PEOPLE

James Lawrence

Associate
lawrence.james@dorsey.com
Phoenix P +1 (602) 735-2654 F +1 (602) 926-0363

Overview

James is a corporate and deal attorney with extensive experience structuring, negotiating, and finalizing private acquisitions and divestitures—particularly in the private equity space
He has guided transactions ranging from mid-market to larger-scale deals across a variety of industries, including manufacturing, technology (such as aerospace, software, and payment processing), healthcare, insurance, commercial real estate, mining, construction, and agribusiness. James also has experience managing cross-border deal teams on international transactions. Apart from his work as an M&A attorney, James works closely with clients on joint ventures, entity formation, financing (debt/equity), corporate restructuring, private securities offerings, and commercial contracts. James’s focus on real-world solutions, combined with his down-to-earth approach to legal problems, ensures that every step of the representation is carefully tailored to each client’s unique priorities and objectives.

Education & Admissions

Arizona State University - Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (J.D., 2019), summa cum laude

University of Nevada, Reno (B.S., Economics, 2016)

Admissions

  • Arizona

Experience

  • Represented a California-based payment processing company in a $1.2 billion cross-border acquisition. *
  • Represented an Arizona-based construction company in acquisitions totaling $60 million. *
  • Represented the largest family-founded manufacturer, supplier, and marketer of antifreeze and functional fluids in the United States in its sale to a private equity buyer for $100 million. *
  • Represented dozens of insurance brokerages in sales totaling an aggregate $800 million. *
  • Represented a Japanese public company in the cross-border acquisition of an Arizona-based farm equipment manufacturer. *
  • Represented an Arizona-based beer distributing company in a $150 million acquisition. *
  • Represented a Bay Area-based insurance software company in an $50 million sale. *
  • Represented a California-based irrigation manufacturer in a $50 million sale to a private equity buyer. *
  • Represented a private equity sponsor in the $20 million acquisition of a Texas-based insurance services provider. *
  • Represented an HVAC manufacturing and installation company in a $100 million sale to a Japanese public company. *
  • Represented a private equity–sponsored portfolio company in several add-on acquisitions totaling $40 million. *

*Certain experiences occurred prior to joining Dorsey.

Accolades

  • Super Lawyers: Rising Starts, 2025