Professional Overview
Ben is an associate at the firm, focusing his practice on real estate finance. He is an integral part of the firm’s growing Financial Services Group, representing regional and national banks and private lenders in real estate-secured and commercial and industrial financing transactions.
Ben’s extensive experience in business administration provides him with a fundamental understanding of all transactions involved in business ownership, encompassing processes relating to entity formation, limited liability companies, business transactions, and entrepreneurship. He also has considerable experience working in the technology sector, where he helped build and implement financial programs to help businesses better utilize massive quantities of data in order to facilitate the marketing of their products. In the area of contract law, Ben’s skills are complemented by his past work with the NFL Players’ Association, where he served as a representative of his team. In this role, he interpreted, analyzed, and contributed to the re-negotiation of player contracts in the collective bargaining process. More broadly, as a former professional athlete, Ben’s unparalleled dedication and persistence manifests in all of his work, whether that be on the field or at the office.
Professional and Civic Involvement
- NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurship Program - Harvard University
- Leadership Council on Legal Diversity
- Loren Miller Bar Association - Seattle
- King County Bar Association - Young Lawyers Division
- Minority Bar Association
- Coca-Cola Scholar Foundation - Leadership Development Institute
Honors / Awards / Prior Experience
- Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® as one to watch in the field of Banking and Finance Law, most recently for 2024.
- Student Attorney, University of Alabama School of Law Domestic Violence Clinic, 2018
- Assisted in providing legal services for protection from abuse orders, divorce, alimony, child custody, child support, employment issues, debt issues, housing, property recovery, and public benefits
- Legal Intern, Harris Group Inc., 2017
- Managed legal matters involving regulatory compliance, labor and employment, transactional drafting, and risk managament for a leading engineering consulting firm
- Summer Associate, Baker Donelson P.C., 2016
- Conducted extensive legal research in real estate and finance; drafted memoranda for conservation easements, zoning litigation, and alternative financing in public-private partnerships
- Finance & Business Analyst, Microsoft, 2013 & 2014
- Served multiple functions within Finance Business Intelligence and Corporate Treasury, focusing on integrated financial data platforms, internal reporting, and data analysis
- Wide Receiver & Players' Union Representative, Seattle Seahawks, 2006-2013
Education
- J.D., University of Alabama School of Law, 2018
- Best Paper, Race and the Law
- Outstanding Advocate, Trial Advocacy II
- Dean's Community Service Award
- Certificate in Public Interest Law
- M.B.A., Kaplan University, 2010
- Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society, 2009
- B.S., Auburn University, 2005
- National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar Athlete, 2005
Personal
Ben is proud to be from the historic city of Selma, Alabama.
In his free time, he loves spending time with his growing family. He also loves a good carnival, because he gets very competitive with (and usually wins) all the games.
His wife and two daughters have more hard-won teddy bears than they know what to do with.