Area of Emphasis
Joe Bunn is a shareholder in the Corporate and Commercial Group of Babst Calland. Before obtaining his law degree, Mr. Bunn worked for a Fortune 500 company and a middle market company where he served in numerous roles involving strategic planning, capital raises, acquisitions and divestitures. Armed with a deep understanding of the practical needs of business owners, he now assists clients in financial transactions, mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. Mr. Bunn also counsels clients in other strategic areas such as corporate governance issues and miscellaneous contracts.
Over the course of his practice, Mr. Bunn has negotiated and drafted numerous transactions for buyers and sellers ranging in size from approximately $10 million to $325 million. Recently, he assisted a client in selling its industrial software business to a private equity fund specializing in the space. Mr. Bunn also recently assisted a client in acquiring a joint venture interest from its joint venture partner. His practice primarily pertains to the natural resources, rail transportation, banking, and private equity industries.
Prior to joining Babst Calland, Mr. Bunn worked for a boutique law firm focused entirely on energy and real estate transactions and another large law firm based in West Virginia.
Background
Mr. Bunn graduated from William & Mary in 2002 with a B.B.A. in Finance. He earned his J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law in 2010.
Memberships and Affiliations
Mr. Bunn is admitted to practice in West Virginia and Virginia. He is Chairman of the West Virginia State Bar’s Coal Subcommittee and the West Virginia Consolidated Retirement Board. Mr. Bunn is also a member of the American Bar Association, Energy & Mineral Law Foundation, and the Board of Directors for The Nature Conservancy of West Virginia.
Mr. Bunn has been recognized in The Best Lawyers of America® for Mining Law since 2013; Commercial Transactions/UCC Law since 2018; Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law since 2024; and Securitization and Structured Finance Law in the 2026 edition. He was named the Best Lawyers® 2026 Mining Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Charleston, W.Va.
