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Benjamin A. Barnhill
Partner
2 W. Washington Street
Suite 400
Greenville, SC 29601
Suite 900
Washington, D.C., 20001
Ben focuses his practice on corporate, securities, mergers and acquisitions, bank regulatory, and executive compensation matters, with an emphasis on community banks. He represents bank and nonbank financial institutions and their affiliated companies during the organizational, capital raising, and business combination processes. Ben advises these entities on SEC registration, deregistration, and public reporting obligations. He...
Ben focuses his practice on corporate, securities, mergers and acquisitions, bank regulatory, and executive compensation matters, with an emphasis on community banks. He represents bank and nonbank financial institutions and their affiliated companies during the organizational, capital raising, and business combination processes. Ben advises these entities on SEC registration, deregistration, and public reporting obligations. He also has significant experience advising financial institutions as well as other companies on matters involving the interlocking spheres of executive compensation and corporate governance. Ben serves as primary outside counsel for many of his financial institution clients.
also has significant experience advising financial institutions as well as other companies on matters involving the interlocking spheres of executive compensation and corporate governance. Ben serves as primary outside counsel for many of his financial institution clients.
Experience
Experience
- Recent engagements for financial institutions:
- Handle bank mergers, branch acquisitions or divestitures, joint ventures and other transactional matters, including corresponding regulatory applications
- Serve as securities counsel for financial institutions as well as sales agents/underwriters in public and private equity and debt offerings
- Assist both financial institutions and affiliated individuals (as independent counsel) with structuring and negotiating compensation arrangements, including employment agreements, change in control agreements, severance agreements, equity plans, cash bonus plans, and SERPs
- Negotiate formal and informal regulatory enforcement actions, including against affiliated individuals of financial institutions
- Serve as independent counsel for directors and officers of financial institutions, including those subject to FDIC receivership
Education
- New York University, LLM, Taxation (2002)
-
University of South Carolina School of Law,
JD
(2001)
- Articles Editor, ABA Real Property, Probate and Trust Journal
- Carolina Legal Scholar
-
Furman University,
BA,
History,
cum laude
(1998)
- Recipient, Alfred S. Reid Award
Admissions
- South Carolina
- District of Columbia
Experience
- Recent engagements for financial institutions:
- Handle bank mergers, branch acquisitions or divestitures, joint ventures and other transactional matters, including corresponding regulatory applications
- Serve as securities counsel for financial institutions as well as sales agents/underwriters in public and private equity and debt offerings
- Assist both financial institutions and affiliated individuals (as independent counsel) with structuring and negotiating compensation arrangements, including employment agreements, change in control agreements, severance agreements, equity plans, cash bonus plans, and SERPs
- Negotiate formal and informal regulatory enforcement actions, including against affiliated individuals of financial institutions
- Serve as independent counsel for directors and officers of financial institutions, including those subject to FDIC receivership
Media
Insights
Events / Speaking Engagements
News
Alerts
| Better Late than Never: Virtual Shareholder Meetings Now Available to South Carolina-Chartered Corporations, Securities Alert, Co-Author (June 7, 2023) |
Blogs
Recognitions
- TALK Greenville Magazine's Top Lawyers List, Banking and Financial (2023)
- Greenville Business Magazine "Legal Elite of the Upstate", Banking and Finance (2020–2024)
- IFLR1000 USA, Highly Regarded in M&A in South Carolina (2021–2022, 2024)
Professional Activities
- American Bar Association
- South Carolina Bar Association
- Corporate, Banking & Securities Law Section Council, Chair (2025-26)
- Corporate, Banking & Securities Law Section Council (2020–present)
- District of Columbia Bar Association
Community
- Former Member, Furman University President's Advisory Council Executive Committee
- Former Member, Greenville Symphony Association Board of Directors
Ben focuses his practice on corporate, securities, mergers and acquisitions, bank regulatory, and executive compensation matters, with an emphasis on community banks. He represents bank and nonbank financial institutions and their affiliated companies during the organizational, capital raising, and business combination processes. Ben advises these entities on SEC registration, deregistration, and public reporting obligations. He... also has significant experience advising financial institutions as well as other companies on matters involving the interlocking spheres of executive compensation and corporate governance. Ben serves as primary outside counsel for many of his financial institution clients.
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.Experience
- Recent engagements for financial institutions:
- Handle bank mergers, branch acquisitions or divestitures, joint ventures and other transactional matters, including corresponding regulatory applications
- Serve as securities counsel for financial institutions as well as sales agents/underwriters in public and private equity and debt offerings
- Assist both financial institutions and affiliated individuals (as independent counsel) with structuring and negotiating compensation arrangements, including employment agreements, change in control agreements, severance agreements, equity plans, cash bonus plans, and SERPs
- Negotiate formal and informal regulatory enforcement actions, including against affiliated individuals of financial institutions
- Serve as independent counsel for directors and officers of financial institutions, including those subject to FDIC receivership
Education
- New York University, LLM, Taxation (2002)
-
University of South Carolina School of Law,
JD
(2001)
- Articles Editor, ABA Real Property, Probate and Trust Journal
- Carolina Legal Scholar
-
Furman University,
BA,
History,
cum laude
(1998)
- Recipient, Alfred S. Reid Award
Admissions
- South Carolina
- District of Columbia
Practice Areas
- TALK Greenville Magazine's Top Lawyers List, Banking and Financial (2023)
- Greenville Business Magazine "Legal Elite of the Upstate", Banking and Finance (2020–2024)
- IFLR1000 USA, Highly Regarded in M&A in South Carolina (2021–2022, 2024)
- American Bar Association
- South Carolina Bar Association
- Corporate, Banking & Securities Law Section Council, Chair (2025-26)
- Corporate, Banking & Securities Law Section Council (2020–present)
- District of Columbia Bar Association
- Former Member, Furman University President's Advisory Council Executive Committee
- Former Member, Greenville Symphony Association Board of Directors
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