Going Public Attorney • Charleston, South Carolina

Going Public Attorney in Charleston

By · Managing Partner
Last updated

Planning to take your company public? Our Charleston-based attorneys specialize in IPOs, direct listings, SPAC mergers, and alternative paths to public markets for companies across Aerospace, Tourism, Logistics.

Selective M&A Practice
Personal Attention
Senior Counsel on Every Deal

Talk to Alex About Your Charleston Transaction

Share the basics. Alex reviews every inquiry personally.

Your information is kept strictly confidential and will never be shared. Privacy Policy

What We Do

Alex Lubyansky handles ipo & going public law work for buyers and sellers in Charleston and across the country. Here is what that looks like:

  • Traditional IPOs and underwritten offerings
  • Direct listings and direct IPOs
  • SPAC business combinations
  • Reverse mergers and shell company transactions
  • OTCQB and OTCQX listings
  • Regulation A Tier 2 offerings (mini-IPOs)
  • Exchange listing applications (NYSE, NASDAQ)
  • Corporate governance and board structuring

Who We Serve

We work best with people who know what they want and are ready to move:

  • Growth companies ready for public markets
  • Private equity-backed portfolio companies
  • Mature private companies seeking liquidity
  • Foreign companies seeking U.S. listings
  • Pre-IPO companies building infrastructure
  • Companies considering alternatives to traditional IPOs

See If Your Deal Is a Fit

Tell us what you are working on. We respond within one business day.

Your information is kept strictly confidential and will never be shared. Privacy Policy

What Happens After You Submit

We don't take every matter. Here is what happens when you reach out.

1

Personal Review (Within 24 Hours)

Alex reviews your transaction details personally. No intake coordinators, no junior associates screening your submission.

2

Fit Assessment

We evaluate whether your deal aligns with our practice. Not every matter is a fit, and we will tell you directly if it is not.

3

Initial Conversation

If there is alignment, Alex schedules a direct call to discuss your transaction, timeline, and objectives.

4

Clear Engagement Terms

Before any work begins, you receive a written engagement letter with defined scope, timeline, and fee structure. No surprises.

Request Your Charleston Engagement Assessment

Alex Lubyansky handles every ipo & going public law engagement personally.

15+ years of M&A experience. Nationwide. One attorney on every deal.

Request Engagement Assessment

We review every transaction inquiry within one business day.

Your information is kept strictly confidential and will never be shared. Privacy Policy

Questions to Ask Any M&A Attorney Before Hiring

Use these before you call any firm, including ours.

1. "Who will actually handle my transaction?"

At many firms, a partner sells the work and a junior associate does it. Ask for the name of the attorney who will draft and negotiate your documents.

2. "How many M&A transactions has the lead attorney closed in the past 12 months?"

Volume indicates current, active deal experience, not just credentials from years ago.

3. "What is your experience with my deal size and industry?"

A $500K SBA acquisition and a $50M PE deal require different skill sets. Make sure the attorney has handled transactions similar to yours.

4. "Will you coordinate with my CPA, financial advisor, and broker?"

M&A transactions require a team. Your attorney should work with your other advisors, not in a silo.

5. "How do you handle post-closing disputes?"

Reps, warranties, and indemnification claims surface months after closing. Ask whether the firm handles post-closing litigation or refers it out.

6. "What is your fee structure, and what drives cost?"

Hourly, flat fee, or hybrid. Ask what factors increase legal costs so there are no surprises.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from Charleston clients

What can I expect during an initial consultation in Charleston?
During your confidential initial consultation in Charleston, we'll discuss your ipo & going public law needs, review your current situation, assess potential challenges specific to South Carolina, and outline a clear path forward. We'll explain our process, answer your questions, and determine if we're the right fit for your needs.
Do you work with companies outside of Charleston?
Yes, we represent clients nationwide while maintaining a strong presence in Charleston. Our managing partner handles ipo & going public law matters across all 50 states, coordinating with local counsel where state-specific requirements apply.

Need Specific Guidance?

Submit your transaction details for a preliminary assessment by our managing partner

Submit Transaction Details

Ready to Discuss Your Charleston Deal?

Submit transaction details and Alex will respond directly.

