The business law firm of Brennan, Manna, Diamond (BMD) – with over 75 attorneys and eight offices across the country, has announced its first south-central U.S. location with the acquisition of Dallas law firm Libby Sparks Willis and Starnes (LSWS).

LSWS is a team of trusted advisors practicing in the areas of M&A, Commercial Litigation, Construction, Finance, Intellectual Property, Estate Planning and Taxation. The LSWS firm includes seven attorneys and four paralegals with offices located in the University Park area of Dallas, Texas.

Common Goals

Attorneys occasionally have the benefit of working with co-counsel on a matter, deal or case in another market. In this instance, a team from BMD Ohio had the good fortune of collaborating alongside LSWS toward a common goal for a client. Through this project, the two firms realized that they had much more in common than the matter at hand.

"We realized very quickly that there was a mutual respect as well as a very similar mission and culture among our firms," said Matt Heinle, President of BMD. "One conversation led to an ongoing dialogue about growth and the future – that's when we knew there as a terrific opportunity to work together on a more formal basis."

LSWS Founding Partner, Dustin Sparks agrees. "When Matt and I started talking about five- and ten-year goals, the similarities were evident, and I knew that partnering with BMD was a part of our long-term plan."

Meet the Team

Dustin Sparks, founding partner, focuses his practice on business transaction services for clients, from assisting start-up businesses to providing a wide range of transactional services to rapidly growing and mature businesses. Dustin's representation includes business entity tax and liability structure and organization, mergers and acquisitions, private securities offerings, joint venture transactions, equity and debt financing transactions, syndications, tax planning and business acquisitions and dispositions. He is also well versed in high-net-worth estate planning.

Jeffrey Libby, founding partner, focuses his practice on commercial real estate transactions in which he assists clients locally and nationally in a wide array of development, ownership, management, financing, leasing and construction matters. Jeff primarily represents developers and owners in connection with site acquisition, due diligence, subdivision and platting, zoning and entitlements, financing, construction, leasing, management, and asset disposition. He has represented institutional lenders on a national platform with respect to their commercial mortgage loan transactions. Jeff also represents landlords and tenants in lease negotiations, as well as assisting owners and contractors with their construction matters.

Eric Willis, founding partner, focuses his practice on all aspects of commercial finance and real estate, including real estate finance, commercial lending, real estate acquisition and disposition, and leasing. Eric assists clients in all aspects of the real estate acquisition process, from initial due diligence to negotiation of purchase and sale contracts, loan documents and closing documents. He is also experienced in retail and office leasing, having represented landlords and tenants in shopping center and office building leases throughout the country. With respect to real estate financing, Eric has substantial experience in construction financing, cash flow lending, mezzanine financing and asset-based financing. He is also experienced in loan workouts and foreclosures. Throughout his career, he has represented national banks, institutional investors, and other lenders in connection with commercial finance transactions secured by a variety of assets, including commercial real estate (office, multifamily, hotels, etc.), inventory and receivables.

Ryan Starnes, founding partner, represents clients in a broad range of litigation matters and has significant experience in construction law, commercial litigation, and intellectual property disputes. He is well-respected as an aggressive advocate on behalf of his clients and takes pride in his highly organized approach to managing cases, mastering both the facts and the law so that he can go into any courtroom or negotiation knowing the case better than his adversary. He has written and lectured extensively on copyright law in the context of design professionals such as architects and engineers, as well as risk management and ethics issues in the construction industry.

Spencer Bryson is a partner who advises and assists clients with their business life cycle and contract negotiation needs. Specifically, he focuses on business formation, funding through equity and debt, and business acquisitions and dispositions. Spencer has assisted clients in a wide array of fields including real estate, development, public-private contracts, construction, manufacturing, entertainment, health care, and transportation. Spencer also assists his clients by preparing and negotiating licensing agreements, construction contracts, and documents related to employment and independent contractors. Over the last several years, Spencer has given multiple presentations and lectures regarding business formation and construction projects to local business leaders.

Brad Bryan has wide-ranging litigation experience with emphasis on business and commercial litigation and insurance defense matters. Prior to joining private practice, Brad was a trial attorney for two major national insurance companies where he maintained a high-volume practice involving cases of significant value. Brad also has experience in probate litigation involving will contests, breach of fiduciary duties, guardianships, and trusts.

J Bailey is an attorney whose broad-based practice encompasses the areas of business and commercial transactions as well as a broad range of litigation matters. As part of his transactional practice, he negotiates and drafts contracts and advises clients in business entity formation and organization, corporate governance and compliance matters, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, business financing, and real estate leasing, sales, development, and financing transactions. While in law school, J externed with the General Counsel's office at the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture and the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission.

Clients First. Business Family. Entrepreneurship.

Having recently opened its Orlando and Scottsdale/Phoenix offices in 2020, BMD is looking forward to continued growth with the addition of the LSWS Dallas team.

Brennan, Manna & Diamond was founded in 2000 with the goal of combining highly skilled, talented attorneys with practical experience in business matters, to create a new way to provide legal and business services to its clients.

BMD's access to a network of successful business entrepreneurs, consultants and developers allows for innovative solutions, symbiotic partnerships, and sound legal and business advice. BMD serves clients of all types and sizes in numerous industry sectors nationwide, in the areas of: Business and Corporate; Construction Law; Employment and Labor; Finance; Government Affairs; Healthcare; Immigration; Intellectual Property; International Law; Litigation; M&A; Real Estate; Tax, Estate, Asset Protection and Wealth Management and more.

BMD's offices are located in Akron, Canton, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; Bonita Springs, Jacksonville and Orlando, Florida; Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona and now Dallas, Texas.