Moore & Van Allen Elects Largest Class of Attorneys to Firm Membership
Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that 14 attorneys have been elected as members, the largest class of new members in firm history. The new class of members includes: Benjamin “Ben” J.C. Baucom, Courtenay C. Clark, Sangwan “Sonny” Ha, Kerry O. Irwin, Edward “Ed” H. Ivey, Aaron A. Marshall, Matthew “Matt” S. Morgan, Sarah H. Negus, Benjamin “Ben” A. Owens, Neil “Trey” C. Robinson III, Richard I. Simons, Jessica J. Simpson, Benjamin “Ben” M. Weadon, and Kathryn “Kate” G. Wellman.
“This is a class of outstanding attorneys. Each new member has strong experience in one of the firm’s core practice areas and is committed to serving the interests of our clients and communities.” said MVA Chair Thomas L. Mitchell. “We are proud to welcome them as new members of the firm and congratulate them on this accomplishment.”
Ben Baucom advises financial institution clients in complex domestic and cross-border senior lending transactions. He has experience representing lead arrangers, agent banks and lenders in structuring, negotiating and documenting both secured and unsecured credit facilities in syndicated, club and single-lender deals in connection with the financing of strategic acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations and general working capital needs. Ben’s practice encompasses both middle-market and investment-grade financings for public, private, and sponsor portfolio companies spanning a broad range of industries.
Courtenay Clark practices in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and general corporate law. She leads add-on acquisitions for private equity portfolio companies in the healthcare sector and has experience with management company structures as well as Patriot Act disclosures.
Sonny Ha focuses his practice on representing banks, institutional advisors, private equity groups, and corporate clients in connection with secured and unsecured lending transactions, including single-lender, club, and syndicated senior debt facilities and acquisition financing. He also has significant experience representing and advising corporate, private equity, and investment banking clients in connection with public and private domestic and multijurisdictional debt and equity securities offerings.
Kerry Irwin counsels clients from a variety of industries on numerous corporate matters, including governance, mergers and acquisitions, financing, and other transactions. She specializes in mid-market M&A transactions and commercial contracts, working directly with business teams to identify risks and develop innovative solutions.
Ed Ivey focuses his practice on swaps, derivatives, LIBOR transition, and advising clients on various types of debt and equity capital market activities, and related regulatory matters. He has experience in futures, swaps and other derivatives in a variety of asset classes, including rates, FX, equity and commodities. Ed’s clients include clearinghouses, swap dealers, regional/community banks, trading firms, private funds and end-users. In addition to negotiating ISDAs and related swap documentation, Ed utilizes his experience to enhance financing through structuring debt, equity, and hedging activities, or present alternative financing arrangements that can lower costs and risks to his clients.
Aaron Marshall focuses his practice on securitization and structured finance law. Aaron regularly represents issuers and placement agents in asset-backed securitizations and other structured finance transactions.
Matt Morgan advises banks, funds and other financial institutions in connection with debt transactions, from more standard loans backed by traditional security packages to special situations opportunities with more nuanced structures, from the context of his years of experience in the European credit trading and direct lending markets. He also advises on loan workouts and restructurings and the financing opportunities associated with such situations, as well as secondary loan trading documentation from both a buy-side and sell-side perspective.
Sarah Negus concentrates her practice in all areas of employment law and counsels employers on a wide range of topics including policies and procedures, personnel decisions, and other workplace challenges. Sarah also regularly litigates employment related disputes in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies including discrimination and retaliation claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as state and federal wage and hour claims, trade secret matters, and noncompetition agreement enforcement actions.
Ben Owens focuses his practice on the representation of financial institutions and companies in a wide variety of financing transactions. Ben regularly advises on the structuring, negotiation and documentation of secured and unsecured syndicated, club and bilateral senior credit facilities. Additionally, Ben represents private credit funds with non-dilutive capital investments, with a particular focus on the healthcare industry.
Trey Robinson advises and assists clients in connection with general corporate and commercial real estate matters and the negotiation of supply, distribution, service, purchase, and other commercial agreements. He also leads MVA’s Sports Law practice and has been certified as a contract advisor by the National Football League Players Association since 2013. Robinson works with athlete clients and assists them with a variety of matters including the negotiation of player contracts and sponsorship agreements.
Richard Simons focuses his practice on commercial real estate, regularly representing developers, investors, landlords, and tenants in complex commercial real estate transactions. He has experience with acquisitions, dispositions, financing, joint venture formation, large-scale office, industrial and retail leasing, and advising on real estate components of mergers and acquisitions.
Jessica Simpson concentrates her practice on the corporate and regulatory aspects of healthcare law, representing hospitals and healthcare systems in acquisitions and joint ventures, negotiating physician and other professional service agreements, and assisting in general corporate governance matters. She also works with physicians and physician groups in both the buying and selling of practices, the preparation of physician employment agreements, and routine contractual matters.
Ben Weadon advises private equity firms and their portfolio companies located across the country on leveraged buyouts, growth equity investments, merger and acquisition transactions, and general corporate matters. He has advised on deals in various industries, including software, semiconductor, telecommunications, and fleet management, and helped lead the biggest U.S. leverage buyout announced in 2015.
Kate Wellman advises and assists clients with government and internal investigations and regulatory compliance issues. She has represented financial institutions in inquiries involving federal and international authorities and conducted internal investigations for clients across a broad range of industries. Her regulatory compliance experience includes advising institutions on requirements under a variety of laws and regulations, including the Bank Holding Company Act, Commodity Exchange Act, Dodd-Frank Act, and federal securities laws.
About Moore & Van Allen
Moore & Van Allen PLLC (www.mvalaw.com), founded in 1945, has nearly 400 attorneys serving clients in over 75 areas of focus. The attorneys at Moore & Van Allen provide sophisticated legal services within nationally recognized Corporate, Financial Services, Litigation, Intellectual Property, Bankruptcy, and Commercial Real Estate law practices for international banks and financial services companies, domestic and global manufacturers, retailers, individuals, and healthcare and technology organizations. The firm is ranked in the prestigious “Am Law Global 200” list, and U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers have recognized Moore & Van Allen in their 2022 “Best Law Firms” rankings, both regionally and nationally.
