J. Britton Williston
Biography
Britton is a Member in the firm’s Norfolk office and serves as Chair of the Firm’s Commercial Section and Chair of the Firm’s Recruiting Committee. He is a member of the Corporate & Public Finance and Mergers, Acquisitions & Strategic Alliances practice groups, as well as the firm’s Securities Team. Britton’s practice includes advising public and private companies, investment banks, and investors in all aspects of corporate transactions, including corporate finance, private equity financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and securities offerings and regulation. He has also assisted numerous domestic and international companies listed on NASDAQ and the NYSE with initial public offerings and SEC compliance as well as private placements, secondary offerings, shelf registrations, and other securities transactions.
Representative Matters
- Advised various clients with respect to Securities Act and Securities Exchange Act matters, including initial public offerings, periodic reporting and disclosure issues, private securities offerings, tender offers and proxy statements
- Represented target company in the $700 million sale of a publicly-traded real estate investment trust
- Represented various private equity groups in multiple acquisitions ranging from $10 million to $1.5 billion
- Represented multiple private equity and hedge fund sponsors throughout formation and capital raising process, including capital raises in excess of $1 billion
Recognition & Honors
- Best Lawyers in America, 2024-2025
- Top Lawyers; CoVaBIZ, 2017-2023, 2025
- Virginia’s Legal Elite; Virginia Business Magazine, 2011-2024
- CIVIC Leadership Institute; Class of 2020
- Virginia Rising Stars; Law & Politics, 2013
- Editor; Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems
- Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
Associations
- Virginia Bar Association; Young Lawyers Division, Executive Committee
- Norfolk-Portsmouth Bar Association
- Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters Future Generations Board; Board Member
- Children’s Museum of Virginia; Board Member
- University of Virginia Alumni Association; Board of Managers
- Tidewater Region Jefferson Scholars Selection Committee, University of Virginia
- University of Virginia Young Alumni Council; Former Member
Education
- University of Virginia; B.A., with distinction, 2000
- Columbia University School of Law; J.D., 2003, Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
Press & Publications
- 36 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Top Lawyers 2025 in CoVaBIZ Magazine
- 51 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named to Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” 2024
- 55 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America 2025, 7 Named “Lawyer of the Year,” and 13 Named “Ones to Watch”
- 53 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” 2023
- 54 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Best Lawyers in America© 2024, 6 Named “Lawyer of the Year,” and 10 Named “Ones to Watch”
- 44 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Top Lawyers 2023 in CoVaBIZ Magazine
- 53 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” 2022
- 40 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Top Lawyers 2022 in CoVaBIZ Magazine
- 52 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” 2021
- 40 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Top Lawyers 2021 in CoVaBIZ Magazine
- J. Britton Williston Selected to TerraLex’s 2021 Leadership Program
- 53 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named to Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” 2020
- Franchising Client Alert
- 45 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named CoVaBIZ Magazine’s “Top Lawyers” 2020
- 48 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” 2019
- 48 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” 2018
- 40 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Top Lawyers 2019 in CoVaBiz Magazine
- 31 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Top Lawyers 2017/18 in CoVaBIZ Magazine
- 48 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite 2017
- 48 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named to Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite 2016
- J. Britton Williston Named Member at Kaufman & Canoles
- 44 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite 2015
- J. Britton Williston Awarded Virginia Bar Association Emerson G. Spies Award
- 29 Kaufman & Canoles Attorneys Named as Super Lawyers 2013 and 14 Named as Rising Stars 2013
- Hatch Legal Summit