Samuel Ashton Mills

Sam Mills represents entrepreneurs in all areas of business. From the formation of companies and partnerships and the negotiation of business deals and partnership agreements to providing ongoing advice in the operations of businesses in various industries, Sam is your "go to" lawyer. Sam has a substantial commercial real estate practice, having represented developers investors and lenders.

Increasingly, he represents clients in business succession and estate planning matters.

EXPERIENCE

10/17 to Present MILLS FIRM PLLC, Bellaire, TX, OWNER

Practice focuses on corporate, business, finance, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial real estate transactions. Represent investors, lenders, commercial real estate developers, landlords and tenants in connection with virtually all aspects of commercial real estate law.

3/11 to 10/17 FISHMAN JACKSON RONQUILLO, PLLC, Dallas, TX MEMBER

Practice focused on corporate, business, finance, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial real estate transactions. Represented investors, lenders, commercial real estate developers, landlords and tenants in connection with virtually all aspects of commercial real estate law. Also served as outside general counsel to Boston National Title of Texas and a core group of affiliated companies in the insurance, employee benefits, and securities brokerage fields.

2/10 to 3/11 LAW OFFICES OF SAMUEL A. MILLS, P.C., Dallas, TX OWNER

Practice focused on providing on-going legal advice and transactional work to a core group of clients as outside general counsel, as well as representing investors, executives, entrepreneurs and real estate development companies in a wide variety of business transactions.

4/06 to 1/10 SUMMIT ALLIANCE COMPANIES, Dallas, TX EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL COUNSEL

Chief legal officer of, and equity owner in, insurance and financial services firm that includes one of the largest, privately-held life insurance broker general agencies in the U.S. (Transamerica’s top producing agency for 16 consecutive years (1995-2010)), a securities broker-dealer and registered investment advisory platform, an online employee benefit enrollment and administration platform, a worksite marketing company, and a life insurance settlement company. Performed all corporate, real estate investment, and business transactions in house. Advised senior executives on a wide array of corporate governance and regulatory compliance matters. Served as corporate secretary for all affiliated corporations. Supervised and coordinated closely with outside litigation counsel in connection with a variety of litigation matters.

3/03 to 4/06 GLAST, PHILLIPS & MURRAY, P.C., Dallas, TX MEMBER

Practice encompassed a wide variety of corporate, business, finance, insurance and commercial real estate transactions, including stock purchase transactions and joint ventures; the acquisition, disposition, and financing of raw land, office buildings, apartment complexes, hotels, retail centers, industrial and other income-producing properties and businesses; the use of tax-exempt bonds to finance various industrial and real estate projects; leasing; letters of credit; and the structuring of business entities to acquire and operate businesses and income-producing properties.

8/98 to 3/03 GIBSON, DUNN & CRUTCHER LLP, Dallas, TX ASSOCIATE

Practice emphasized general corporate, finance, and complex commercial real estate transactions, including stock purchase transactions, mergers, acquisitions and dispositions of real property and other assets, real estate project finance (including tax-exempt bond finance), letters of credit, structured finance and securitization, total-rate-of-return and interest rate swaps, and debtor-in-possession financings.

10/96 to 8/98 DAVIS POLK & WARDWELL, New York, NY ASSOCIATE

General litigation experience, including drafting briefs, motions, memoranda of law, interrogatories, answers, discovery requests and settlement agreements; witness preparations, first and second-chairing depositions, and case management. Worked closely with former SEC Enforcement Division Chief, Gary Lynch, representing clients in SEC and other governmental investigations. Substantive areas of practice included securities, antitrust, copyright infringement, and products liability. Had primary drafting responsibility for the settlement agreement in the first settlement in the history of the tobacco industry.

8/95 to 9/96 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT, Southern District of NY

HONORABLE DENISE COTE

JUDICIAL CLERK

Drafted dozens of opinions and jury charges dealing with securities, antitrust, copyright, contract, and a variety of other substantive areas of the law.

OTHER

Named a “Rising Star” by the Texas Monthly and Law & Politics magazines in 2004

“A-V” Peer-Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell Since 2005

Rated by Super Lawyers

AVVO Five Star Rating