Laurel Business Lawyers

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...

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...

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

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

Pat Gallagher was born and raised in southern West Virginia. He received his B.A. in Economics, magna cum laude, from Elon University in 2002. He thereafter attended law school at Wake Forest University, graduating cum laude in 2005. While in law school, he was involved in mock trial, Moot Court, and Law Review.

After graduating from law school, Pat returned to West Virginia where he worked for a large defense firm. He defended clients in consumer finance, deliberate intent, and Mine Safety Health Administration cases. In 2008, he moved to the Wilmington, Delaware, area where he joined a large Wilmington law...

Ms. Williams' practice focuses on Intellectual Property and General Business matters. She handles intellectual property prosecution, litigation, contracts, sales, and licensing. Additionally, Ms. Williams advises clients on general business issues including IP portfolio assessment and management. Utilizing her vast experience in the areas of risk management, business analytics, and due diligence, Ms. Williams works with emerging growth businesses counseling on risk reduction and capitalization. She provides unique legal counseling to businesses looking to establish and grow their intellectual property portfolios. Ms. Williams specializes in advising businesses on long-term and layered strategies for intellectual property protection; brand establishment and re-branding; and intellectual...

Lewis Lazarus focuses his practice on corporate governance and commercial matters in the Delaware Court of Chancery. He has been lead counsel in trials arising out of mergers and acquisitions, including cases involving the entire fairness standard of review, appraisal, books and records actions, actions to compel annual meetings, and actions to determine who rightfully are the managers of a Delaware entity. As a result of his knowledge and familiarity with these and related cases, Lewis often advises special committees and boards in conflict-of-interest transactions. He has counseled boards, companies, or special committees in conflict-of-interest transactions totaling over $7 billion...

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...

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...

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

Paul D. Sunshine focuses his practice in the areas of general liability, construction defect, trucking and transportation litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Mr. Sunshine brings with him more than 25 years of experience representing clients in a wide range of matters including products liability, toxic tort, transportation, general liability, personal injury and construction defect litigation.

Mr. Sunshine has a proven track record of representing regional, national and international clients in all phases of litigation throughout Delaware and Maryland. He has extensive experience with a wide range of client products and services and incorporates the varied needs and goals of his...

Xiaojuan Carrie Huang is an attorney licensed to practice in Delaware and Pennsylvania. She was born in China and lived, studied and worked in China prior to moving to the United States. She obtained a B.A. in law from Nanjing University and a JD from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. After graduation, she worked for the Law Office of Bruce Hudson (Hudson and Castle) focusing on litigation. Her current practice focuses on immigration, business formation, commercial litigation, and personal injury and medical malpractice. As a bilingual and bicultural lawyer trained in the U.S. and China, she has...

Jim Tobia began practicing law in Delaware in 1998, focusing on corporate and commercial litigation with Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. and later focusing on corporate litigation with Potter, Anderson & Corroon, LLP, two of Delaware's oldest firms and worldwide leaders in corporate governance and litigation. In between his time with those firms, Jim practiced with The Bayard Firm, P.A., (now Bayard P.A.), where, Jim also participated in litigation related to Bankrupt debtors, including prosecution of bankruptcy preference and avoidance actions, in addition to continuation of his corporate and commercial litigation practice. After forming the Law Office of James Tobia, LLC...

The Williams Law Firm leads business owners to attain goals. The firm advises business owners with sophisticated business and estate planning and litigation at reasonable rates. You can trust us when the most important things in your life are on the line: everything you own and everyone you love. John Williams is Vice President of the firm. He is known nationwide as an expert on the Delaware Series LLC. He has presented many lectures on the topic and has consulted with the Uniform Laws Counsel on proposed series provisions to be added to the uniform LLC Act. He also has experience...

Samuel Bashman is a member of the Corporate and Commercial Litigation Group at Morris James LLP. He focuses his practice on corporate and complex commercial litigation for business entities formed under Delaware law. During law school, Samuel completed an externship at the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, where he assisted in the investigation and litigation of civil cases in Manhattan's federal courthouse. Practice areas: • Business Torts • Contract Litigation • Corporate and Fiduciary Litigation • LLC, LP, Partnership Litigation sbashman@morrisjames.com 302.888.6890

Nick Caggiano, Jr. is a member of Morris James' Business Transactions, Strategic Planning and Counseling Practice, a group that handles transactions for a wide range of clients, small and large. In his practice, Nick helps clients to utilize Delaware corporations, limited liability companies, statutory trusts and other alternative entities in a variety of situations, from small business start-ups to complex commercial transactions. He can assist clients with forming and dissolving entities, structuring transactions, drafting and negotiating contracts, and providing Delaware legal opinions to support their closings. Nick also has significant experience and can advise clients negotiating energy industry and other industrial...

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...

