Bear Lawyers

Jim Gallagher maintains a comprehensive business and tax practice that includes the preparation of wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents. In his business practice, Jim counsels and advises clients on business formation and management, including the drafting of operating agreements and stockholder agreements. He is experienced in the preparation, review, and negotiation of documents for the purchase and sale of assets or stock or other equity interests, as well as commercial and employment-related contracts. Through the representation of physicians and physician groups, Jim has also developed a thorough understanding of federal and state healthcare regulatory compliance issues, which accentuates...

Clark Collins, Jr. has more than 40 years of litigation experience in complex corporate, commercial, and fiduciary matters in both jury and non-jury trials. Clark is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. He represents corporations, directors and officers, and alternative entities and their managers and members in class, derivative, and individual actions involving governance, breach of fiduciary duty, appraisal, dissolution, summary proceedings, and claims for indemnification and advancement. He also represents clients in a wide variety of business tort, trust, fiduciary, and contract actions, including trade secret, unfair competition, lender liability, joint venture disputes, and professional liability...

Kimberly Hoffman uses her 20+ years of experience to serve as lead counsel in real estate, healthcare and government relations matters. She has assisted clients with strategic planning, legislation, documentation, and formal proceedings before courts, federal, state, and local agencies, including Congress. She is the only Delaware attorney recognized as a Top Lawyer by Delaware Today in the areas of both Zoning and Healthcare law. Kimberly represents a diverse group of businesses and high-net-worth individuals, including publicly traded companies, physician groups, health care IT providers, developers and construction companies, schools, telecommunications carriers, banks, churches, and investors. She project manages multifaceted legal...

John Noble served as a Vice Chancellor of Delaware’s Court of Chancery from 2000 until 2016 and is now a Of Counsel in Morris James’s corporate and commercial litigation group. His practice focuses on advising boards of directors and shareholders on corporate governance matters. He is also active in alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration. He is a graduate of Bucknell University and the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania. Practice areas: Alternative Dispute Resolution Business Torts Commercial Transactions Contract Litigation Corporate and Fiduciary Litigation Corporate Governance Counseling LLC, LP, Partnership Litigation Special Committee Representation jnoble@morrisjames.com T 302.888.6940 F 302.571.1750

Rob Gibbs focuses his practice on business formation, commercial transactions, commercial lending, commercial and residential real estate transactions, and related civil litigation. Rob is actively involved in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) since completing the Delaware Superior Court Mediation Training in 2007. He serves as an arbitrator, mediator and neutral assessor both informally and under the ADR Programs of the Delaware Courts. Practice areas: • Business Transactions, Strategic Planning and Counseling • Commercial Transactions • Structured Finance Transactions • Real Estate • Land Use • Private Clients • Small Businesses and Start-Ups • Alternative Dispute Resolution • Energy Industry rgibbs@morrisjames.com 302.856.0016

Jeff Waxman represents debtors, official committees of unsecured creditors, official committees of equity holders, secured creditors, plan administrators, liquidating trustees, purchasers of assets, and a wide variety of creditor constituencies and interested parties in Chapter 11 cases. Jeff also represents Chapter 7 trustees, and plaintiffs, and defendants in bankruptcy-related preference and fraudulent transfer litigation. Prior to entering private practice, Jeff served as a law clerk to The Honorable Mary F. Walrath, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware, and to The Honorable Michael J. Kaplan, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of New York. Jeff co-chairs Morris James’ Small Businesses and Start-Ups Group which...

Christopher is an attorney in the Bankruptcy and Restructuring group at Morris James LLP. He focuses his practice on commercial contract disputes, business restructuring, and insolvency issues. Prior to joining Morris James, Christopher was a judicial law clerk to The Honorable Brenda A. Sexton of the Circuit Court of Maryland. He received his Juris Doctorate Degree from Widener University Delaware Law School in 2022. During law school, Christopher was a judicial extern to The Honorable Vivian L. Medinilla and a Summer Associate for Allen and Associates. He also was a member of the Delaware Journal of Corporate Law, the Moot Court,...

Jim McMackin chairs Morris James Employment Law and Education practice. He provides comprehensive legal representation to Delaware’s school districts, numerous municipalities, and private employers. Jim routinely functions as primary counsel in state and federal court and arbitrations concerning wage and hour claims, constitutional claims, discrimination claims, labor grievances, alleged unfair labor practice actions, and employment contract disputes. His clients frequently consult with him for advice and counseling, policy drafting, and compliance audits and reviews. The depth of Jim’s legal experience distinguishes him and gives his clients a unique advantage. Jim’s peers recognize him as a leader in the field of employment...

Mike Dingerdissen is uniquely qualified to represent clients in the areas of tax, estate planning, trust administration, and strategic business planning. As part of the Tax, Estates and Business Practice, he assists businesses and individuals with various matters, including strategic business & succession planning, tax planning & controversies, stock & asset acquisitions, including private equity transactions, wealth transfer & estate planning. Mike has gained a wide range of experience throughout his career, including most recently serving as Vice President and Senior Trust Officer at The Goldman Sachs Trust Company, where he focused on managing and administering trusts, estates, and other...

