Williams Mullen is pleased to announce that David Lay, Andrew White and Gary LeClair will join the firm’s Corporate Section as partners, effective Aug. 5. All three formerly worked at LeClairRyan as partners on their corporate team.
They bring extensive corporate transactional experience to Williams Mullen, particularly with middle-market, emerging growth, private equity and venture capital transactions.
“The experience David, Andrew, and Gary bring speaks for itself,” Williams Mullen President and CEO Woody Fowler said. “They are highly regarded transactional attorneys, and we are thrilled to have them join our Corporate Section. They add even more strength to a team that provides middle-market companies with exceptional service for their corporate matters.”
Mr. Lay represents companies and individuals in a broad range of matters, with an emphasis on angel and venture capital financings, debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, secured transactions and general corporate and securities matters. He has significant experience in the formation, organization and on-going representation of emerging growth and technology companies. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America© for Corporate Law (2013-present), and he is listed in Virginia Super Lawyers for Securities & Corporate Finance Law (2010-2017) and Mergers & Acquisitions (2018-present).
Mr. White has represented emerging growth and middle-market companies for over 20 years, both in a general counsel capacity and in all manner of transactions, including venture capital and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, restructurings and entity conversions. Many of his clients are technology companies, including software, information technology, financial services, biotech, pharmaceutical and health care services companies. He also advises several nonprofit organizations. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America© for Corporate Governance Law (2016-present), and, in 2019, he was named the Best Lawyers® 2019 Richmond Corporate Governance “Lawyer of the Year.”
Mr. LeClair co-founded LeClairRyan in 1988 and served as CEO until 2011 and chairman until 2015. He has served as securities and general counsel to middle-market and emerging growth companies, private equity and venture capital firms for more than 30 years. He has led hundreds of private and public financings, joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions and other domestic and international transactions. He was named the Best Lawyers® 2019 Richmond Private Equity “Lawyer of the Year.” In 2018, he was named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly’s Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame. In 2016, he received a “30 in 30” award from the Richmond Times-Dispatch as one of the top 30 individuals who shaped the Metro Richmond community during the past 30 years.
Williams Mullen’s Corporate Section, chaired by Greg Bishop, provides comprehensive legal services and innovative solutions to regional, national and international business clients. The group is recognized in both Virginia and North Carolina for Corporate/M&A work by Chambers USA. In the 2019 edition, a source told the guide the team, “… made complex legal action simple. They have knowledge, experience, and a wide talent pool that can handle even the most difficult transactions.”
“David, Andrew, and Gary are terrific additions to our corporate team,” Bishop said. “They join a deep and experienced group that serves clients not only in our footprint, but throughout the United States. We are proud of the work we do for our clients, particularly in the middle-market space, and Gary, David and Andrew will only help us serve them better.”