A one-size-fits-all approach puts deals at risk and wastes client resources, so I work to scale our team to fit and complement the structure, complexity, risk profile, and size. We also match our level of involvement to the client’s expectations and level of prior experience with due diligence and other aspects of the transaction. We know that there is a value proposition at play in all deals – in a low-risk, lower-value transaction, the client may not need an expanded team of professionals and we can staff accordingly to manage costs. Whereas, in a high-risk or high-value deal, circumstances might dictate a more thorough process and the attention of additional subject matter experts. We can bring those resources to bear where doing so is in the best interest of the client.
Rob Bethea is ranked Band 2 in Corporate M&A Law in South Carolina by Chambers USA.
Robert P. Bethea Jr. advises clients on business transactions in the southeastern United States and beyond. He provides counsel on startups, mergers, stock and asset acquisitions, recapitalizations, taxation, business contracts and agreements, corporate governance, succession planning, franchising, securities, and finance. Rob advises clients in a range of industries including health care, professional services, manufacturing, logistics and distribution, marine products, specialty software, and industrial services. With advanced training in tax law, he has extensive experience advising clients on the often-complex tax consequences of business decisions and deal structures. This adds extra value for clients when negotiating transactions and allows Rob to work in close coordination with clients’ accountants, bankers, and other advisors to provide solutions and meet clients’ goals.
Rob has represented clients in contractual and business disputes – including management and shareholder disagreements, shareholder oppression and fiduciary duty claims, and successor liability and indemnity claims – as well as in government and regulatory investigations and compliance matters. Rob also provides counsel on the protection of trade secrets and intellectual property, including restrictive covenants, confidentiality, and non-solicitation agreements.
“ While I am resident in our South Carolina offices, a market that, by itself, may not justify a national practice in intellectual property, class action litigation, or international trade, I have access to professionals in those areas, and others, by dialing a six-digit extension. My clients and I do not have to go outside this firm for that knowledge. Our regional footprint of offices and practices provides resources for clients typically available only in national firms. ”
Education
Bar Admissions
Court Admissions
Community Involvement
Rob is a graduate of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Columbia program. He has served multiple terms on the Hammond School Board of Trustees, served on the Discovery Council Board for EdVenture Children’s Museum, and provided pro bono counsel to Sustain SC - Intersection of Commerce and Conservation, Carolina Therapeutic Riding, Columbia Classical Ballet Company, and other charitable organizations.
Areas of Practice
Acknowledgements
- Chambers USA - Recognized Practitioner in Corporate/M&A: South Carolina, 2019-2023
- Best Lawyers® - Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Tax Law
- Top Attorney, Columbia Business Monthly Legal Elite of the Midlands, 2016
- Legal Elite of the Midlands, Columbia Business Monthly, 2017
Professional Affiliations & Memberships
Rob served on the committee of practitioners that reviewed and revised the restructured South Carolina Limited Liability Company Act that is currently pending before the South Carolina legislature. From 2006 to 2009, he taught an advanced course in South Carolina Limited Liability Companies at the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Related Knowledge
News
- Representation of Fibrix, LLC, a leading manufacturer of nonwoven products and materials, in the spin off and sale of its air filtration division to an affiliate of Branford Castle Partners, LP, a private equity firm.
- Representation of Unified Women’s Healthcare, an organization providing management services to Ob-Gyn practices, in the acquisition of Lucina Analytics, the developer of a leading women’s maternity analytics platform.