Maynard Nexsen elevates nine attorneys to Shareholder
January 7, 2025
Maynard Nexsen, a full-service law firm with 24 offices across the United States, announced the promotion of nine attorneys to Shareholder, effective January 1, 2025. The Firm’s new shareholders include Nikki Lee in the Greenville office, as well as eight other attorneys from outside of South Carolina: Matthew Bowness, Wesley “Wes” Bulgarella, Emily Caldwell, Carmen Chambers, David Morton, Anna Regnier, George Smith and Millard “M.V.” Young.
“This group is an integral part of what makes Maynard Nexsen grow and thrive,” said Jeff Grantham, CEO and Managing Shareholder. “We take pride in recognizing their achievements and anticipating their future contributions to the Firm.”
New Shareholders
Nikki Lee – Private Markets | Greenville, SC
Nikki Lee is a transaction lawyer. In over 20 years of practice, she has managed hundreds of M&A and Securities transactions on a national scale valued in the billions of dollars. Nikki serves as M&A, Securities, Regulatory and Corporate Governance counsel to public and private middle market companies in various industries, including financial services, technology, manufacturing, food services, healthcare and pharmaceuticals.
Nikki represents buyers and sellers (including private equity) in all types of corporate business transactions, including mergers, asset sales, stock sales and recapitalizations. Nikki also manages public and private offerings for issuers. She handles all aspects of corporate business transactions, including drafting and negotiation of letters of intent and definitive documentation, due diligence investigations, Board and shareholder approval process, regulatory and third-party approvals, as well as the closing of transactions.
Nikki has drafted and negotiated numerous non-disclosure agreements, letters of intent, definitive purchase agreements, merger agreements, articles of incorporation, shareholders’ agreements, operating agreements, ancillary documents, resolutions, side letters and other commercial agreements. She drafts and works through indemnification provisions, earnouts, working capital calculations and double trigger walk-away rights (see below for representation where her client exercised this right in a merger, increasing stock consideration for shareholders by $50 million). Nikki prepares proxy materials for clients and assists in conducting Board and shareholder meetings.
Nikki focuses on the financial institutions industry, representing public bank holding companies as well as community banks in many M&A and Securities transactions. She has drafted and filed hundreds of SEC filings on behalf of her clients, including registration statements (Form S-3, Form S-4 and Form S-8), periodic filings (Form 10-K, Form 10-Q, Form 8-K and Section 16 filings) and proxy statements. Nikki has handled the SEC comment process many times for her clients.
Nikki has managed over a dozen public bank holding company mergers, serving as M&A, Securities, Regulatory, and Corporate Governance counsel, and has also played a supportive role in many more public and private M&A and Securities transactions.
Nikki graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law and is a proud Gamecock. She is a tenth-generation Spartanburg native and lives in her hometown of Boiling Springs, SC, with her husband and three teenagers. She spends her free time working out, cooking, cleaning, taking care of the family pets and hanging out with her husband.
From outside of South Carolina
Matthew Bowness – Financial Services | Birmingham, AL
Wes Bulgarella – Restructuring | Birmingham, AL
Emily Caldwell – Real Estate | Charlotte, NC
Carmen Chambers – Complex & Commercial Litigation | Birmingham, AL
David Morton – Real Estate | Birmingham, AL
Anna Regnier – Insurance | Austin, TX
George Smith – Economic Development | Raleigh, NC
M.V. Young – Trusts, Estates, Fiduciaries & Family Business | Birmingham, AL
About Maynard Nexsen
Maynard Nexsen is a full-service law firm with more than 550 attorneys in 24 offices from coast to coast across the United States. Maynard Nexsen formed in 2023 when two successful, client-centered firms combined to form a powerful national team. Maynard Nexsen’s list of clients spans a wide range of industry sectors and includes both public and private companies.
