Connolly Gallagher LLP

Family Law

Connolly Gallagher LLP’s Family Law Group practitioner, John A. “Pete” Clark, III, handles domestic relations cases which include the entire spectrum of family-related legal issues such as: separation, divorce, custody, visitation, alimony and spousal support, child support, prenuptial agreements, protection from abuse, adoptions, guardianships, termination of parental rights, criminal matters involving family members and delinquency cases.

Working from our Wilmington and Newark, Delaware offices we can service the needs of a wide segment of the New Castle County community. We also handle similar matters in Kent and Sussex Counties. Whether it be a divorce only or a high net worth matter, we and our staff always give our utmost efforts to protecting the interests of our clients.

Intellectual Property Litigation

The United States District Court for the District of Delaware has a well-deserved reputation for handling patent, trademark, and copyright infringement litigation. Connolly Gallagher attorneys regularly act as Delaware counsel for parties litigating in the District Court. Our attorneys also regularly act as lead or Delaware counsel in trade secret cases in the Delaware Court of Chancery, the nation’s preeminent business court.

In IP litigation, our attorneys work closely with lead counsel to provide guidance regarding local rules and practice, and all other aspects of the litigation process, including motions, discovery, trials, and post-trial briefing and appeals. We have worked as Delaware counsel with many of the top IP litigation firms in the country. Our offices are conveniently located in downtown Wilmington, only a few blocks from the federal courts.

Commercial Bankruptcy

Connolly Gallagher represents local, regional, national and international clients in commercial reorganization and liquidation cases, both simple and complex, in the Delaware Bankruptcy Court and in other bankruptcy courts throughout the country. With experience that is both expansive and diverse, our bankruptcy attorneys provide prompt, zealous, practical and efficient representation that is consistent with each client’s business goals. We offer competitive pricing no matter where our clients become involved in a commercial bankruptcy case, without sacrificing excellent work product and service.

Connolly Gallagher’s bankruptcy attorneys primarily represent creditors, including landlords, equipment lessors and financers, vendors, lenders, asset purchasers, insurance companies, utilities, all types of government agencies, bondholders, employees, officers and directors. Our attorneys have also served as counsel to official and unofficial committees of creditors and equity holders, and as special and local counsel to debtors and trustees.

We have represented clients in virtually every type of matter that arises in commercial bankruptcy cases, including avoidance actions and other bankruptcy-related litigation. Our attorneys have extensive experience in receiverships, assignments for the benefit of creditors, and other issues that involve creditors’ rights outside of bankruptcy cases. We also provide opinions to the financial and lending communities with respect to substantive consolidation, bankruptcy remote entities, and non-dissolution. In addition, our attorneys not only represent our clients in arbitration and mediation, but they also serve

as arbitrators and mediators themselves.

Our bankruptcy attorneys are diversified, responsive, and well respected, both locally and nationally, for their litigation, negotiation, and transactional skills. Most importantly, we make it our first priority to assure that our clients emerge from their litigation, workout, transaction, or alternate dispute resolution process feeling satisfied and well represented in all respects.

Commercial Real Estate

The Connolly Gallagher commercial real estate practice handles virtually all aspects of commercial real estate transactions. We work through issues with our clients in order to “close the deal” in a cost-effective manner that makes business sense and protects their interests. Our skilled attorneys represent a broad range of local, national, institutional, and entrepreneurial borrowers and lenders, buyers and sellers, and landlords and tenants in all phases of real estate transactions, including:

• Acquisitions and dispositions
• Asset management
• Commercial and residential condominiums
• Acquisition, construction and permanent financing
• Dispute resolution through mediation, arbitration, negotiation or litigation
• Ground leases and build-to-suit leases
• Office, industrial, retail and mixed-use property leases
• Restructuring and work-out transactions

Whether you are running a small, local business or a large, international corporation, or are a property owner or operating entity, our commercial real estate team can advise on the best organizational and transaction structures to meet your business needs. We can guide you on due diligence, risk management and regulatory compliance. Further, our commercial leasing and transactional attorneys are proficient at negotiating all related documents including:

• Leases
• Subleases
• Loan documents and financing arrangements
• Settlement agreements
• Construction agreements

In addition to our transactional work, we have significant experience in zoning, construction and related land use litigation and landlord-tenant litigation. Our commercial real estate team can draw on the expertise of attorneys with wide ranging experience in tax and estate planning, employment law, commercial counseling, bankruptcy, commercial litigation, alternative dispute resolution and corporate litigation.

