Wesley Althoff
Partner
2 W. Washington Street
Suite 400
Greenville, SC 29601
Suite 900
Washington, D.C., 20001
Wes Althoff helps lead Nelson Mullins’ Private Entities and Transactions team. He is a mergers and acquisitions attorney who advises private equity funds, portfolio companies, business owners, and investment advisers on complex corporate transactions, business sales, and strategic exit events. His practice centers on private equity M&A and corporate structuring, and he frequently serves as...
Wes Althoff helps lead Nelson Mullins’ Private Entities and Transactions team. He is a mergers and acquisitions attorney who advises private equity funds, portfolio companies, business owners, and investment advisers on complex corporate transactions, business sales, and strategic exit events. His practice centers on private equity M&A and corporate structuring, and he frequently serves as lead counsel on platform acquisitions, add‑on transactions, and sale processes across a wide range of industries, including business services, home services (HVAC, roofing, landscaping), consumer products, manufacturing, construction, energy, convenience stores, aerospace and defense, telecommunications, and financial services (community banks, broker‑dealers, and investment advisers).
Wes regularly represents founders and closely held businesses preparing for a sale, recapitalization, or ownership transition. He guides business owners through corporate structuring, governance, and exit‑readiness planning designed to maximize valuation, streamline diligence, and reduce execution risk. Within the financial services sector, he counsels registered investment advisers and broker‑dealers on transactional, regulatory, and structural matters, helping them navigate acquisitions, reorganizations, and succession planning. He also provides outside general counsel support to private‑equity‑backed companies, advising on acquisitions and ongoing corporate matters.
With experience on both the buy‑side and sell‑side, Wes advises clients throughout the full lifecycle of investment activity—leveraged buyouts, equity investments, divestitures, recapitalizations, and restructurings. Clients rely on his business‑focused approach, efficient deal execution, and ability to anticipate issues in fast‑moving negotiations. Whether representing a private equity sponsor, a management team, or a business owner preparing for an exit, Wes delivers practical, strategic counsel that drives transactions to a successful close.
lead counsel on platform acquisitions, add‑on transactions, and sale processes across a wide range of industries, including business services, home services (HVAC, roofing, landscaping), consumer products, manufacturing, construction, energy, convenience stores, aerospace and defense, telecommunications, and financial services (community banks, broker‑dealers, and investment advisers).
Wes regularly represents founders and closely held businesses preparing for a sale, recapitalization, or ownership transition. He guides business owners through corporate structuring, governance, and exit‑readiness planning designed to maximize valuation, streamline diligence, and reduce execution risk. Within the financial services sector, he counsels registered investment advisers and broker‑dealers on transactional, regulatory, and structural matters, helping them navigate acquisitions, reorganizations, and succession planning. He also provides outside general counsel support to private‑equity‑backed companies, advising on acquisitions and ongoing corporate matters.
With experience on both the buy‑side and sell‑side, Wes advises clients throughout the full lifecycle of investment activity—leveraged buyouts, equity investments, divestitures, recapitalizations, and restructurings. Clients rely on his business‑focused approach, efficient deal execution, and ability to anticipate issues in fast‑moving negotiations. Whether representing a private equity sponsor, a management team, or a business owner preparing for an exit, Wes delivers practical, strategic counsel that drives transactions to a successful close.
Experience
Previous Professional Experience
- Assistant Vice President/Assistant General Counsel, Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, New York City office (2017–2021)
- Associate Examiner, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, New York City office (March 2017–Aug. 2017)
- Securities Regulation Intern, Investment Company Institute, Washington, D.C. office (2015–2016)
- Legal Honor Student/Externship, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Washington, D.C. office (Jan. 2015–April 2015)
Representative Matters
-
Corporate clients consist of companies in the following industries, including others, wealth advisors, broker-dealers, and community banks, construction, energy, convenience stores, aviation, telecommunications, manufacturing, roofing, and home services.
