Meagan M. McNeely

Meagan McNeely was born and raised in California by parents who are both native Texans. After completing a study abroad program in South Africa, Meagan transferred from the Point Loma Nazarene University to the University of North Texas where she earned her undergraduate degree in International Studies with a concentration on Regional Studies (Africa) and International Development. After receiving her B.A., Meagan returned to San Diego where she worked in social services and project management. Her love of client interaction and project management, especially contracts and compliance, led her to seek more business experience. After working with non-profits and social services, then in business management, Meagan obtained her ABA Certified Paralegal Certificate from the University of San Diego, graduating with honors and a specialization in Business Litigation Law.

After several years of “real world” work experience, Meagan applied to law school and accepted a full scholarship from The Pennsylvania State University. While earning her Juris Doctor, she served as a lead intern at the law school’s Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic, helping small business owners across Pennsylvania. Of note, one of the founding business owners recently made the Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list. Meagan graduated from Penn State Law with a specialized concentration in Corporate Law and Practice. Upon graduation, she returned to Texas to be near her family.

Superior client service and satisfaction is Meagan’s top priority and guiding principle. Meagan’s background in social services and business management provides her with a unique perspective to counsel her clients in all areas of corporate law, business litigation, entity formation, and contracts. She provides guidance for her clients from the start-up stage to the sale of their businesses. Her passion for small business owners and entrepreneurs translates to superior customer service and legal guidance that anticipates her clients’ unique challenges and business opportunities.
While she frequently works with startups and new businesses in the entity formation stage, Meagan also helps clients with matters such as drafting and reviewing a variety of contracts and agreements such as independent contractor agreements, employment agreements, and employee handbooks; distributor agreements, asset purchase agreements, buy-sell agreements, memoranda of understanding, and leases; franchise disclosure documents, demand letters, estate planning, and property issues; non-disclosure agreements, confidentiality, and non-solicitation agreements; and company agreements, corporate governance, other various agreements among owners, and other complex contracts. Examples of Meagan’s litigation experience include business litigation, contract disputes, landlord-tenant issues, fraud claims, DTPA allegations, real estate lawsuits, settlements, motions practice, and strategic advising memoranda. Meagan is able to successfully utilize her own business background into crafting contracts with the intention of avoiding or potentially defending against lawsuits, thus protecting her clients as wholly as possible.

Meagan enjoys indoor gardening, painting, reading, Penn State Football, and her two cats, Bonnie and Bellatrix. She also operates a supplemental bar prep program and mentors law graduates as they prepare to take the bar exam.

Practice Areas

• Entity Formation and Structuring
• Contract Drafting and Negotiation
• Business Disputes
• Corporate Governance and Compliance
• Pre-litigation Demands and Settlements
• General Corporate Matters

Prior Attorney Experience

McNeely Law, PLLC – Managing Attorney

• Focused practice on transactional business law, including entity formation and startup advising, corporate governance, complex contracts, business purchases and sales agreements, with a strong emphasis on contract drafting, review, negotiations, and dispute resolution
• Provided long-term strategic legal business planning and multi-year action road-mapping
• Handled all management matters, including client satisfaction, vendor and software contracts, revenue and balance maintenance, branding and marketing, referral cultivation, and other administrative matters
• Conducted oversight, training, and mentoring of interns, both current law students and recent graduates

Gibson Law Group, PC – Litigation Associate; Independent Litigation Consultant

• Handled business litigation matters
• Composed and responded to demand letters
• Wrote original complaints, answers, motions in limine, and motions for summary judgment
• Reviewed incoming discovery and prepared outgoing discovery; created exhibit lists and trial materials; selected witnesses, prepared for, and conducted depositions
• Formulated case strategy for pretrial and trial stages and performed necessary legal research to support legal conclusions
• Wrote strategic memoranda to managing partner and to clients advising on settlements and providing legal summary of specific statutes and application to cases; lead mediations to facilitate settlements

Berger Law Firm, PLLC – Intellectual Property Contract Attorney

• Drafted demand letters and cease and desist notices for trademark infringement; responded to TTAB notices of opposition; drafted and filed motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment for trademark opposition suits
• Wrote nuanced buy-sell agreements for multi-member limited liability companies
• Advised managing attorney on relevant statutes and recommended courses of action for individual clients

Mullin, P.C. – Associate Attorney

• Handled corporate formations and organizational documents
• Reviewed commercial leases
• Revised and edited Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs); redlined and wrote memos for franchisee FDD interests and advised regarding contract provisions
• Drafted and edited investor private placement memorandum

Prior Legal Intern Experience

Neel Law, PLLC – Legal Intern
Penn State Law Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic at Happy Valley LaunchBox – Lead Intern

• Assisted on diverse business transactions, including investment closings and asset sales
• Drafted business organization and operational documents; company agreements, bylaws, and various agreements among owners; purchase and sales agreements, joint development agreements, and distributor agreements; confidentiality, non-disclosure agreements, and company privacy protections; end-user agreements, software licensing agreements, terms of use, and internet privacy policies
• Reviewed contracts and advised clients as to interpretation of contractual and statutory provisions; provided legal strategic planning and business advising
• Created template documents for use by all clinic staff; trained and mentored incoming interns on procedural issues and substantive matters

Armstrong Group of Companies – In-House Summer Associate

Other Legal Experience

Boland Sports Practice, LLC – Editor and Co-Author

• Co-Author of treatise on Name-Image-Likeness rights for collegiate athletes
• Edit material and format Bluebook citations for various articles and book chapters
• Suggest subject matter additions and research source material on miscellaneous projects

Corporate Paralegal

Affiliations and Bar Admissions

Licensed and admitted to practice in Texas and Washington
Member, American Bar Association
Member, Dallas Bar Association
Member, Houston Bar Association
Member, Texas State Bar Association
Member, Washington State Bar Association

Education

• The Pennsylvania State University, Penn State Law
  Juris Doctor, May 2020; Specialized Concentration: Corporate Law and Practice
  Honors: Penn State Law Dean’s Merit Scholarship; CALI Award for the highest grade in Contracts

  Activities: Journal of Law and International Affairs, Resident Blog Editor; Leading Law Student: Centre Volunteers in Medicine, Non-Voting Board Member; Legal Panelist for undergraduate innovation competition to provide general legal advice regarding startup entities and intellectual property

  Certifications (Thomson Reuters): Transactional Law Certification, Essential Legal Research Certification, Advanced Legal Research Certification

• University of San Diego
  ABA Approved Paralegal Certificate Program, September 2015
  Business Litigation Specialty, Completed with Honors
• University of North Texas
  B.A. International Studies, December 2008

Honors & Awards

Penn State Law Dean’s Merit Scholarship; CALI Award for the highest grade in Contracts

Published Works

Co-Author and Editor: Robert Boland, (title pending) NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) Rights in Collegiate Sports (anticipated Winter 2023).

Editor, Writing Assistant, Legal Research Assistant: Robert Boland, Stadium and Facility Financing, in Sports Finance: Where the Money Comes from and Where the Money Goes. (Human Kinetics, 2021).

Author: Meagan McNeely, Day Zero: Blessing the Rains in South Africa, J. Law & Int’l Aff. (Online, 2020.)