JB leads O’Neil Cannon’s Business Law Practice Group and is a United States Air Force Veteran. He works with and advises clients on a wide range of business law matters, including form of entity selection and initial capitalization, raising funds through private equity offerings, securities compliance and broker/dealer matters, mergers and acquisitions, contract preparation and negotiation, and software, technology, and IP matters.
JB Assists Clients With
Mergers, acquisitions, and recapitalizations of businesses
Private equity and venture capital financing
Private offerings of debt and equity securities
Employee equity compensation plans
Securities laws issues
Complex contractual matters and disputes
Software, technology, and data privacy/security matters
Intellectual property, proprietary rights, and confidentiality agreements
Shareholder, partner, and member agreements and disputes
Corporate governance matters
General business matters
Experience/Representative Client Work
JB’s start up clients have raised over $30,000,000 through private offerings.
Represents companies and founders raising debt and equity capital through private offerings and advises on Regulation D and other private securities offering exemptions at the state and federal levels
Regularly assists clients with choosing the right form of entity for their new venture
Advises clients on 1202 and qualified new business venture stock requirements and planning
Tailors his client’s governing documents to their equity and capitalization plan
Advises clients on equity and synthetic equity incentive compensation plans and the various tax and securities rules and regulations surrounding such plans
Represents investors evaluating an investment in a private company or fund offering
JB represents Buyers and Sellers in Mergers and Acquisitions across the country.
Represents clients buying and selling businesses in all market sectors from software and technology to manufacturing and retail
Experienced in M&A deals of all sizes, ranging from small sole proprietorships to complex multi-national transactions involving both private and publicly held companies
Represents both minority and majority owners in sale proceedings and exits, including partial sales
Experienced in complex multi-state mergers and tax-based reorganizations in addition to equity and asset deals
JB regularly advises clients on complex contracts including software, technology, and custom manufacturing agreements.
Represents software and technology clients with all forms of license agreements, development agreements, master services agreements, work-for hire agreements, and intellectual property protection agreements
Negotiates and advises on complex custom manufacturing agreements with large public and private companies
Experienced with joint ventures both as contractual arrangements and as new business formations
JB offers advice on a multitude of general business matters.
Assists clients with entity formation and ongoing corporate governance matters
Experienced with creating multiple classes of equity in both corporations and LLCs
Drafts and negotiates buy-sell, voting, and other equity holder agreements such as shareholder agreements, partnership agreements, and operating agreements
Assists clients with resolving shareholder, partner, and member disputes
Professional Associations and Affiliations
State Bar of Wisconsin
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
American Bar Association
Milwaukee Bar Association
Member, Association for Corporate Growth (AACG)
Meritas Lawyer Representative
Awards/Distinctions
Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® –Corporate Law, 2021–present
Selected for inclusion in Wisconsin Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Law and Politics and Milwaukee Magazine, 2020–2023
Editor-in-Chief, Marquette Law Review
Community Involvement
Chairman, Ducks Unlimited Milwaukee Chapter
First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa
Military Service
Senior Intelligence Duty Officer, Air Force Southern Command, Combined Air Operations Center, June 2007-May 2008
Deployed Tactical Operations Center Chief, 64th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, USAF, September 2006-January 2007
Chief of Intelligence, 55th Rescue Squadron, USAF, November 2005-June 2007
Deployed J2 Director of Intelligence, 716th Special Operations Group, USAF, June 2005-September 2005
Deployed Chief of Intelligence, 64th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, USAF, October 2004-February 2005
Chief of Operations Intelligence, 563rd Operations Support Squadron, USAF, May 2004-October 2005
