James L. Weinberg

"Leadership of a law firm is like coaching a very talented baseball team. The leader is in charge of getting the right people in the right positions, letting each excel and providing enough coordination such that the whole is better than the individual performances."

Jim engages an active corporate practice focused on mergers and acquisitions, and legal advice to closely-held businesses.

Jim counsels clients on the “life events” affecting their businesses. He is a trusted advisor to owners of closely-held or family-owned businesses looking to sell or transition their enterprises. He has advised sellers in the manufacturing, distribution and services industries, with transaction values ranging from $10 million to $500 million. 

Jim assists owners as they seek to grow their businesses through acquisitions. Jim’s mergers and acquisitions experience includes strategic acquisitions by middle-market companies and entrepreneurs, and industry consolidation/rollup acquisitions. He regularly counsels a national investment banking firm on their day-to-day legal needs, including the negotiation of engagement agreements. He oversees due diligence investigation of acquisition targets, and negotiates a wide array of agreements to accomplish specialized goals of the client relating to an acquisition.

Jim’s even-keel demeanor can be an asset in the stressful situations that frequently arise in a merger and acquisition transaction. Drawing on deep knowledge of the law, an entrepreneurial mind-set and strong communication skills, he is able to address important and thorny issues. With experience, insight and a calm bearing, Jim can successfully steer clients to a successful outcome.

Jim’s client base includes a diverse group of private businesses. Despite the diversity, there are common needs among business owners for clarity in shareholder relations, employment agreements, capital structures and relationships with key vendors and customers. He helps clients navigate these critical relationships.

Jim’s practice includes:

• Providing regular guidance on shareholder agreements, operating agreements for limited liability companies, employment agreements, supply agreements and other documents related to key relationships in a business.
• Represented management owners investing new and roll-over equity in connection with an acquisition between two private equity groups and the negotiation of new employment agreements, which included additional equity incentives.
• Guided the founder of an electric supply business through the sale of his business to an industry leader that involved negotiation of a significant transitional services agreement.
• Advise and assist a growing moving and storage business in its acquisition of businesses and warehouses on the East Coast
• Evaluated and negotiated several co-investment opportunities for clients with a number of private equity groups.
• Counseling owners of businesses with practical, cost-effective advice in a wide variety of areas ranging from electrical supply, environmental remediation and technology, real estate management and acquisition, a safety and security hardware and software developer, manufacturing, moving and storage, and food services.
• Advising the sellers of owners of several professional service businesses in the sale of the businesses to strategic buyers and financial buyers.
• Counseling clients with respect to Virginia’s laws on gambling, charity gaming and fantasy sports contests.

Prior to joining Hirschler Fleischer, Jim was an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton in its New York and Paris offices.

Best Lawyers in America®, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Securities/Capital Markets Law, 2022, 2024 - 2025

Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers in America®, Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Securities / Capital Markets Law, 2023

Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers in America, Mergers and Acquisition Law, Richmond, 2022

Selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America, Gaming Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law, and Mergers and Acquisitions Law, 2012, 2014 - 2021

Virginia Super Lawyers, Mergers & Acquisitions, 2006 - 2024

Named to Virginia’s  “Legal Elite, (Legal Services/Pro Bono), Virginia Business, 2018-2020; (Business Law), Virginia Business, 2017, 2019

Named to “Legal Elite, Legal Services/Pro Bono, Virginia Business, 2012 - 2016, 2019, 2021 - 2022

Named a “Leader in the Law,” Virginia Lawyers Weekly, 2016

Named “Lawyer of the Year,” Gaming Law, Richmond, The Best Lawyers in America, 2014

Professional Affiliations

Virginia Bar Association

American Bar Association, Member, Business Law and Securities Law Sections

Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference, Permanent Member

Business and Civic Organizations

Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, Board of Directors

Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, Past President and Board Member

Richmond Jewish Foundation, Past President and Board Member

Central Virginia Foodbank, Past President

Valentine Richmond History Center, Assistant Secretary

Robert Russa Moton Museum for Civil Rights in Education, Board of Trustees

Leadership Metro Richmond, 2001 Graduate

Jim’s biggest personal accomplishment is raising two remarkable and wonderful daughters with his wife of 26 years (Rosann).

Jim and Rosann love to travel. Now empty-nesters, they regularly return to Paris, where they lived for nearly a year following their marriage. In 2018, they took their first trip to Africa, visiting South Africa and Botswana.

Jim believes lawyers have an obligation to give back to the community and he leads by example, devoting hundreds of hours each year to charitable causes. One of his most rewarding volunteer experiences was serving as president of Central Virginia Food Bank, where he helped drive the merger of the Food Bank and Meals on Wheels, expanding the reach of those organizations that serve hungry children and families in 34 Virginia counties.

Fun facts:  Jim can ride a unicycle and has seen every episode of Modern Family and is a big fan of Division III Women’s Ultimate Frisbee.