Area of Emphasis
Joe Bunn is a shareholder in
the Corporate and Commercial Group of Babst Calland. Before obtaining his law degree, Mr. Bunn
worked for a Fortune 500 company and a middle market company where he served in
numerous roles involving strategic planning, capital raises, acquisitions and
divestitures. Armed with a deep
understanding of the practical needs of business owners, he now assists clients
in financial transactions, mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. Mr. Bunn also counsels clients in other
strategic areas such as corporate governance issues and miscellaneous
contracts.
Over the course of his
practice, Mr. Bunn has negotiated and drafted numerous transactions for buyers
and sellers ranging in size from approximately $10 million to $325
million. Recently, he assisted a client
in selling its industrial software business to a private equity fund
specializing in the space. Mr. Bunn also
recently assisted a client in acquiring a joint venture interest from its joint
venture partner. His practice primarily pertains to the natural resources, rail
transportation, banking, and private equity industries.
Prior to joining Babst
Calland, Mr. Bunn worked for a boutique law firm focused entirely on energy and
real estate transactions and another large law firm based in West Virginia.
Background
Mr. Bunn graduated from
William & Mary in 2002 with a B.B.A. in Finance. He earned his J.D. from
West Virginia University College of Law in 2010.
Memberships and Affiliations
Mr. Bunn is admitted to
practice in West Virginia and Virginia. He is Chairman of the West Virginia
State Bar’s Coal Subcommittee and the West Virginia Consolidated Retirement
Board. Mr. Bunn is also a member of the American Bar Association, Energy &
Mineral Law Foundation, and the Board of Directors for The Nature Conservancy
of West Virginia.
Mr. Bunn has been recognized in The Best Lawyers of America® for Mining Law since 2013; Commercial Transactions/UCC Law since 2018; Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law since 2024; and Securitization and Structured Finance Law in the 2026 edition. He was named the Best Lawyers® 2026 Mining Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Charleston, W.Va.
