Francis C. Pray, III

Frank is an Associate in Michael Best’s Corporate practice group, assisting a broad range of for-profit and not-for-profit entities with business and transactional matters across the entire range of the business life cycle. His practice focuses on middle-market mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, entity formation, governance matters, outside general counsel services, and securities regulations and offerings. Frank’s client portfolio encompasses various industries, including healthcare, automotive, manufacturing, logistics, technology, construction, financial services, professional services, real estate, faith-based, and nonprofit sectors.

Notably, Frank provides legal representation to clients in “Name, Image, and Likeness” matters within collegiate athletics and is well-versed in privacy and information security issues, including HIPAA compliance and data breach prevention and response.

Frank is a zealous legal advocate for clients who rely on his judgment and broad business law skill set. He prides himself on his responsiveness and the time he invests to understand and become a team-level player for every client.

Before joining Michael Best, Frank was a corporate associate at a full-service regional law firm based in North Carolina. Additionally, he gained valuable experience as a summer associate for two full-service law firms in Manhattan with national reach. In these roles, he gained valuable experience drafting and negotiating deal documents, leading diligence efforts for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and reorganizations, and providing counsel on a wide range of complex corporate and transactional matters.

Solutions in action

• Represented seller in a $750 million asset sale of multiple skilled nursing facilities.
• Represented sellers in a series of roll ups of medical practices across the Southeast.
• Represented sellers in a $65 million asset sale of automotive service facilities across the Southeast.
• Represented sellers in a $20 million equity sale and F Reorganization of technology infrastructure provider.
• Represented sellers in multi-million dollar asset sale of car wash facilities.
• Represented buyer in a multi-million dollar strategic acquisition of a reverse logistics service provider.
• Represented buyer in strategic acquisition of an assisted living facility management company.
• Represented buyer in strategic acquisition of a healthcare educational services provider.
• Represented buyer in a series of acquisitions of industrial supply companies.
• Represented buyer in strategic acquisition of a property management business line.
• Represented seller in an equity sale of a healthcare facility.
• Represented seller in an equity sale of an office furniture and supply business.
• Represented seller in an asset sale of a private school.
• Represented numerous for-profit and not-for-profit entities in connection with formation or reorganization of entities and/or subsidiaries and affiliates, including medical, engineering, and other professional practices forming professional entities with management service arrangements.
• Represented a real estate developer, a life sciences company, and other entities in Regulation D exempt offerings.
• Represented numerous for-profit entities in other private securities offerings, sales, acquisitions, or redemptions.
• Represented an insurance company in drafting a new website privacy policy and reviewing data security laws for customer and third party personally identifiable information.
• Represented numerous medical practices in connection with review of HIPAA compliance policies.
• Represented numerous business entities in reviewing, drafting, and negotiating various agreements including commercial real estate leases, consulting agreements, endorsement agreements, limited liability company operating agreements, partnership agreements, shareholder agreements, buy-sell agreements and stock and asset purchase agreements.
• Represented educational not-for-profit institutions and environmental not-for-profit entities in connection with securing grants from various governmental agencies and other not-for-profit entities.
• Represented athlete in negotiation of endorsement contract and Name, Image and Likeness licensing with global athletic brand, and compliance with Name, Image and Likeness laws and regulations.
• Represented athlete branding and marketing service company in negotiation of Name, Image and Likeness licensing and NFT creation and marketing venture for athletes.