Four Attorneys Elected as Members at McDonald Hopkins

McDonald Hopkins is proud to announce the election of four talented attorneys to the firm’s membership as of October 1, 2024. These four new Members are not only exceptional in their field of law but embody McDonald Hopkins’ entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to customized and proactive client service.

The new members, Vanessa Bailey, Sean Bowen, Meghan Collins, and Francis Massaro, bring diverse expertise across two key practice areas: Mergers and Acquisitions, and Data Privacy and Cybersecurity.

“I am thrilled to welcome Vanessa, Sean, Meghan and Frank as new Members. This is undoubtedly an important milestone in their careers—a culmination of all the hard work it took to get here, but it is also extremely significant for McDonald Hopkins. To be able to add four dedicated, loyal, and, frankly, just exceptional attorneys to our membership is just another example of the firm being a destination for top legal talent,” said Jim Giszczak, co-president of McDonald Hopkins.

Jim Stief, also co-president of McDonald Hopkins, added to Jim Giszczak’s sentiment.

“I’m extremely proud to welcome this year’s new Members. Each of them brings outstanding service and expertise to our team, and I’m excited to collaborate with them as they grow and thrive in the next chapter of their careers,” said Stief.

The commitment of these four attorneys to extend their careers with McDonald Hopkins highlights the firm's supportive environment and strong opportunities for professional growth.

Vanessa Bailey is in the Business Department at McDonald Hopkins and part of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions team. Her practice and experience include serving a variety of clients across numerous industries and providing proactive support for complex, commercial transactions such as sales, acquisitions (target and add-ons), divestitures, mergers, investments, and fundraises. Vanessa also acts as outside general counsel to a number of clients and provides day-to-day support on their corporate and contract needs, including entity formation; corporate governance; vendor, supplier, and customer agreements; employment and equity incentive agreements; and license agreements.

Sean Bowen is in the Litigation Department at McDonald Hopkins and a member of the firm’s national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity team. He is accredited by the International Association of Privacy Professionals as a Certified Information Privacy Professional for the United States, the gold standard certification for information privacy professionals. Sean’s practice focuses on advising clients on best practices to prevent and respond to data privacy and cybersecurity matters such as ransomware attacks and email compromises. Sean is also a U.S. Army Veteran, having served for over six years, attaining the rank of Captain.

Meghan Collins is in the Litigation Department at McDonald Hopkins and is also a member of the firm’s national Data Privacy and Cybersecurity team. She is experienced in guiding clients through all stages of litigation, from initial discovery to trials and settlements, with a focus on data privacy matters and general liability litigation. Meghan has represented a wide variety of clients. In addition to her focus on data privacy and cybersecurity matters, Meghan also has experience handling transportation, intellectual property, and insurance coverage matters.

Francis Massaro is in the Business Department and is part of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions team. His practice is focused on representing clients across a broad range of industries on various types of complex acquisitions and debt and equity investments. Francis advises both buyers and sellers on matters throughout the merger and acquisition process, including on transaction structuring and risk allocation. He also regularly provides counsel to companies on corporate governance matters, equity incentive plans and contractual arrangements.

About McDonald Hopkins

Founded in 1930, McDonald Hopkins is a business advisory and advocacy law firm with locations in Baltimore/Annapolis, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, and West Palm Beach. With more than 50 service and industry teams, the firm has the expertise and knowledge to meet the growing number of legal and business challenges our clients face. For more information about McDonald Hopkins, visit mcdonaldhopkins.com.

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