow and asset-based financings, leveraged buy-outs, mezzanine and subordinated debt transactions, public and private equity placements, venture capital and private equity investments, company governance advice, and sophisticated and complex cross-border transactions and joint ventures and strategic alli...

Joe Wallin advises founders, startups, growth companies, investors, and acquirers on the legal issues that matter most in building, financing, and scaling businesses. His practice spans the full business lifecycle — from company formation to exit — and includes counsel on equity compensation, angel and venture financings, mergers and acquisitions, and other significant business transactions. He also brings deep tax knowledge to his work, holding an LL.M. in Taxation from NYU and s...

Gary Morris is a shareholder and economic development attorney in Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd's Columbia office. Gary is also involved in all aspects of real estate transactions, including acquisition, land use and financing. Gary advises on every aspect of corporate expansion and has represented clients in various LLC, partnership and corporate disputes, financial and banking litigation, defense of legal malpractice cases, environmental litigation, eminent domain battles, prosecution of insuranc...

Michael Palmer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law, Employment Law - Management, Immigration Law and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Michael, who practices law in South Bend, Indiana, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Paul Nozick concentrates his practice on mergers, acquisitions, securities matters, and other complex business transactions in a variety of industries. His practice also includes an array of general corporate matters, including corporate governance issues and advising public and private entities on their daily legal matters. His securities experience includes extensive work on public offerings, such as representation of issuers and underwriters, going-private transactions, and private placeme...

Practicing law for over 20 years, founding partner Ray Driver focuses on corporate law (including mergers and acquisitions), business, contracts, venture capital and securities law. He represents clients in business acquisitions, dispositions and mergers, as well as providing ongoing counseling regarding business formation, corporate governance, contract law and ancillary legal issues. He also counsels clients in obtaining capital through private placements, venture capital investments and ot...

With over 30 years of experience, Bruce I. Ettelson, P.C. is widely recognized as a leading private investment funds lawyer who has been on the forefront of the industry's evolution since its early years. He is the founder of the Firm's dedicated Investment Funds Group, which was ranked in 2021 by Chambers & Partners as Tier 1 in the U.S., Asia-Pacific, United Kingdom and globally. His practice focuses on structuring and forming premier private equity funds and their management companies....