R. Shawn McBride works with business owners that want to lay the foundation first and get their business going in the right direction or assess where they are and set the stage for a brighter future for their business. His goal is to educate his clients so that they understand the law and can make sound decisions on legal matters affecting their business. As founder and Managing Member of The R. Shawn McBride Law Firm, PLLC, he has guided the Firm to be business focused – after all, Shawn was exposed to the business world completing college degrees in Accounting and Business Administration (concentration: Finance) and passing the CPA exam prior to advising his first legal client. The Firm’s mission is to protect business owners. Shawn is commonly involved, at some level or another, in most Firm client matters, which usually includes protecting business owners in some way, shape or form. It might include looking at buy-sell arrangements for a client that owns part of a business to protect their long-term wealth. Or it might include helping a company successfully bring in investors. When not working on client matters, Shawn oversees daily operations, business development, and client management for the entire Firm. He also heads the Dallas office and has managerial and administrative responsibility over that office. Over the course of his career, he has served in a wide variety of complex transactions at three large law firms prior to launching The R. Shawn McBride Law Firm, PLLC. Shawn’s clients represent a variety of industries, including internet, professional services, health care, real estate, agriculture, food processing, financial services, private equity, and heavy industry. While the Firm has expanded, so have Shawn’s qualifications to practice law. He is currently licensed to practice law in 13 states and the District of Columbia. Shawn earned his J.D. from the University of Maryland Law School in 2002, with honors, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif and Phi Delta Phi (Awards & Recognition: G. Ridgely Sappington Prize for Civil Procedure; Judge Morton P. Fisher Memorial Prize for Federal Income Taxation). Shawn earned his BS in Finance and Accounting from Towson University (summa cum laude; Graduate of Honors College; Beta Gamma Sigma). He is licensed as a CPA in Florida, Maryland, and Texas. Because of his background and knowledge of business law, he is often called upon to speak on or write articles on business law topics. He has been quoted multiple times, including in the Wall Street Journal. Community Service: Board of Advisors, Maryland Public Interest Law