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As a trusted legal advisor representing Atlanta’s growing startups, its tenured global-reaching organizations, and the strategic funds between, I am proud to partner with these business leaders in every stage of their corporate legal needs.

Bennett Secrest is an Associate in the Adams and Reese Atlanta office. Practicing primarily in corporate services and transactions, Bennett 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, where he worked in “Big 4” accounting and consulting. He gained valuable experience while advising private equity and REIT clients through complex transactional and tax strategies. Specializing in entity structuring and partnership taxation, Bennett offers a valuable skill set in buy-side transactions advising and complex organizational structuring. 

During law school at Florida State University, Bennett co-developed and led a small business accelerator program for Tallahassee’s leading small business incubator, Domi Station. Leveraging that experience, he successfully led an academic competition team for venture capital negotiations and advisory to the national finals. 
 
Bennett earned his M.B.A and J.D. from Florida State University and received a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Mississippi. 

Education

  • Florida State University College of Law, J.D., 2017
  • Florida State University, M.B.A., 2017
  • University of Mississippi, B.B.A., 2013

Bar Admissions

  • Georgia

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

  • American Bar Association 
  • State Bar of Georgia 
  • Atlanta Bar Association 
  • Florida State University College of Business, Recent Alumni Board