Jay R. McDaniel

About Jay R. McDaniel

With over 30 years of service as a business counselor and corporate litigator, Jay specializes in the nuanced field of closely held businesses and their intricate dynamics. His practice is committed to guiding business owners through the myriad challenges and opportunities they face.

In addition to his experience as counsel to closely held business owners, Jay is a Certified Valuation Analyst and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor.

Professional Expertise:

Advocacy for Closely Held Businesses: Jay specializes in representing family-owned businesses, startups, and established companies across the micro and middle markets. His focus is on facilitating smooth business transitions and resolving complex disputes that closely held businesses often encounter.

Comprehensive Litigation Practice: Jay’s litigation expertise spans fiduciary litigation, including intricate cases of business divorce, corporate governance issues, probate and estate litigation, as well as disputes involving restrictive covenants, trade secrets, and intellectual property.

Value and Succession Planning Advisor: Certified by the Exit Planning Institute and the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, Jay works with business owners as lawyer and advisor to ensure they are best able to maximize the value of their hard work and financial sacrifice. His goal is to preserve their personal and professional legacies and assist in navigating transitions and disputes typical to family-owned businesses.

Achievements:

Valuation and Value Enhancement: Jay’s work utilizes encompasses a deep understanding of business valuation, value enhancement strategies, management, and estate planning. This comprehensive skill set enables him to work with a team of collaborators to guide private business owners in protecting and growing the value of their investments.

Successful Ownership Transitions: Jay has successfully advised numerous owners through the complexities of transitioning their business ownership, focusing on protection, growth, and succession planning.

Practice Philosophy:

Jay’s practice is built around three core principles:

1. Protect the business and its owners’ investments.
2. Empower business owners to enhance and grow their investment through effective management.
3. Guide owners towards a successful succession transition at the conclusion of their careers.

Industry Experience:

Jay has worked with clients across a diverse range of industries, including construction, distribution, manufacturing, professional services, architecture, hospitality, advertising, e-commerce, and software design.

Thought Leadership:

Jay writes regularly on business divorce and other issues affecting closely held businesses.  He is a frequent lecturer on the governance of closely businesses, and is the editor and principal author of the Business Divorce Law Report (www.thebusinessdivorcelawyer.com)  I have also produced a series of educational videos that can be viewed on my YouTube channel @CloselyHeld.

Certified Exit Planning Advisor: Jay is certified by the Exit Planning Institute, a non-legal educational entity dedicated to training and facilitating collaborative advisors to guide private business owners and their families in planning effective exit and succession strategies.

EPI certifies and supports a worldwide network of collaborative advisors, including attorneys, that assist private business owners and their families to protect, enhance and harvest their business and personal legacies and to implement effective exit and succession strategies.  

Certified Valuation Analyst: Jay is certified by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, which trains valuation and consulting professionals in the fields of business
valuation, financial forensics, financial litigation, and various related specialty services serving the legal and business communities.