Tyler O'Connell represents companies, members of management, and investors in business disputes before the Delaware courts. Tyler also counsels directors, officers, and managers of Delaware business entities in connection with transactions that involve litigation risk. Tyler has represented parties in the Delaware Court of Chancery in disputes over the ownership, control, and management of Delaware business entities, including corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies. His clients include significant investors as well as directors, officers, general partners, and other members of management. Tyler frequently litigates claims for breach of fiduciary duties and breach of limited partnership agreements and limited liability company agreements,...

Eric J. Monzo focuses on issues relating to business restructuring and insolvency. He regularly represents a wide range of stakeholders with a focus on official and unofficial committees, indenture trustees, commercial creditors and lender groups, in addition to, corporate debtors and their independent and special committee management. Eric is widely recognized by clients and peers for his preeminent legal ability and creative solutions. Clients regard him as a true professional, who is fully prepared and focused on the business objectives. Eric handles matters relating to the restructuring and liquidation of companies in a broad range of industries with experience...

Brian Ellis is a Partner in our Rehoboth Beach and Georgetown offices. His practice focuses on providing legal guidance and advice to individuals and businesses in a variety of areas, concentrating on business, transactional and real estate law. Business and Transactional Practice Includes: • Family business formation and planning • Preparation and negotiation of various commercial agreements • Business restructuring and reorganization • Mergers and acquisitions • Joint ventures and strategic partnerships • Legal guidance as to new business formation • Business finance • Legal advice as to Delaware business law • Delivery of Delaware Opinion Letters, as to Delaware corporations and other entities Real Estate Practice Includes: • Residential and commercial real estate settlements • 1031 like-kind exchanges • Preparation and negotiation of leases, purchase...

Ross Karsnitz chairs the workers' compensation practice and assists clients with a wide variety of civil litigation including personal injury, workers' compensation, business, and real estate matters in the Georgetown Office. Ross was raised in Sussex County Delaware, and is a second-generation attorney with both his mother and father practicing in Delaware. Following his clerkship with the now President Judge of the Superior Court, Ross practiced criminal defense for the Office of Defense Services, rising through the ranks in Family Court, the Court of Common Pleas and Superior Court in Kent County and New Castle County. By the end of his...

Joseph Leonard is an eDiscovery attorney in the Corporate and Commercial Litigation Group at Morris James. His practice involves partnering with in-house legal, IT, records management teams, and outside technology vendors, to provide start-to-finish litigation management. He is a seasoned attorney with extensive experience representing clients in matters related to internal investigations, data breach, electronic discovery and document retention. Joseph’s practice also includes managing large scale and complex document review projects. Practice areas: eDiscovery Corporate and Fiduciary Litigation jleonard@morrisjames.com 302.888.6872

Michelle Bounds is a business law attorney based in Sussex County, Delaware. She represents a diverse group of businesses and private clients in commercial transactions, education law, employment law, litigation, real estate law, and land use/zoning matters. Michelle was a Judicial Law Clerk to The Honorable Kenneth S. Clark, Jr and The Honorable Rosemary Betts Beauregard for the Delaware Court of Common Pleas in Georgetown, Delaware. Practice areas: • Business Torts • Commercial Transactions • Contract Litigation • Education Law • Employment Law • Land Use • Private Clients • Real Estate mbounds@morrisjames.com T 302.752.3344

Barnaby Grzaslewicz is a Partner in the Corporate and Commercial Litigation Practice Group at Morris James LLP. He is an experienced Delaware litigator focusing his practice on litigation involving corporations and other business entities formed under Delaware law. Barnaby represents clients in the Delaware Court of Chancery in various business disputes. His experience includes litigating breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and fraud actions, as well as litigating disputes arising under Delaware’s corporate and alternative entity statutes, including control contests, demands for books and records and demands for advancement and indemnification. Barnaby also has an active practice before the...

Tyler Maron is a member of the firm’s Legislative and Regulatory group. His practice focuses on land use, healthcare and energy matters, but extends to all regulated industries. He also assists with transactional matters that follow a successful approval process. Tyler is a lifelong Delawarean and uses his understanding of state government when clients seek changes in Delaware laws, favorable regulatory treatment, and approvals. Tyler served as an intern to both Senator Chris Coons and Governor John Carney, working directly with the Governor’s Policy Advisor. Tyler also served as a law clerk for the Honorable Vivian Medinilla and worked at the Delaware...

Rebecca Kilmon is a member of Morris James' Business Transactions, Strategic Planning and Counseling Practice, a group that handles over $100B in financings annually for a wide range of clients. Rebecca’s focus has been with the administration of Delaware Statutory Trusts in connection with securitizations, equipment finance and vessel finance. While in law school, Rebecca served as a Judicial Intern to The Honorable Sherry R. Fallon in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. Practice areas: • Business Transactions, Strategic Planning and Counseling • Corporate Trust and Fiduciary Services • Delaware Alternative Entities: LLC, LP, Partnership and Trust • Energy Industry • Legal Opinions rkilmon@morrisjames.com 302.888.6846