Our attorneys are actively involved in securitized and portfolio financing at the national level. When representing borrowers and lenders in these financing transactions, we assist them throughout the entire transaction from the loan application through the creation and formation of Delaware entities and the required special purpose entities, the loan documentation, and the closing. Lenders and investors involved in these transactions regularly call upon us to review and analyze business organization and commercial transaction documents. They frequently seek our opinion on application and compliance with Delaware law and the formation of Delaware entities.

Labor and Employment Law

Connolly Gallagher’s labor and employment attorneys provide counseling and litigation services to clients before administrative bodies, state and federal courts, and representation in arbitration and mediation proceedings.  We represent public and private employers and individuals in a wide spectrum of employment law matters, including discrimination, retaliation, discharge, whistleblower activities, breach of restrictive covenants, ERISA, benefits management, wage and hour laws, prevailing wage and other public works contracting matters, unemployment compensation, regulatory compliance, and comprehensive policy / employee handbook reviews.  We also represent clients in professional licensing matters, including proceedings before the Delaware Supreme Court’s Board on Professional Responsibility, the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline, the Board of Nursing, and other administrative tribunals.  Our attorneys also represent public and private clients in labor matters involving collective bargaining, contract administration, bargaining unit elections, arbitration, all phases of labor board proceedings, and related litigation.  Having represented employers with fewer than ten employees, and those with over 10,000, as well as individuals, including executives, we offer a broad range of experience and insight to help our clients avoid labor and employment disputes, and to resolve them successfully when they occur.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Connolly Gallagher LLP provides a range of services for all stages of the merger and acquisition process. Our corporate lawyers have represented public and private buyers and sellers, special committees, investment bankers, private equity funds, and individuals in negotiating merger and acquisition transactions.

We can structure and manage a transaction from its inception through the negotiation and drafting processes and counsel our clients with any related matters through the closing of the transaction. Our tremendous depth of specialized knowledge in a wide variety of industry groups greatly enhances our ability to negotiate effectively and achieve desirable results for our clients. Our Firm approach of building industry based teams to handle each transaction creates efficiencies and knowledge sharing that protects our clients’ interests and keeps transactions moving forward.

The Firm’s lawyers can handle the corporate, tax and securities aspects of any acquisition or diverstiture, as well as the most sophisticated due diligence efforts. We also have extensive experience with preparing virtually every ancillary agreement related to these deals, including licensing, escrow, noncompetition, confidentiality and employment agreements.

In connection with our merger and acquisition practice, we also frequently counsel directors on takeover preparedness and our related offensive and defensive strategies.

Government Law

Connolly Gallagher’s attorneys represent public bodies and administrative agencies in high-profile and complex litigation and advise them on the most difficult and vexing issues. Our government law representation group has deep experience representing governments and agencies on a variety of claims including land use, voting rights, election, anti-trust, the Freedom of Information Act, employment, conflict of interest, condemnation, and taxation challenges. Our attorneys have successfully defended government entities and public officials against numerous constitutional challenges relating to the First Amendment, procedural due process, substantive due process, equal protection, takings, and the Commerce Clause.

In addition, our attorneys have a wealth of experience in administrative proceedings. We have represented government bodies and individuals before numerous administrative boards at both the State and local level, including boards of adjustment, boards of license, inspection and review, planning boards, boards of election, the Delaware Coastal Zone Industrial Control Board, the Delaware Public Service Commission, and the Delaware Department of Labor.

Our attorneys have proudly served as special counsel for more than a dozen municipalities, two counties, and six state agencies. The group is headed by Max Walton, a well-known first chair litigator and a frequent speaker on constitutional and election issues. Along with Matt Boyer, Max served as counsel for the State of Delaware in the landmark case of New Jersey v. Delaware before the United States Supreme Court.