B.T. Atkinson's general corporate and securities practice includes a wide range of experience with public and private companies - including significant work with community bank organization and compliance.

Mr. Atkinson has experience in merger and acquisition transactions involving financial institutions and other public and private companies. He has been involved in the representation of both underwriters and issuers in public and private offerings of debt and equity securities. He also regularly advises a variety of public and private companies, broker-dealer firms, venture capital funds, hedge funds and investment advisers on regulatory compliance matters under federal and state law and general corporate issues.

Prior to attending law school, Mr. Atkinson was an audit staff accountant with Price Waterhouse in its Charlotte office.

Representative Experience

Mr. Atkinson's representative experience includes:

• Represented Aliant Financial Corporation and its subsidiary, Aliant Bank, Alexander City, Alabama, in an investment by USAmeriBancorp, Inc., holding company for USAmeriBank, Tampa, Florida, of $25 million in convertible preferred stock and the concurrent offering of up to $25 million of subordinated notes through Burke Capital Group, a division of Morgan Keegan
• Represented First Community Bancshares, Inc., Bluefield, Virginia, in its acquisition of TriStone Community Bank, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• Represented First Bank, St. Louis, Missouri, in the sale of 24 branches, $ 1 billion of deposits, and $300 million in loans comprising its Chicago Region to FirstMerit Bank, Akron Ohio
• Represented Piedmont Community Bank Holdings, Inc. in its formation as a private-equity backed bank holding company and its acquisition of a controlling interest in VantageSouth Bank, Burlington, North Carolina

Professional Affiliations

• North Carolina Bankers Association – Affiliate Member
• North Carolina Bar Association – Chair of the Securities Regulation Committee

Civic Involvement and Distinctions

• Best Lawyers (Securities, 2010)
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Belk College of Business – Business Advisory Board Member