Lewis C. Ledyard, III is a member of Morris James’ Business Transactions, Strategic Planning and Counseling Practice, a group that has been involved in over $100 Billion in financings for a wide range of clients. Lew focuses primarily on the organization and operation of statutory and common law trusts, limited liability companies, and other Delaware business entities in commercial and business transactions, used predominantly in commercial aviation and infrastructure finance. His practice also includes acting as Delaware counsel to banks, trustees, financial institutions, and other parties in domestic and cross-border transactions such as leveraged leases and asset-backed securitizations. Experience: • Representing financial institutions acting...

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...

Stuart Grant of Delaware is an internationally recognized business leader, litigator and legal investor. Prior to founding Bench Walk Advisors, he co-founded and served as Managing Director of Grant & Eisenhofer P.A., which grew under his leadership and capital investment into one of the world’s most formidable plaintiff advocacy firms. He recently retired from Grant & Eisenhofer to devote his professional time to BWA.

Michael J. Duffy is an associate in Montgomery McCracken’s Business Department. He focuses his practice on general corporate matters, with a concentration on government contracting, intellectual property, finance, consulting, employment, real estate, and corporate governance. Michael has extensive experience with a wide variety of business transactions, from initial contact with transaction targets and indications of interest, through to closing and post-transactional events. Michael has represented businesses in a broad range of industries including pharmaceutical distribution and research, technology, construction, and real estate, in matters of negotiating and drafting organizational documents, distribution agreements, independent contractor agreements, construction agreements and purchase agreements, as...

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...

Aubrey Morin is an attorney in the Corporate and Commercial Litigation Practice Group. He focuses his practice on counseling and litigation involving corporations and other business entities formed under Delaware law. Prior to joining Morris James, Aubrey worked as a corporate and business litigation attorney at a highly regarded Amlaw 200 firm and, prior to that, at a well-respected Delaware law firm, representing clients in a wide range of matters including breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and business tort claims, as well as in disputes arising under Delaware’s business statutes. Practice areas: • Corporate and Fiduciary Litigation amorin@morrisjames.com 302.888.6941

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

Mr. Dailey represents businesses and business owners in disputes that arise out of mergers and acquisitions, disagreements between owners, damaged customer or client relationships, improper actions taken by competitors, or investigations by regulators such as the SEC or PCAOB. Over the years he has become known for his ability to explain complex transactions and relationships in plain language that average people and judges understand.

Steve Miller is a partner in the Bankruptcy and Creditors' Rights Group at Morris James. He previously served as chair of the group for 20 years. Steve has more than 30 years of experience representing clients in high-value bankruptcy, creditors' rights, business, and transactional matters. He is widely recognized by his clients and peers as a leading lawyer in the field of bankruptcy and restructuring. In bankruptcy matters, Steve represents purchasers of assets, trustees, debtors, creditors’ committees, and secured and unsecured creditors, including landlords, equipment lessors, financial institutions (including pre-petition lenders, issuers of letters of credit, DIP lenders, and insurance premium...

Albert Carroll is a partner of Morris James LLP and serves as Vice Chair of the Firm's Corporate and Commercial Litigation group. Albert focuses his practice on litigation involving corporations and alternative entities formed under Delaware law. He litigates fiduciary duty claims, contract disputes, M&A challenges, and summary proceedings under Delaware's business statutes in the Delaware Court of Chancery and the Delaware Supreme Court. Albert also represents clients in contract or business tort litigation in Delaware federal court, the Delaware Superior Court, and arbitrations under Delaware law. Another component of Albert's practice includes advising boards of directors, special committees, managers, or...

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

Jonathan Strauss is a partner in Morris James’ Business Transactions, Strategic Planning and Counseling Practice, a group that has been involved in over $100 Billion in financings for a wide range of clients. Jonathan counsels clients on the formation, use and governance of limited liability companies, statutory and common law trusts, partnerships, and corporations in a variety of transactions including in complex financing transactions. He also provides third-party legal opinions regarding Delaware law related to those entities. He acts as Delaware counsel to local and national financial institutions, trustees, and other parties, and advises and guides them in a range...

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,...

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...

Francis practices primarily in the areas of corporate and commercial litigation. His practice includes representation in high-stakes disputes for a wide range of clients in many industries as well as for utility companies, governmental entities and non-profits in multiple states. He also has enjoyed success in litigating, in both federal and state appellate courts, groundbreaking Second Amendment cases and related constitutional issues on behalf of civil rights organizations. In 2015 and 2019, he was honored with The Chief Justice William Killen Award for Distinguished Second Amendment Appellate Advocacy. He has been hired to provide testimony as an expert witness in court...

Daniel C. Herr is a member of the Delaware, Pennsylvania, and United States Districts Courts for the District of Delaware and the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania. Dan litigates employment, civil rights, personal injury, and commercial and small business matters. As lead attorney, he has successfully litigated various matters in many of Delaware and Pennsylvania’s Federal and State Courts. Dan prides himself in litigating tough, meaningful cases and securing meaningful results for his clients. Often, his Clients often come to him after several other lawyers have turned their cases down – Dan’s drive and competitive nature allows him to...