Mr. Wellons’s primary areas of practice are corporate law, banking and finance law, securities, and biotechnology law. He also chairs the community banking practice group.

---

 

Education

• Duke University, B.A., 1978
• Duke University, Fuqua School of Business, M.B.A., 1979
• Washington & Lee University, J.D., 1987

Experience

• Counseling a large variety of businesses, including large public companies, small closely-held businesses and financial institutions
• Advising clients on matters such as corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, securities and regulatory compliance, and biotechnology
• Handling mergers and acquisitions, securities filings, regulatory compliance and corporate governance issues for community banks in Virginia, North Carolina and West Virginia
• Serving as lead counsel on approximately 10 initial public offerings, 5 secondary public offerings, 20 acquisitions by larger companies and 10 private offerings
• Serving as lead counsel on approximately 15 financial institution mergers
• Serving as lead counsel on regulated industry transactions, including transactions in energy and financial sectors
• Preparing Hart-Scott-Rodino filings and other anti-trust filings for the Department of Justice

Distinctions

• Named to the "Leaders in the Law" list by Virginia Lawyers Weekly, 2021
• Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® as "Lawyer of the Year" 2024, 2016 & 2012 in Roanoke, Va. in Banking and Finance Law
• Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® as “Lawyer of the Year” 2024, 2017 & 2014 in Roanoke, Va. in Financial Services Regulation Law
• Nominated by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America^® in the areas of Banking and Finance Law, Biotechnology Law, Financial Services Regulation Law and Securities/Capital Markets Law
• JD Supra Readers' Choice Top Author, Life Sciences, 2022

Admissions

• Virginia State Bar

Memberships

• Virginia Bar Association
• Virginia State Bar
• American Bar Association Section of Science and Technology, past chair
• American Bar Association Section of Science and Technology, Life Science Division, immediate past chair
• American Bar Association Committee on Biotechnology, past chair
• Frequent lecturer on corporate matters, including corporate governance, securities law, strategic transactions, business formation, exit strategies, venture capital and other funding concerns, and biotechnology

Publications & Presentations

• Editor, ABA book, Biotechnology and the Law, Second Edition
• Senior editor and author of ABA book, Biotechnology and the Law: A Primer