Jay R. McDaniel

About Jay R. McDaniel

Valuation Counsel | Business Divorce and Closely Held Business Advisor

With over three decades of experience as a business counselor and corporate litigator, Jay McDaniel focuses his practice on the intersection of business valuation, ownership disputes, and the governance of closely held companies. His work centers on helping owners protect, enhance, and realize the value of their businesses — whether through litigation, negotiation, or strategic planning.  Jay is chair of the firm’s Corporate and Business Law Department and leads the firm’s Business Divorce Practice Group.

Jay serves as special counsel on valuation issues in a variety of matters and works with the owners of closely held enterprises in business divorce matters.  He brings deep experience in complex disputes among business partners, shareholders, and LLC members. As both a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), he integrates legal strategy with financial and valuation insight to guide clients through transitions, disputes, and succession events that define the life cycle of privately held enterprises.

Professional Expertise

• Valuation and Business Divorce: Jay represents majority and minority owners in disputes involving shareholder and LLC member oppression, breach of fiduciary duty, and forced buyouts. His valuation background allows him to bring precision and credibility to cases in which the value of a business — or an owner’s stake — is at the center of the conflict.
• Closely Held Business Counseling: Jay advises family-owned, founder-led, and investor-backed companies on governance, management transitions, partner exits, and conflict prevention. His approach combines legal, financial, and strategic planning to strengthen enterprise value while minimizing risk.
• Commercial and Intellectual Property Litigation: Jay maintains a robust litigation practice involving restrictive covenants, trade secrets, unfair competition, trademarks, and copyrights. He frequently represents businesses in disputes over confidential information, employee mobility, and contract enforcement.
• Value and Succession Planning: As both lawyer and advisor, Jay helps owners design and implement strategies to protect, grow, and ultimately harvest business value. His exit planning and valuation expertise support transitions that preserve personal and professional legacies.

Achievements

• Valuation and Value Enhancement: Jay’s work integrates valuation methodology, forensic analysis, and strategic advisory to ensure that owners understand and protect the worth of their enterprises.
• Successful Ownership Transitions: He has advised numerous clients through ownership transitions, buyouts, and sales, ensuring both fairness and continuity for the enterprise and its stakeholders.
• Complex Litigation Experience: Jay has successfully handled fiduciary, governance, and commercial and intellectual property litigation across industries, including construction, distribution, manufacturing, professional services, hospitality, architecture, e-commerce, and software design.

Practice Philosophy

Jay’s practice is built around three guiding principles:

1. Protect the business and the owner’s investment.
2. Empower business owners to enhance enterprise value through sound governance and management.
3. Guide owners toward successful transitions and dispute resolution at critical points in the business life cycle.

Credentials and Certifications

• Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) – National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA)
• Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) – Exit Planning Institute (EPI)

Thought Leadership

Jay is the editor and principal author of the Business Divorce Law Report, where he writes on valuation disputes, shareholder litigation, and governance of closely held businesses. He also produces educational content on these subjects through his YouTube channel, @CloselyHeld.

He is a frequent lecturer on topics including business valuation, partner disputes, governance, and the dynamics of closely held companies. His writing and presentations reflect a blend of legal experience, financial acumen, and practical insight drawn from decades of advising private business owners.