Spencer Fane LLP is pleased to announce partners Robert J. Mahon and John R. Moore and associate Xander G. Curl joined the firm’s St. Louis office, partner Crystal L. Howard joined the firm’s Overland Park, Kansas, office, and associate Kelley V. Rowan joined the firm’s Denver office. The team will all work within the firm’s strong and dynamic Corporate and Business Transactions practice group.
All five attorneys navigate a wide range of transactional business matters with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions in the small- and middle-market space, as well as general corporate governance, compliance, and outside corporate counsel services. Crystal, Rob, and John are particularly well-versed in working with a diverse array of businesses and corporations, including emerging companies focused on optimizing growth, and tailor their services to the business needs and unique characteristics of each client to provide sophisticated legal services and advice in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
“Bringing in accomplished attorneys like Rob, John, and Xander who not only have unique and valuable backgrounds but bring new perspectives and a team approach to serving clients is essential to our ever-growing team,” said Amy K. Mistler, Office Managing Partner for Spencer Fane in St. Louis. “We look forward to how they will further strengthen our Corporate and Business Transactions practice group across the firm’s national footprint.”
David E. Waters, Office Managing Partner for Spencer Fane in Overland Park, remarked on Crystal’s return to the firm: “Crystal’s talent for tax structuring and business acumen will be a markedly valuable asset to our cross-office transactional practice. We’re thrilled to welcome her back to Spencer Fane.”
Ron Fano, Office Managing Partner for Spencer Fane in Denver, also added, “Kelley’s focused knowledge of global data protection regulations and privacy laws bolsters a highly important and quickly growing sector of our wide-ranging transactional practice.”
ABOUT THE ATTORNEYS
Xander G. Curl, Associate
Xander counsels clients on a variety of transactional matters with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, also frequently assisting with corporate governance and commercial contract matters. With experience in a wide range of corporate law matters, he is also skilled in performing due diligence, preparing and negotiating transaction documents, and addressing real estate and finance matters. Xander completed both his undergraduate degree and Juris Doctor at Saint Louis University, cum laude and magna cum laude, respectively.
Crystal L. Howard, Partner
Crystal, who is returning to Spencer Fane, uses her comprehensive knowledge of federal and state tax laws to counsel clients on a wide range of business and tax matters related to complex business transactions and tax structuring. This includes entity formations and dissolutions, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, reorganizations, and incentive compensation awards. She frequently handles tax controversy matters before the IRS and state and local taxing authorities. In addition to her tax practice, Crystal also advises businesses and owners on all aspects of their corporate legal needs so that the businesses can successfully operate and achieve all desired goals. She also has significant experience guiding clients through mergers and acquisitions. Crystal received her bachelor’s degree at William Jewell College before earning her Juris Doctor cum laude and Master of Laws from the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law.
Robert J. Mahon, Partner
Rob’s practice focuses primarily on outside general counsel services and mergers and acquisitions. He regularly represents private and public companies; family offices, private equity firms, and their portfolio companies; and startups, search funds, and high-growth companies, for which he’s handled billions of dollars of transactions. As lead counsel, Rob has navigated more than 100 multimillion-dollar acquisitions across a wide range of industries, regularly managing dozens of deals at a time for highly acquisitive businesses. As outside general counsel, he works hand in hand with his clients and their owners, board members, and executives in addition to a team of attorneys and support staff to handle a full range of legal matters in a practical and cost-effective manner, including mergers, acquisitions, and restructurings; corporate governance and compliance; securities offerings; real estate transactions; financing; tax structuring and guidance; employment and labor; litigation; and intellectual property. He also has extensive experience advising aspiring entrepreneurs within the entrepreneurship through acquisition space. Rob earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration magna cum laude and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Missouri–St. Louis and his Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Saint Louis University School of Law.
John R. Moore, Partner
John regularly serves as lead corporate and mergers and acquisitions counsel for search fund, private equity-backed, and self-funded entrepreneurs, as well as traditional private equity funds and family offices. Employing his background in economics, John is adept at formulating strategic plans for clients and managing a team of attorneys and support staff to effectively and efficiently meet his clients’ goals. His comprehensive role includes advising on structuring and governance considerations for newly formed companies and portfolios, continued support of those companies’ general corporate governance needs, assisting clients through the initial IOI and LOI negotiation process, deal structuring to ensure an efficient result for his clients, performing and managing due diligence, preparing and negotiating a wide range of transactional documents, reviewing and addressing related and peripheral real estate matters, and shepherding mergers and acquisitions toward a successful closing. John received his bachelor’s degree in economics and political science from Northwestern University and went on to receive his Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Saint Louis University School of Law.
Kelley V. Rowan, Associate
With a markedly high attention to detail, Kelley creates comprehensive, personalized estate plans, working diligently to tailor wills, powers of attorney, and end-of-life care plans to address each clients’ unique needs, honor all personal wishes, and effectively manage assets. She also advises clients on novel data privacy issues, crafting custom solutions to address emerging challenges in a rapidly evolving legal landscape. After graduating from the University of Nebraska at Kearney summa cum laude, Kelley earned her Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law.
