Guiding Entity Formation, Governance, and Commercial Contracts

Emily is Of Counsel in the firm’s Corporate, Securities and Finance Section. A corporate attorney with a litigation background, she represents real estate developers, manufacturers, retailers and government contractors on matters that span the full business life cycle. Her practice focuses on guiding clients through entity selection, formation and governance, and on negotiating and drafting operating agreements, joint venture agreements and other complex commercial contracts. She also counsels on regulatory compliance, leases, land use issues and other legal questions that affect day to day operations.

Notable Work & Achievements

Entity and Joint Venture Structuring

Emily has structured business entities and drafted and negotiated complex operating, shareholder and joint venture agreements for commercial real estate projects and other businesses throughout Hampton Roads and in Northern Virginia. Her work in this area helps clients align ownership, control, financing and exit strategies with the economic realities of each project.

Complex Commercial Agreements

She regularly advises business owners on the development and preparation of complicated commercial agreements, including service, supply and license contracts. In each engagement, she focuses on clarifying risk allocation, pricing structures and performance obligations so that the contract documents support the client’s broader strategic and operational goals.

Regulatory, Leasing and Land Use Guidance

Emily counsels clients on emerging legal issues that affect their operations, such as regulatory compliance, leases and land use questions. She helps businesses understand how new rules and local requirements apply to their real estate portfolios and day to day activities, and she develops practical strategies that reduce legal risk while preserving flexibility.

Securities and Employment Litigation Insight

Earlier in her career, Emily co-represented a securities broker in a New York Stock Exchange arbitration, where she handled the questioning of a restricted securities expert. She also drafted summary judgment briefs in complex multi-plaintiff employment litigation, experience that deepened her understanding of how courts analyze business disputes.

Government Contracts and Bid Protests

Emily has guided a United States Navy contractor through bid compliance questions, contract disputes and bid protests, and she has advised on a range of contract regulatory issues. In these matters, she works closely with in house teams to interpret procurement rules and develop responses that protect contract awards and long term agency relationships.

Strategic Transactions and Regulatory Counseling

She has played a key role in the division of a national media company, including drafting a joint venture agreement for a printing services company that supported the separated entities. Emily has also advised clients on United States antitrust pricing rules, updated national call service terms and conditions, and handled complex government contract compliance issues involving several agencies.