Ryan B. Opel

Ryan Opel is a corporate attorney with experience counseling clients in business and transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, private placements, private equity, venture capital, corporate finance, supply chain management, franchising, corporate governance, business formations, nonprofit law, and other general corporate, securities, and commercial matters.

• Works directly with business executives and managers to address a wide variety of legal matters impacting their short-term and long-term business objectives
• Represents public and private companies at various stages of maturity
• Experience with regional, national, and international clients in a wide variety of industries, including life sciences, real estate, restaurant, hospitality, aerospace, manufacturing, information technology, financial services, professional sports, and higher education

Practice Areas

Industries

Representative Matters

• Represented a medical device company as outside general counsel and in various debt and equity financings totaling approximately $20 million
• Represented a multifamily real estate company in a $250 million real estate investment trust (REIT) financing and related recapitalization and tender/exchange offer
• Represented a serial acquirer of car wash businesses in approximately two dozen acquisitions for in excess of $60 million
• Represented a nonprofit higher education institution in an $800 million acquisition and related transactions
• Represented a healthcare app developer in a $35 million private equity recapitalization
• Represented a multifamily real estate company in raising equity capital for various apartment acquisitions
• Represented a publicly traded medical technology company in various public securities matters
• Represented a dust control and surface stabilization company in a tender offer and re-domestication of a publicly traded foreign affiliate
• Represented a leading provider of manufactured home communities and RV resorts in a major REIT refinancing
• Represented a domestic aerospace company in a stock sale to an international buyer
• Represented one of the restaurant industry’s fastest-growing concepts in various complex business transactions, including the re-acquisition of nearly 50 franchised units, multiple rounds of private equity financing totaling $30 million, and a $100 million syndicated credit facility
• Represented a NYSE-listed restaurant company in a wide variety of general corporate and transactional matters, including the acquisition and divestiture of dozens of restaurant units, a $60 million syndicated credit facility, supply chain management, franchise regulatory matters, public securities matters, domestic and international joint ventures, and corporate governance
• Represented a NYSE-listed IT company in a $1.2 billion tender offer/merger and an accompanying $1.4 billion syndicated credit facility
• Represented the U.S. government’s development finance institution in complex project financing transactions in Latin America
• Represented a minor league baseball team in a stadium construction financing
• Represented one of the world’s largest food service equipment manufacturers in various general corporate matters
• Represented a radio broadcasting conglomerate in the acquisition and divestiture of radio stations
• Represented nonprofit arts organizations in corporate governance and other general corporate matters

Prior Experience

• Gallagher & Kennedy, P.A., Shareholder, 2012-2016
• Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP, Partner, 2010-2012; Associate, 2007-2010
• Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, Associate, 2002-2007

Education

Admissions

Awards

• Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated 
• North Carolina Super Lawyers, Recognized as a Rising Star, 2009, 2011 and 2012
• North Carolina Legal Elite, Young Guns – Best Lawyers Under 40, 2008 and 2010
• R. Philip Hanes, Jr. Young Leader Award, Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, 2008

Professional & Community Involvement

State Bar of Michigan

• Business Law Section
• Marijuana Law Section

State Bar of Arizona

• Business Law Section

North Carolina State Bar

American Bar Association

• Business Law Section
• Forum on Franchising

Wharton Advisory Council 2020-present

• Executive Committee 2023-present

Lansing Symphony Board 2022-present

• Executive Committee 2023-present

Phoenix Symphony Association

• Board of Directors, 2012-2016
• Vice Chair - Nominating and Governance, 2014-2016
• Executive Committee, 2014-2016
• Education Committee
• Chair, 2013-2014

ARCO Collaborative, Inc.

• Board of Directors, 2014-present

Arizona Musicfest

• Board of Directors, 2013-2016
• Governance Committee
• Vice Chair, 2013-2014
• Artistic Advisory Committee
• Vice Chair, 2013-2015

Winston-Salem Symphony Association, Incorporated

• Board of Directors, 2004-2012
• Chair Elect, 2011-2012
• Executive Committee, 2005-2012
• Advisory Council
• Chair, 2011-2012
• Personnel & Governance Committee
• Co-chair, 2005-2011

Piedmont Opera, Inc.

• Board of Directors, 2003-2008 and 2010-2012
• Executive Committee, 2004-2008
• Personnel & Legal Committee
• Chair, 2005-2008
• Marketing Committee
• Co-chair, 2004-2005

Press Releases

Alerts