Overview
For over 30 years Scott DeWald has helped clients plan and execute strategies, solve problems, and realize opportunities using business law, primarily in corporate formation, financing and acquisition transactions and contract negotiations. His clients include public and private companies (startups as well as medium and large businesses), profit and nonprofit corporations, LLCs, partnerships and government agencies.
Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate Finance, Commercial Transactions and Governance
Scott’s practice is concentrated on mergers and acquisitions, financing and other commercial transactions, raising capital, joint ventures, executive compensation, new business formation, and complex and simple contracts. He has represented buyers and sellers in stock and asset acquisitions and mergers in a variety of industries including biotechnology, employee leasing, newspapers, banking, e-commerce, university technology licensing, automobile dealerships and auto loan financing, automobile parts and supplies, Internet and e-commerce, software development and licensing, computer hardware manufacturing, plastics manufacturing, computer data services and consulting, cable television, commercial spin-offs of university research, healthcare, financial institutions, contracting, hospitality, and wholesale jewelry equipment. He has represented entrepreneurs in emerging companies and larger established corporate issuers, underwriters, venture capital investors and angel investors in connection with public and private offerings of debt and equity securities, including debentures and preferred stock financing transactions, spanning start-up capital, venture capital and initial and secondary public offerings. For two airlines, his work involved public offerings of common stock.
He has advised boards of directors on a range of issues, including board and shareholders meetings, and has represented executives and companies on employment and executive compensation matters, including employment and severance agreements, stock option plans, and incentive bonus programs, including phantom stock plans.
Nonprofit Corporations and Government Agencies
Scott also practices extensively in nonprofit corporate transactions, including affiliation agreements among tax-exempt organizations and government organizations. He has represented public universities, state agencies and tax-exempt corporations in collaboration agreements, tech-transfer agreements and funding agreements. He has negotiated contracts both on behalf of and opposing sovereign Native American governments.
Banking and Lending
Scott has represented lenders and borrowers in secured lending transactions involving a wide variety of collateral. He has extensive experience in banking law, including the formation and regulation of financial institutions such as banks and finance companies, as well as compliance with securities laws in connection with publicly traded preferred stock of a bank and the sale of the bank to another public company, including executive employment and merger agreements and the preparation of the S-4 registration statement and proxy materials.
He represented a local professional sports entity in connection with its offering of securities, purchase of a franchise, and the construction and financing and of a municipal-owned sports facility. For two professional sports organizations, he negotiated agreements with municipalities for the management of sports facilities.
Scott is a member of the Mergers and Acquisition Committee of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association and its Task Force that is drafting the second edition of the Model Asset Purchase Agreement. He serves as the Chair of the Legislative Committee of the Business Section of State Bar of Arizona and has been active in drafting and working with state legislators on the passage of over nine Arizona bills governing limited liability companies, corporations and partnerships, including the 2016 Arizona Business Entities Competitive Omnibus Act, 2013 legislation amending the Arizona Corporations Code, 2008, 1998, 1997, 1996 and 1994 legislation amending the Arizona Partnership and Limited Liability Company Acts, interstate banking, and 1990 technical and clarifying amendments to the Arizona Antitakeover Statute affecting Arizona public corporations.
Scott has been listed since 2007 in every edition of The Best Lawyers in America© in Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law and Securities/Capital Markets Law. He was listed in 2019 and 2018 Arizona Business Leaders in Nonprofit Organizations Law and was listed in 2014 and 2015 Arizona Business Leaders under Law, Business and Corporate. He is listed in the 2011-2018 editions of Chambers USA© in Corporate Law and Mergers & Acquisitions. Martindale-Hubbell has rated Mr. DeWald an “AV/Preeminent Attorney” in Securities Law and a 2014 "Top Rated Lawyer" in Mergers and Acquisitions, Martindale's highest rating in legal ability and ethical standards. He is listed in the 2007-2014 editions of Southwest Super Lawyers in the area of Business/Corporate. He was named a 2013 Corporate INTL Global Awards winner. He was named North Valley Magazine's Top Lawyer 2011, in the area of Commercial Finance. He was also included in the 2010 and 2012 editions of AZ Business Magazine's Top Lawyers in Corporate Law and Banking. Mr. DeWald has been recognized by B Lab, a nonprofit corporation that certifies B corporations, as an attorney competent to advise clients regarding benefit corporations.
Scott has been recognized for his commitment to pro bono service at the Annual John P. Frank Pro Bono Awards Luncheon, for more than 50 hours of pro bono work every year since 2006.
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Memberships & Affiliations
- Arizona Legal Professionals Credit Union
- Arizona Foundation for Blind Children
- Wildest Club in Town, Phoenix Zoological Society
- Kiwanis Club of Arcadia, Past Charter Member, Director and Secretary
- Friends of Arizona Highways Magazine, Past President and Director
- Phoenix Theatre, Past President and Director
- State Bar of Arizona Business Law Section Committee on Rendering Opinions in Business Transactions, Past Member
- Translational Research Advisory Committee
- Technology Deployment Task Force of the Arizona Innovation Network
- Arizona Partnership for the New Economy
- Arizona Technology Incubator
- Valley Leadership Class of XIV, Member
- Arizona Technology Council, Former Board Member and Former Chair, Law and Technology Committee
- Executive Committee of Invest Southwest Conference, Member , 1992-present
- Arizona Venture Capital Conference, Former Chair
- Invest Southwest Conference, Former Committee Co-Chair
- Maricopa County Bar Association Corporate Counsel Division, Member at Large for the Board of Directors, Former Secretary
- Business Law Section of the State Bar of Arizona Legislation Committee, Current Chair
- Business Law Section of the State Bar of Arizona Executive Council, Former Chair