Mr. Wellons's primary areas of practice are corporate, banking and finance, securities, and biotechnology law.
Representative Experience
· Counsels a large variety of businesses, including large public companies, small closely-held businesses and financial institutions
· Regularly advises clients on matters such as corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, securities and regulatory compliance, and biotechnology
· Handles mergers and acquisitions, securities filings, regulatory compliance and corporate governance issues for community banks in Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia
· Lead counsel on approximately 10 initial public offerings, 5 secondary public offerings, 20 acquisitions by larger companies and 10 private offerings
· Lead counsel on approximately 15 financial institution mergers
· Lead counsel on regulated industry transactions, including transactions in energy and financial sectors
· Prepared Hart-Scott-Rodino filings and other anti-trust filings for the Department of Justice
Awards and Distinctions
· Named the 2012 Roanoke Banking and Finance "Lawyer of the Year" by The Best Lawyers in America®
· Consistently recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® for Banking and Finance Law, Biotechnology Law, Financial Services Regulation Law and Securities/ Capital Markets Law
Other
· American Bar Association Section of Science and Technology, vice chair
· American Bar Association Section of Science and Technology, Life Science Division, immediate past chair
· American Bar Association Committee on Biotechnology, past chair
· Frequent lecturer on corporate matters, including corporate governance, securities law, strategic transactions, business formation, exit strategies, venture capital and other funding concerns, and biotechnology
· Currently on the task force of the Virginia Bar Association working to revise and recommend the Uniform Securities Act for adoption in Virginia
· Senior editor and author of ABA book, "Biotechnology and the Law: A Primer"