Michael Best Combines with Established Entrepreneurial Law Firm RWR Legal
Michael Best announced today the addition of RWR Legal into its Austin office operations, effective immediately.
The combination, which will greatly benefit both Michael Best and RWR Legal clients, will add three senior corporate and securities attorneys. RWR Legal connects high-growth clients with the talent, mentoring, and resources required for success.
Rick Ressler, RWR Legal’s Managing General Counsel, will step into the leadership role as Michael Best’s new Austin Office Managing Partner; Shari Wynne Ressler will join Michael Best as a Partner focusing on strategic development; and Stephen Aguilar will join as Senior Counsel. All three will be members of Venture Best®, Michael Best’s team dedicated to counseling entrepreneurs, investors, emerging companies, and start-ups.
Since the firm’s founding over 23 years ago, RWR Legal has served as counsel for thousands of companies, providing sophisticated, large firm expertise to the entrepreneurial and start-up ecosystem in Austin.
Combining with RWR Legal will enhance the Austin office’s capabilities that span a number of key industries in the region, including the technology, healthcare, and CPG sectors. The incoming team will also work closely with Michael Best’s existing national platform in the cannabis, agribusiness, food and beverage, beauty product, and regulatory realms.
About the Attorneys
Rick Ressler has more than three decades of varied and extensive multinational securities and corporate legal experience, focusing his practice on financing, transactions, and mergers and acquisitions. In his capacity as a strategic and trusted advisor, he represents companies and investors of all sizes. Ressler earned his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Princeton University.
Shari Wynne Ressler provides legal and strategic counsel on labor and employee benefits matters. She is a self-made serial entrepreneur whose purpose is to connect clients with talent, mentorship and resources needed for success and is dedicated to building diversified industries and robust startup ecosystems. Ressler is deeply engrained in the Austin’s start-up community and is active in a number of local groups focusing on innovation. This includes involvement on committees for the Central Texas Angel Network, the Food Lab at the University of Texas at Austin and the Austin Development Zone. Ressler earner her J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law and her B.A. from the University of California at Davis.
Stephen Aguilar handles immigration, corporate and entertainment matters on behalf of his clients. He provides counsel for trials and appeals and represents clients in transactional matters. He is an active member of the Mexican-American Bar Association and the Community Justice Program, which provides free legal services to those in need. He earned his J.D. from St. Mary’s University School of Law and his B.A from the University of Texas at Austin.
In addition to the three attorneys joining Michael Best, Melanie Shepard also joins as a paralegal.
About Venture Best®
Venture Best, the emerging company and venture capital team at Michael Best, works closely with high impact entrepreneurs and emerging businesses, as well as the angel and institutional venture capital investors that finance them. The Venture Best Team represents a substantial number of start-up and emerging companies in biotechnology, information technology and software, medical device, electronics, and other high-technology sectors. This emerging company practice allows Michael Best to introduce venture capital and private equity investors to early- and mid-stage investment opportunities. For more information, visit venturebest.com.
About Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
Michael Best is a leading law firm, providing a full range of legal services to clients on a global, regional, and local basis. The firm has more than 340 legal professionals, including more than 250 attorneys, serving clients in 11 offices across the U.S. in Colorado; Illinois; North Carolina; Texas; Utah; Washington, D.C.; and Wisconsin. Michael Best’s areas of practice include: intellectual property, labor and employment relations (including employee benefits), litigation, corporate and transactional, environmental and natural resources, privacy and cybersecurity, real estate, regulatory, and tax. The firm serves a variety of industries, such as advanced manufacturing, agribusiness, banking & financial services, digital technology, energy, food and beverage, higher education, and life sciences. For more information, visit michaelbest.com.