- Transactional practice focuses on the following:
- Buy-side acquisition structures and strategies, including platform acquisitions and add-on acquisitions ranging from $8 million to $150 million
- Sell-side M&A transactions ranging from $1 million to $425 million
- General business and corporate transactions
- Real estate joint ventures
- General corporate practice includes:
- Organizing and forming corporations and limited liability companies
- Executive employment agreements
- Employee invention assignment, non-competition, and non-solicitation agreements
- Incentive compensation plans
- Other general corporate governance matters
Education
- Georgetown University Law Center, JD (2016)
- Clemson University, BS, Accounting and Financial Management (2012)
Admissions
- South Carolina
- District of Columbia
Practice Areas
Previous Professional Experience
- Assistant Vice President/Assistant General Counsel, Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, New York City office (2017–2021)
- Associate Examiner, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, New York City office (March 2017–Aug. 2017)
- Securities Regulation Intern, Investment Company Institute, Washington, D.C. office (2015–2016)
- Legal Honor Student/Externship, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Washington, D.C. office (Jan. 2015–April 2015)
Representative Matters
-
Corporate clients consist of companies in the following industries, including others, wealth advisors, broker-dealers, and community banks, construction, energy, convenience stores, aviation, telecommunications, manufacturing, roofing, and home services.
- Transactional practice focuses on the following:
- Buy-side acquisition structures and strategies, including platform acquisitions and add-on acquisitions ranging from $8 million to $150 million
- Sell-side M&A transactions ranging from $1 million to $425 million
- General business and corporate transactions
- Real estate joint ventures
- General corporate practice includes:
- Organizing and forming corporations and limited liability companies
- Executive employment agreements
- Employee invention assignment, non-competition, and non-solicitation agreements
- Incentive compensation plans
- Other general corporate governance matters
Media
Recognitions
- Greenville Business Magazine "Legal Elite of the Upstate"
- Mergers & Acquisitions (2024)
Wes Althoff helps lead Nelson Mullins’ Private Entities and Transactions team. He is a mergers and acquisitions attorney who advises private equity funds, portfolio companies, business owners, and investment advisers on complex corporate transactions, business sales, and strategic exit events. His practice centers on private equity M&A and corporate structuring, and he frequently serves as... lead counsel on platform acquisitions, add‑on transactions, and sale processes across a wide range of industries, including business services, home services (HVAC, roofing, landscaping), consumer products, manufacturing, construction, energy, convenience stores, aerospace and defense, telecommunications, and financial services (community banks, broker‑dealers, and investment advisers).
Wes regularly represents founders and closely held businesses preparing for a sale, recapitalization, or ownership transition. He guides business owners through corporate structuring, governance, and exit‑readiness planning designed to maximize valuation, streamline diligence, and reduce execution risk. Within the financial services sector, he counsels registered investment advisers and broker‑dealers on transactional, regulatory, and structural matters, helping them navigate acquisitions, reorganizations, and succession planning. He also provides outside general counsel support to private‑equity‑backed companies, advising on acquisitions and ongoing corporate matters.
With experience on both the buy‑side and sell‑side, Wes advises clients throughout the full lifecycle of investment activity—leveraged buyouts, equity investments, divestitures, recapitalizations, and restructurings. Clients rely on his business‑focused approach, efficient deal execution, and ability to anticipate issues in fast‑moving negotiations. Whether representing a private equity sponsor, a management team, or a business owner preparing for an exit, Wes delivers practical, strategic counsel that drives transactions to a successful close.
Experience
The following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.Previous Professional Experience
- Assistant Vice President/Assistant General Counsel, Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, New York City office (2017–2021)
- Associate Examiner, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, New York City office (March 2017–Aug. 2017)
- Securities Regulation Intern, Investment Company Institute, Washington, D.C. office (2015–2016)
- Legal Honor Student/Externship, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Washington, D.C. office (Jan. 2015–April 2015)
Representative Matters
-
Corporate clients consist of companies in the following industries, including others, wealth advisors, broker-dealers, and community banks, construction, energy, convenience stores, aviation, telecommunications, manufacturing, roofing, and home services.
- Transactional practice focuses on the following:
- Buy-side acquisition structures and strategies, including platform acquisitions and add-on acquisitions ranging from $8 million to $150 million
- Sell-side M&A transactions ranging from $1 million to $425 million
- General business and corporate transactions
- Real estate joint ventures
- General corporate practice includes:
- Organizing and forming corporations and limited liability companies
- Executive employment agreements
- Employee invention assignment, non-competition, and non-solicitation agreements
- Incentive compensation plans
- Other general corporate governance matters
Education
- Georgetown University Law Center, JD (2016)
- Clemson University, BS, Accounting and Financial Management (2012)
Admissions
- South Carolina
- District of Columbia
Practice Areas
- Construction and Construction Transactions
- Corporate & Securities
- Private Equity
- Financial Institutions Corporate & Regulatory
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Securities Offerings
- Energy
Industries
- Greenville Business Magazine "Legal Elite of the Upstate"
- Mergers & Acquisitions (2024)
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