Poyner Spruill LLP is pleased to announce that Marissa Barbalato, Todd Bowyer, Grayson LaMontagne, and Rebecca Rheney have joined the firm’s Raleigh office as associate attorneys.
Barbalato advises clients on corporate and transactional matters. She has experience in business transactional work, including offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and other transactional and general corporate matters. Barbalato also advises clients on a broad range of corporate and securities matters, including compliance with both the 1933 and 1934 Act. Barbalato earned her juris doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School. Barbalato spends her vacations traveling to new places. She has been to 30 countries.
Bowyer focuses his practice on education law, working with local school boards and public school systems. Prior to attending Elon University School of Law, Bowyer served as a substitute teacher before beginning a ten-year career in higher education, working specifically in student affairs for two liberal arts colleges and one state university. As a law student, Bowyer completed a residency-in-practice in the chambers of a judge on the North Carolina Court of Appeals and an internship in the general counsel’s office of one of the universities in the UNC System. He was among the top of his class at Elon University School of Law, graduating in the top 10. Bowyer worked as a Summer Associate before joining the firm full-time. Bowyer comes from a family of educators—both of his parents and his grandmother were teachers.
LaMontagne works with clients on a variety of commercial loan transactions. She represents borrowers, lenders, and financial institutions in a wide range of transactional matters. LaMontagne received the Dean’s Excellence Scholarship at Campbell University Norman A. Wiggins School of Law. While earning her juris doctor, LaMontagne was a student representative on the Themis Bar Review, a member of Lawyers and Leaders, and a member of Women in Law. She joined the firm after spending two years as a Summer Associate. Outside of work, LaMontagne enjoys exploring the intercoastal waterway by kayaking, paddleboarding, and fishing.
Rheney handles a wide variety of matters related to business organizations and financial transactions. She oversees contracts and agreements regarding mergers, acquisitions, debt and equity finance, and entity and fund formations. During mergers and acquisitions, Rheney provides counsel to both buyers and sellers. She also advises clients on financial matters, such as add-on acquisitions and platform sales. Her commercial finance experience includes asset-based lending, intercreditor arrangements, syndications, and financing to private equity backed companies. Rheney attended the University of North Carolina School of Law. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Rheney dove headfirst into mastering marinara sauce.
“We are excited to announce the addition of four associate attorneys to the firm,” said Poyner Spruill Managing Partner Dan Cahill. “Todd and Grayson were wonderful summer associates, and we are glad they have both joined the firm full-time. Marissa and Rebecca are also welcome additions—they bring valuable perspectives from their previous law firm experiences.”
