Francis Leo PLLC (formerly “The McLaughlin Law Firm”) currently serves Virginia (VA), District of Columbia (D.C.), New Jersey (NJ), and Maryland (MD) clients, ensuring all of their commercial and residential real estate, business, and trust & estate planning needs are met in the most cost-effective, legally sound, and strategically beneficial ways possible.

Counsel and corporate officer with an active role in daily management and business decisions. Solely responsible for all legal aspects of a company involved in the leasing, development, acquisition, and strategic divestiture of a very large commercial real estate portfolio as well as the management of Bottle King Discount Wine & Spirits, the largest liquor retailer in New Jersey, with 16 store locations and expanding.***Served in various business advisory capacities from 2016 to 2018 before assuming current role***HIGHLIGHTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS• Negotiated, drafted, and reviewed all contracts and agreements such as: leases/subleases, lease modifications, PSAs, M&A agreements, financing/loan agreements, SaaS/vendor/services and IT agreements, licensing agreements, trademarks, partnership/LLC/joint venture agreements, investment and funding agreements, consulting agreements, NDAs, and privacy agreements.• Directly advised the CEO and Board of Directors of all likely business and legal outcomes.• Aggressively managed outside counsel and consultants to control costs and maximize services rendered, resulting in a 55% reduction in legal and consulting fees from the prior year.• Drafted and maintained all corporate form agreements, policies, and procedures ensuring company-wide legal and regulatory compliance across all business operations.• Built automated financial reports providing corporate finance and accounting metrics, and analyzed reports in order to push operations towards higher, sustainable profit margins.• Managed outside counsel on all litigation matters, ensuring timeliness and completeness of filings as well as that cost-effective measures are consistently implemented.• Lead various industry associations and lobbying efforts for beneficial state/local legislature.

***Served in various business advisory capacities from 2016 to 2018 before assuming current role***HIGHLIGHTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS• Negotiated, drafted, and reviewed all contracts and agreements such as: leases/subleases, lease modifications, PSAs, M&A agreements, financing/loan agreements, SaaS/vendor/services and IT agreements, licensing agreements, trademarks, partnership/LLC/joint venture agreements, investment and funding agreements, consulting agreements, NDAs, and privacy agreements.• Directly advised the CEO and Board of Directors of all likely business and legal outcomes.• Aggressively managed outside counsel and consultants to control costs and maximize services rendered, resulting in a 55% reduction in legal and consulting fees from the prior year.• Drafted and maintained all corporate form agreements, policies, and procedures ensuring company-wide legal and regulatory compliance across all business operations.• Built automated financial reports providing corporate finance and accounting metrics, and analyzed reports in order to push operations towards higher, sustainable profit margins.• Managed outside counsel on all litigation matters, ensuring timeliness and completeness of filings as well as that cost-effective measures are consistently implemented.• Lead various industry associations and lobbying efforts for beneficial state/local legislature.

• Drafted purchase and sale agreements and prepared all closing documents thereof for more than $2 billion in real estate transactions under my partners’ supervision.• Negotiated contract provisions, lease terms, loan and financing agreement terms and conditions, as well as other matters. • Drafted lease agreements and amendments, business operating agreements, and other corporate transactional agreements.