Adams and Reese is pleased to announce five lateral hires, expanding the law firm’s presence in the Atlanta market and strengthening its global corporate services, M&A transactions, and estate planning practice areas.
Partner Robert L. Welch, Special Counsel Timothy P. Veith, Associates Bennett B. Secrest and Madalyn S. Davis, and Foreign Licensed Attorney Javier A. Gonzalez have joined Adams and Reese from Drew Eckl & Farnham.
“We are excited to welcome such a diverse group of professionals and blend of legal veterans and rising stars to our firm and Atlanta office,” said Clarence A. Wilbon, Adams and Reese Executive Committee Chair and Partner. “Atlanta boasts an emerging economy in which Adams and Reese continues to grow and further expand our breadth of legal services to clients.”
Welch and Veith bring over 30 years of experience as corporate services and transactions attorneys, having represented the buy and sell sides of M&A deals and serving as general counsel for growing start-ups, middle market organizations, and large companies.
Welch closed more than a dozen M&A deals over the last two years, ranging between $10 and $66 million. Veith has managed legal affairs for commercial lending and insurance agency groups with portfolio growth from $20 million to over $1 billion in commercial loan transactions.
Secrest is a rising star in M&A and corporate services, advising corporate officers, founding teams, start-ups, and organizations on corporate governance, operations strategy, mergers and acquisitions, real estate purchase and leasing, and contract management.
“Adams and Reese provides a perfect opportunity to integrate the corporate work we have done into a broader footprint with its significant regional and national presence,” said Welch. “We look forward to introducing our clients to the many legal services and practice areas Adams and Reese has to offer, and also the cross-synergy of working with current Adams and Reese clients on transactional needs that we can bring to the table.”
For over 15 years, Gonzalez has served as international counsel for entrepreneurs, business executives, and investors on M&A deals, corporate transactions, and helped grow their operations across Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and North America.
Davis represents businesses, families, elderly clients, and young professionals on estate planning and probate matters, advising clients of tax law changes and legislation around exemptions and gifting laws.
“Rob and Tim have built an extremely reputable, robust, and knowledgeable transactions practice, partnering with businesses to quarterback them through their day-to-day operations and long-term strategic goals,” said Andy Freeman, Adams and Reese Corporate Services Practice Group Leader.
Freeman added, “With the addition of Bennett and Javier – who bring regional and global transactions experience – we have further strengthened our corporate services group. Many clients ultimately require estate planning and probate services. Madalyn’s practice provides that perfect fit tailored to help both owners and employees of our clients who need assistance in those areas.”
Adams and Reese now has 15 attorneys and advisors in its Atlanta office.
About Our New Adams and Reese Atlanta Attorneys/Advisors
Rob Welch has practiced for more than 30 years in corporate services and transactions. Clients ranging from closely held local businesses to mid-market national and multinational companies, Rob advises for-profit and non-profit directors, corporate officers, and founding teams. Rob’s clients cover diverse industries, including medical device manufacturing, health care services, fintech, software and technology, industrial engineering, education, transportation, entertainment, property management, industrial recycling, insurance claims investigation, and construction management. Rob also has extensive civil litigation experience. Rob advises business owners, individuals, and families, on succession planning strategies, structuring appropriate trust and estate planning solutions, as well as handling probate for estates of all sizes.
Tim Veith has practiced for more than 30 years in corporate and transactions. Licensed to practice in Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia, Tim has experience in general corporate representation of and transactions for public and private companies, across a broad spectrum of practice areas, including complex private and public corporate finance and M&A transactions, conduit and securitization financing, banking and securities regulation, and litigation and mediation management. Before practicing law, Tim was in personal and corporate banking, focused on commercial mortgage lending, appraisal, and construction project management.
Bennett Secrest has practiced for more than five years representing Atlanta’s growing startups and established middle-market organizations in corporate and transactional legal needs. He advises corporate officers, founding teams, and organizations on corporate governance, operations strategy, mergers and acquisitions, real estate purchase and leasing, and contract management. Through his involvement in Atlanta’s startup community, Bennett has advised beginning and growth-stage companies through founder negotiations, strategic structuring, equity incentive initiatives, venture financing, asset and IP protection, and strategizing “scale & sale.” Bennett is a former tax consultant, working with a “Big 4” accounting and consulting firm, advising private equity and REIT clients through complex transactional and tax strategies.
Madalyn Davis represents clients from all walks of life, including blended families, life partners, traditional families, elderly clients, and single professionals, through her more than five-year practice in estate planning and probate matters. She advises clients on tax law changes, new legislation revising exemptions and gifting laws, and economic fluctuations affecting future wealth and retirement plans. For the first two years of her practice, she served as Assistant District Attorney in the Newton County District Attorney’s Office in Covington, Georgia, and as a Special Assistant District Attorney in DeKalb, Georgia.
Javier Gonzalez is a Venezuelan native who has advised international corporations in commercial contracts, global mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and other strategic business transactions for over 15 years. Through his work in corporate and international business combined with a strong influence in Hispanic-owned businesses, Javier assists middle-market and large multinational corporations across the globe. Javier is a frequent lecturer at different organizations in Atlanta, including prestigious business and law schools. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Hispanic Construction Association. Javier is licensed to practice law in Venezuela; he is not licensed in the United States.