Business matters.

Attorney Mike Payne’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions and general business law, and in serving as outside general counsel to clients in a number of industries. Mike has over 20 years of experience handling complex mergers and acquisitions, providing advice with respect to corporate governance and regulatory compliance, equity and debt finance transactions and general business law.  Mike has corporate law experience as a former executive vice president and general counsel of a national oil and gas services corporation, as a shareholder in the corporate & securities section of a regional law firm, and as an attorney in private practice in the corporate & securities section of Porter Hedges, LLP in Houston. Prior to becoming a corporate lawyer, Mike practiced commercial litigation at Fulbright & Jaworski, LLP in Houston (now known as Norton Rose Fulbright).  Over the last several years, Mike has become heavily involved in the veterinary industry, closing over 350 hospital acquisition transactions in almost every state.

• J.D., University of Texas, Order of the Coif, 2002
• B.B.A., Finance, Texas A&M University, 4.0 GPA, 1999

• Named as a Rising Star by Texas Monthly Magazine several times in recent years
• Member, State Bar of Texas, Corporate Counsel and Business Law Sections
• Member, Houston Bar Association
• Member, San Antonio Bar Association
• Non-Regent Member, Texas A&M University Board of Regents Subcommittee on Law School Affairs

• Represent several national private equity backed corporate consolidators in structuring, negotiating, and closing hundreds of  successful acquisitions of veterinary hospitals and related joint ventures across the United States.
• Represent several national private equity backed corporate consolidators in structuring, negotiating, and closing numerous successful acquisitions of pet resorts across the United States.
• Represent veterinarians and corporate ownership groups in connection with veterinary practice regulatory matters.
• Represent oil and gas services corporation in general corporate matters and contract negotiations, including with respect to motor fuel supply agreement transactions.
• Represent Family office as outside general counsel in connection with business law matters.
• Represented NYSE publicly traded client in the acquisition of numerous physical therapy clinics across the United States.
• Represented optometrist partners and veterinarian partners in connection with numerous complex business separations.
• Represented dental consolidator executive in connection with employment agreement and equity incentive plan structuring and negotiations.
• Represented client in complex, multi-step disposition involving the contribution of the company’s wholesale oil and gas services division in a strategic stock-for-stock transaction.
• Represented client in divestiture of 140 convenience stores and over 100 fuel sales contracts in complex, multi-step transaction.
• Represented private corporation in its first public securities offering via a reverse merger with a publicly traded shell corporation.
• Represented publicly traded oilfield services company in connection with numerous asset acquisitions.
• Represented private equity firm in connection with structuring, equity and debt financings and acquisitions of portfolio companies.
• Represented numerous portfolio companies in connection with general corporate matters and financings.
• Represented publicly traded oil and gas exploration and production company in connection with its acquisition of several directional drilling businesses.
• Represented business owners in the disposition of a natural gas pipeline company.
• Represented publicly traded Australian offshore services company in several securities and asset acquisitions of U.S. energy services businesses.
• Represented health-care private equity fund in numerous complex acquisitions and financings, and represented major portfolio company of the fund in numerous securities and asset acquisitions as well as general corporate matters.
• Represented publicly traded exploration and production company in asset acquisitions, a corporate restructuring, various commercial energy agreements, and general corporate matters.
• Represented various clients in the negotiation of numerous asset and securities acquisitions and dispositions, term and revolving credit facilities, employment and non-competition agreements, master services agreements, leases and other commercial contracts.
• Structured and negotiated complex settlements of lawsuits involving corporate buy-outs and break-ups.
• Represented public and private clients in numerous Hart-Scott-Rodino anti-trust filings with the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice.

Mike and his wife Kristin live in Terrell Hills with their two daughters, identical twin boys, and Golden Retriever (and Firm mascot) Major.  Mike is an active member in the community through various Board positions, church involvement, charitable organizations and club memberships.  In Mike’s spare time, he chases kids and dogs — and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Call Mike at (210) 245-7991 or email him directly with the form below:

Attorney Will Booher previously served as the only in-house counsel and corporate secretary to R. J. Corman Railroad Group, LLC, a privately held company in Nicholasville, Kentucky that owns and operates short line railroads, as well as a variety of railroad services businesses. While at Corman, Will was responsible for overseeing the legal and risk management functions of the enterprise, which included over 1,500 employees working in over 20 states.  Will’s experience in this role includes assisting with the acquisition of multiple short line railroad businesses, general responsibility for corporate governance, and review and negotiation of complex commercial contracts.  Will is also a licensed C.P.A. and prior to RJ Corman, he spent 4 years working in public accounting in the tax practice groups for Ernst & Young in Atlanta, and Dean Dorton, a regional accounting firm in Kentucky.

• J.D., University of Alabama School of Law, 2012
• B.S., Accounting, University of Kentucky, 2008

• Member, Kentucky Bar Association
• CPA License, Kentucky State Board of Accountancy
• Inactive Member, Georgia Bar Association

Will and his wife Julie live in Lexington, Kentucky with their son, John. In his spare time, Will enjoys golfing and spending time with this friends and family.

Call Will at (210) 245-7996 or email him directly with the form below: