Wes is a Shareholder and serves as Chair of Maynard & Gale's Fund Formation & Investment Management practice group. He is also a member of the Firm's Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity practices.
A graduate of Harvard Law School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received his degree in Business and in Political Science with honors and highest distinction, Wes has established an active and diverse practice representing private investment fund sponsors and other investment managers in all aspects of their businesses, including:
- Forming real estate funds, hedge funds, funds-of-funds, feeder funds, private equity funds, collective investment funds, and other similar investment vehicles
- Providing ongoing registration, compliance, and reporting advice to several of the region’s largest asset managers and investment consultants
- Conducting mock SEC audits
- Negotiating separate account agreements
- Assisting clients in their interactions with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Alabama Securities Commission, and other regulators
- Providing advice to asset managers and other investors regarding securities issues, including Schedule 13D/G, HSR, and insider trading
Wes also has significant experience representing private companies that are raising capital through private placement transactions.
He is an active member of several professional and industry-related associations, including serving as Maynard’s representative in the Investment Adviser Association, an organization devoted exclusively to representing the interests of SEC-registered investment advisory firms before Congress, the SEC, CFTC, and other regulators. Wes was a presenter at the Investment Adviser Association's 2015 Annual Compliance Fall Workshop in Atlanta, Georgia at which he spoke about several significant issues confronting advisers, including performance marketing, the use of social media, and cybersecurity. He is involved in the Angel Investment Management (AIM) group, as well as the American Bar Association, the Alabama and Georgia State Bar Associations, and the Birmingham Bar Association.
Prior to joining Maynard, Wes practiced law in the Atlanta and New York offices of King & Spalding.