Events - Event View

Erin Bailey is a self-proclaimed perpetual learner and problem solver. Through her work as an attorney, she helps her clients translate and navigate the ever-changing areas of employee benefits law, mergers and acquisitions, and estate planning, synthesizing complicated technical concepts and jargon into real language and manageable action plans.

Her work related to ERISA and employee benefit matters includes advising clients on: qualified retirement plan matters, deferred compensation arrangements, executive compensation plans including compliance with 409A, insured health care plans, self- funded health care plans, Section 125 plans (cafeteria plans), flexible spending accounts (FSAs), and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs).

Having previously worked in-house at a family-owned private equity firm in mergers and acquisitions, Erin has a unique perspective for understanding how companies make decisions and how general counsel offices prefer to work with outside attorneys. In addition, her experience working in a family-owned business provided her with invaluable insights into navigating family dynamics in a business setting, knowledge that is useful in both Family Office work and in her complex estate planning practice. Erin is a frequent speaker, presenting to CPAs, CPA firms, financial service professionals and community groups on 401k topics, estate planning, and the Affordable Care Act.

When Erin is not assisting her clients, you can likely find her on an adventure exploring food and wine with her husband, Matt. Together they have discovered pizza parties with a local cheese maker, pop-up dinners with local restaurateurs sitting next to strangers who become friends, potluck dinners at neighborhood houses with live music, breweries who have also mastered the perfect duck sandwich and food trucks which they wish could park in their backyard.  At times, Erin is even able to get her two adventurous kids to join in.  To work off all her adventures, Erin enjoys walking the family dog, Java, a forever puppy. Erin has lived all over the eastern US, in France and in Australia but is back in North Carolina for good and is excited for her children to grow NC roots.

Natalie Folmar provides timely, thoughtful and practical advice on matters relating to the acquisition and divestiture as well as day-to-day operations of her clients’ businesses.  She enjoys solving complex problems and forming creative and practical solutions for her clients. It is this approach that allows her to deliver straight-forward and high-quality work for her clients and their businesses.

Natalie focuses her practice on helping clients, both public and privately-held companies, acquire, sell, merge and generally run their businesses. She is well-versed in a variety of business issues and works closely with clients to help them achieve their goals while maintaining a keen eye on any related legal issues. She regularly advises clients on entity formation, the purchase and sale of businesses, succession planning and general contract matters. Recently, Natalie has represented banks in a number of lending transactions.

Natalie, a member of the firm’s Management Committee, has previous experience as inside counsel with a firm client, having spent a year onsite within their corporation, learning their business and helping them achieve their strategic goals. While onsite, she handled corporate, contract, employment and purchasing matters. This experience as a consumer of legal services helped Natalie recognize the need for efficient, accurate and practical representation, all of which she strives to provide her clients.

In addition, Natalie has established relationships with other professionals who have proven to be valuable resources for her and for her clients. These relationships ensure the right person is on the job and looking out for the clients’ best interests, even when it means going outside the firm.

A few of Natalie’s representative matters include:

-Assisting a client with a $100M multi-national M&A transaction within the automotive manufacturing and safety industry

-Counseling a closely-held business in creating a tax-free spin-off business entity

-Helping a client in the $70M sale of an international business including addressing the many regulatory issues that arise in international business transactions.

-Assisting a buyer in a $20M merger and asset purchase.

When not in the office, Natalie runs, reads (not at the same time) and spends as much time as possible with her family at Kure Beach. She enjoys working out and traveling, having spent summers abroad in Australia, St. Thomas and Europe. Natalie also soaks up every minute that she can with her husband, Lance, and their daughter, Madelyn.

Natalie is a life-long North Carolinian from Harrisburg, NC.

Darlene has over 30 years of experience serving a broad range of clients. As practice leader for the firm’s transaction advisory services group, she especially enjoys working with a variety of companies to complete both buy-side and sell-side transactions, including strategic buyers, lenders, and private equity investor. Over 30 years of experience serving both public and privately-held companies. She primarily focuses on manufacturing and distribution companies, but also assists retail, transportation, and service companies with their attestation needs.

David Cohn helps groups Think Well Together around the challenges and complexities of growing a privately-held/family business or assisting in the succession from one generation of ownership and leadership to the next. David experienced challenges in the transition of his family’s business and sought out ways to make the process successful for others.

John Cross is an attorney at Brooks Pierce, a business law firm based in the State of North Carolina.  His practice is typically split between M&A and general corporate services.  He most often advises mid-sized businesses in a variety of industries, and as a result he often serves as general counsel for companies not quite big enough to have an in-house general counsel.

Combining 30+ years of insurance work with business leaders with the experience of 14 completed transactions in acquisitions across various industries, Stan Park brings unique and practical observations to the nuances of buying/selling small market businesses. Graduating from Kenan-Flagler Business School and current member of the Kenan Flagler Alumni Council, Stan is currently President of Provisions Benefit Group, a boutique employee benefits firm and owner/partner in 3 additional companies.

Additionally, Stan is currently providing advisory services to various businesses considering transitions. With a commitment to the Triad, Stan is a long time member of the Nat Greene Kiwanis, current board member of the Better Business Bureau and Well-Spring Solutions.

In his spare time, Stan enjoys time with his family, playing golf, pickleball and running. Having run the Boston Marathon several times, Stan still finds being attacked by a fox to be the most interesting of running stories!

Emily is a High Point University alumna and financial advisor, where her main task is to serve as a trusted consultant and resource for the families, individuals, and non-profit organizations that rely on her and her team to manage their financial futures. Emily’s role is much more than an investments advisor or planner; she strives to be a Chief Financial Officer for those that she serves.

Emily has achieved the title of partner at one firm and has acquired several additional practices since that time, so she is knowledgeable on and well-versed in the important details associated with the purchase of a financial services business.

Emily’s Professional Memberships consist of Commonwealth Financial Network’s Women’s Advisory Council; High Point University, Phillips School of Business Advisory Board; SPUR (Marblehead MA) Treasurers, Board Member; Greensboro Society of Financial Service Professionals, Board Member; and Women’s Business League, Marblehead MA, President.