Your information is kept strictly confidential and will never be shared. Privacy Policy

Charleston Business Landscape

Key Industries:

Aerospace Tourism Logistics Healthcare Technology

South Carolina Legal Considerations for IPO & Going Public Law

Non-Compete Laws

Enforceable with blue-pencil modification. Generally employer-friendly.

Filing Requirements

Entity mergers and conversions must be filed with the South Carolina Secretary of State. Annual reports are required. Tax clearance (Form C-268) is needed for asset purchases.

Key South Carolina Considerations

  • South Carolina's extensive tax incentive programs (Job Tax Credits, fee-in-lieu of property tax, Enterprise Zones) can represent significant value in manufacturing and industrial acquisitions
  • The state's port system (Port of Charleston) expansion creates regulatory and competitive considerations for logistics and import/export business acquisitions
  • South Carolina courts have been generally employer-friendly on non-compete enforcement, making the state comparatively favorable for buyers seeking to retain restrictive covenants

South Carolina Bar Authority

South Carolina Bar (mandatory unified bar). Unified/integrated bar. Membership required to practice law in South Carolina.

Bar association website

South Carolina Federal and Business Courts

Federal districts: D.S.C.

Business court: South Carolina Business Court (established 2007) Statewide business court with locations in Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville. Pilot program began 2007, made permanent by Supreme Court order.

South Carolina M&A Market Context

South Carolina M&A reflects automotive and aerospace manufacturing (BMW, Boeing, Michelin facilities), and a growing technology sector in the Charleston-Columbia corridor.

Watchpoints

Common Charleston IPO & Going Public Law Pitfalls

These are the items we see derail ipo & going public law transactions in the Charleston market. Each one is rooted in current statutory law, recent legislative changes, or recurring patterns from the deals Alex has handled.

1

South Carolina non-compete enforcement and earn-out exposure

State legal framework

Enforceable with blue-pencil modification. Generally employer-friendly.

"Founders get excited about the check amount and focus on valuation headlines while the fine print gets glossed over."
Alex Lubyansky · Alex LinkedIn Published (Notion library)
2

South Carolina regulatory framework attorneys flag at LOI

State statute

Securities regulated by South Carolina Attorney General Securities Division (scsecurities.org). Blue Sky notice filings required for Reg D.

3

Common ipo & going public law mistake from the field

From Alex Lubyansky

The longer a deal drags, the worse it gets. Deal fatigue is real. Even when both parties agreed to something early on, if dates slip and deadlines slip, human nature takes over. At some point one side goes back to the internal drawing board and decides they don't want to be part of it anymore. I usually find this to be symptomatic of a poor process on the front end. Not malice. Not negative intent. Not someone running up fees. Just poor alignment, poor qualification, poor structuring at the start of the engagement. Once that's the foundation, every missed date compounds. The fix isn't more negotiation in the middle. The fix is doing better qualification before the deal team is even hired.

Attorney perspective on going public attorney matters in Charleston

Alex Lubyansky, Managing Partner at Acquisition Stars
"Buying a business is equally attractive right now, if not more attractive, than investing in more traditional means. A Vanguard index fund is a fantastic investment. It's stable. It's calm. It's predictable. Few fires, and you know what you'll get over the long haul. But for a certain personality type, acquisition gives you something an index fund can't... not just from a return perspective, but from a lifestyle one. Folks with a proper deal team and proper guidance are finding businesses, cash flowing them, and minimizing the time they spend running them over the long term. It's not perfect. It's not easy. It's not hands off. But it is manageable once you've developed your teeth in the field. That's why you're seeing people get into the space who traditionally wouldn't have done so."
Alex Lubyansky, Senior Counsel On founder psychology (advisory) (Leo Landaverde M&A Podcast)

15+ years of M&A and securities transaction experience Senior counsel on every engagement Admitted in Michigan, practicing nationwide

Reviewed by Alex Lubyansky on . Read full bio

Ready to Talk About Your Charleston Deal?

Alex Lubyansky handles every engagement personally. Tell us about your transaction and we will let you know if there is a fit.

Request Engagement Assessment

Tell us about your deal. We review every submission and respond within one business day.

Your information is kept strictly confidential and will never be shared. Privacy Policy

One attorney on every deal. Nationwide. 15+ years of M&A experience.