David Lay Bio

David Lay represents companies and individuals in a broad range of transactional matters, with an emphasis on seed, angel, and venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate and securities matters. He has significant experience in the organization and ongoing representation of emerging growth, technology, and other companies, including information technology, SaaS, high-tech research, development and manufacturing, biosciences, transportation, and B2B and B2C companies. David is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for Corporate Law (2013, 2020-present) and for Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law (2023-present), Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2023-present), Venture Capital Law (2023-present), in Chambers USA for Corporate/M&A Law (2023-present), and in Virginia Super Lawyers for Securities & Corporate Finance Law (2010-2018) and Mergers & Acquisitions (2010-2018). He has been named among Virginia’s “Legal Elite” for Business Law by Virginia Business (2009, 2014-2016, 2019-present). He also has been named Richmond "Lawyer of the Year" for Venture Capital Law by Best Lawyers® (2026). He is the former chair, secretary, and executive committee member of the Richmond Bar Association’s Business Law Section. He previously served as the secretary of the Legal Opinions Committee of the Virginia Bar Association (VBA) and on the VBA’s drafting committee for the Virginia Report on Third Party Legal Opinions in Business Transactions. He earned his Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from Washington & Lee University, and he earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Virginia.