Bio
Gabrielle (Gabby) Shirley is Senior Counsel to the firm in the Business Planning & Transactions Group. Her multidisciplinary practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions and other strategic transactions, business planning, corporate governance, restructurings, joint ventures, and private placements. She counsels a wide array of clients including private companies, start-ups, entrepreneurs, family offices, and large institutional investors across industry sectors, including, but not limited to, pharmaceutical, cannabis, real estate, construction, technology, sports and fitness, and retail. Gabby also represents private individuals in connection with certain divorce and related matters when complex business issues are involved.
Gabby previously worked at an AmLaw-recognized firm in the Investment Management practice in both New York City and Washington, D.C.
Gabby served as an Assistant Public Defender in the Maryland Office of the Public Defender’s Parental Defense Division. In furtherance of her commitment to public service, Gabby was appointed by Governor Larry Hogan in 2019 to serve on the Citizens Review Board for Children in Baltimore County. In this role, she conducts case reviews of children in out-of-home care and advocating for legislative and systemic child welfare improvements to promote safety and permanency.
Practice Groups
- Business Planning & Transactions
Bar Admissions
- Maryland
- New York
- District of Columbia
Education
- University at Albany (B.A., magna cum laude, 2001)
- University of Maryland School of Law (J.D., with honors, 2005)
- Maryland State Bar Association
- Panel Appellate Attorney: Maryland Office of the Public Defender
- Co-chair: Building Blacked Owned Business in Baltimore Committee
- Board Member: Citizens Review Board for Children in Baltimore County (2019-present)
- Board Member, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Baltimore County
- Best Lawyers in America® – Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) (2024)
Experience
Mergers & Acquisitions
- Represented industry-leading pharmaceutical services company in multi-million dollar domestic pharmacy acquisitions.
- Represented Maryland-based cannabis dispensary in multi-million dollar negotiation and equity sale to industry-leading acquirer.
- Represented real estate developer in multi-million dollar private offering.
- Represented office furniture business in multi-million dollar stock sale.
- Represented construction business in multi-million dollar stock redemption.
- Represented sports and fitness business in multi-million dollar sports complex joint venture.
- Represented multi-billion dollar fund of funds in connection with secondary portfolio acquisitions.
General Corporate Transactions
- Drafting organizational documents for corporations and limited liability companies (i.e., articles, bylaws, operating agreements, stockholders’ agreements, etc.)
- Representing companies in the drafting and negotiating of general business contracts (i.e., non-disclosure agreements, licensing agreements, assignment of inventions, employment agreements, independent contractor agreements, service agreements, etc.)
- Drafting and negotiating transactional documents (i.e., purchase and sale agreements, bills of sale, assignment and assumption agreements, subscription agreements, etc.)