Brandy absolutely loves what she does and deems the relationship with her clients to be one of the utmost priority; hence many of her friends become her clients and she considers most of her clients her friends. While her job is to represent her business clients, she believes that this does not always mean “winning” every negotiation or having the biggest mark-up. She understands that in a lot of transactions, the parties will end up on the same side at the end of the transaction or will be going separate ways in business. Brandy believes that the real “win” is when both sides feel great when they come together or go their separate ways. She always tells her clients on the front end, “I will give you the legal answer and consequences, I will tell you what I am seeing in the market, I will tell you what I, as a business owner, would do, and, then, you, my client will make the business and legal decision. Then, I know that you are making the best decision with the best information. This often means leaving some arguments, negotiations, and red-lining on the table. As long as you, the client understands that and the consequences, and still feel good about your decision, I have done my best job.”
When she is not doing what she loves at work, she is doing the other things in life that she loves…spending time with her son and dog, sports of all types, especially when outside, including hiking, running, cycling, paddle-boarding, etc., watching football, especially Gamecock, Panthers and Steelers football, traveling to see as much of the world and its people as possible, and reading.
As one of the firm’s co-founders and principal owners, Brandy Milazzo focuses her practice in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, technology, supply chain and outsourcing transactions, private equity and venture capital transactions, commercial business transactions, finance, loan modifications, and other general corporate work, such as corporate organization, governance, or dissolution.
She represents numerous clients in:
• Acquisitions or exits, ranging in transaction value from $100K $200K up to $45 billion, including private and publicly held companies.
• The negotiation of any complex and/or significant customer or vendor contract, ranging from software and technology master service and licensing agreements (including service level agreements) to distribution and manufacturing agreements to services and consulting agreements.
• Obtaining or providing private capital and financing, the organization of an entity, maintenance and/or clean-up of corporate documents, or dissolution
• Advice on the legality of online promotions and documentation related to promotions.
During the last few years, she has had the honor and privilege of being the recipient of numerous distinguished awards including the 2012 NC Bar and Girl Scouts Raising the Bar Award, the Girl Scouts Thanks Badge, being named one of the 50 Most Influential Women of 2013 by The Mecklenburg Times, a 2013 Distinguished Rotarian by the Rotary Club of Charlotte-Evening, a North Carolina Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine, recipient of the 2015 Charlotte Business Journal’s “40 Under 40”, 2015 and 2016 Top Super Lawyers & Best Lawyers in North Carolina, 2016 Business North Carolina Legal Elite, and 2016 SmartCEO BRAVA award recipient.
As for her academic background, she earned her J.D., cum laude, from the University of South Carolina, along with her M.I.B.S. from the Darla Moore School of Business. She also attended Campbell University, receiving a B.A., summa cum laude, with a pre-law/government major and French minor.
During graduate school, she lived in Paris and worked for a technology company for approximately one year, hence her fluency in French. After spending 12 years in the big law firms as a corporate lawyer, she ventured out on Feb 28th 2020 to open ASCENSION LAW. Since then, the firm has grown to include 13 attorneys and 12 staff members encompassing various legal practice areas. She is very proud of her firm’s accomplishments in just a few short years. As the firm continues to grow, she is further committed to providing the exceptional service within the highest standards that the firm’s clients have come to expect.
Client Engagements include:
• The rebidding, consolidation, and contracting of the $4 billion logistics vendor services for an international home goods manufacturer and retailer.
• The close of the $14 million sale of a service provider.
• The $6 million purchase of a subsidiary for a national hospitality business.
• The $4 million SBIC transaction for local client and subsequently, the client’s refinance of the same debt to senior debt; the sale of the same client at a multiple years later.
• Reviewed, revised, negotiated and advised as to strategy regarding significant supply chain contracts for several industries, including a large player in shipping/transportation industry, a state governmental unit, various manufacturing clients, a national telecommunications provider and a wireless distributor and retailer.
• Three partial exits of clients from transportation/contraction industry combined with private investment, each in the range of $40 million to $50 million.
• Partial exit of a client from a software industry combined with private investment valued at $40 million.
• Acquisitions and financings and exit representation of a client in the construction industry and continued representation of client in new business, deals ranging from $4 million to $50 million.
• Various shareholder transfers from $2 million and above in various industries.
• Numerous sales and acquisitions of businesses $2 million plus in various industries.
