Yolanda Davis Brisco

As a member of both the firm’s Economic Development and Corporate & Business Transactions practice groups, Yolanda represents US and international companies in a wide variety of industries, with a focus on economic development projects and public-private partnerships; general corporate governance and business transactions; and tax-exempt organization formation, structuring, and compliance.

Yolanda’s economic development practice includes matters involving:

• Establishing new facilities in the US
• Expanding existing facilities and operations in the US
• Negotiating and obtaining state and local economic development incentives
• Structuring partnerships for improvements in public infrastructure
• Drafting and negotiating commercial contracts
• Assisting with land use needs such as rezoning

Examples of economic development projects in which Yolanda has served on the legal team include:

• $1 billion/600-job silicon carbide device manufacturing facility;
• $340 million/up to 3.85 million square feet, 427-acre industrial park;
• $82 million/205-job performance textiles manufacturing facility;
• $35 million/504,000 square foot industrial building with public infrastructure;
• $27.1 million/200-job Canadian furniture manufacturing facility;
• $11.8 million/235-job offsite homebuilding solutions manufacturing facility;
• $5.84 million/500-job direct mortgage lender HQ expansion;
• $4.37 million/63-job exhaust product manufacturing facility; and
• $4.1 million/300-job financial technology company HQ expansion.

Yolanda’s corporate practice includes matters involving:

• Entity structure and formation
• Corporate governance
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Private equity and debt financings
• Nonprofit tax exemption and compliance

Example corporate matters in which Yolanda has served on the legal team include:

• Representation of nonprofit tax-exempt organizations, advising or assisting:
  • Religious foundations in policy development and endowment drafting;
  • Organizations in receiving exemption under 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code; and
  • Organizations with corporate governance and IRS tax-exempt compliance.
• Representation of a family office (private equity) in the:
  • Debt financing of a fuel and lubricant distribution startup;
  • Acquisition of membership interest in a retail beauty products company; and
  • Acquisition of a bank and lab furniture manufacturer, and sale and lease-back of the manufacturing facility.
• Representation of a privately held biopharmaceutical company in the:
  • Acquisition of interest in several biopharmaceutical companies;
  • Sale of subsidiaries and their assets including novel drug candidates;
  • Funding of subsidiaries;
  • Equity investment in drug development companies;
  • Negation of the modification and/or disposition of existing investments;
  • Establishment of a conflicts committee and conflicts policy; and
  • Counsel regarding corporate opportunity issues.
• Representation of a financial advisory firm in the:
  • Conversion and sale of revenue share units;
  • Redemption and issuance of units;
  • Consideration of a cash-out merger; and
  • Counsel regarding discretionary bonuses and their effects on distributions.
• Representation of a national logistics company in the:
  • Acquisition of interest in a mobile application for drivers and fleet managers; and
  • Acquisition of interest in a transportation services company.

Prior to joining the firm, Yolanda spent more than a decade in the accounting and nonprofit industries as a consultant and the real estate industry as a Realtor®/Broker licensed in North and South Carolina. Yolanda received a B.S. degree, magna cum laude, in Biology and minor in Chemistry from Winston-Salem State University and an M.S. degree in Accountancy from the Wayne Calloway School of Business and Accountancy at Wake Forest University. After obtaining her masters, she worked for a "Big 4" public accounting firm as a Fortune 500 Business Assurance and Advisory Services professional. Thereafter, she obtained a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and received her J.D. from Campbell University, Norman A. Wiggins School of Law.

Community & Professional

American Bar Association

• Business Law Section, Member
• Commission on Women in the Profession, Former Committee Member

North Carolina Bar Association

• Business Law Section, Member
• Education Law Section, Former Council Member

John S. Leary Association of Black Attorneys

North Carolina Economic Development Association

Center for Women in Law (University of Texas School of Law), Research Study on the Law School Experiences of Women of Color, Former Advisory Board Member

Outside Maynard Nexsen

Yolanda’s life outside the firm is filled with foodie adventures, sporting events, and travel with her husband, Brandon; and loving on their sweet daughter, Briana. You can find her cheering on the teams at each of her alma maters, as well as her husband’s beloved LSU tigers, SC Gamecocks WBB, and the Charlotte Hornets. When she’s not enjoying a sporting event or pursuing her passion for food, culture, and travel, she’s reading a good book or spending time with family and friends.

Active in the community, Yolanda co-founded and currently chairs the board of Davis Academy, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting equity in public schools with focus on restorative practices and community schools.

• Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch for Corporate Law (2023-present), Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2023), Nonprofit / Charities Law (2024)
• Women to KNOW in North Carolina Volume One, 2022 
• National Black Lawyers Association Top 40 under 40 in North Carolina, 2020, 2021, and 2022 – an honor given to attorneys who exemplify superior qualifications, leadership skills, and performance in legal practice; as well as promote diversity
• Charlotte Business Journal 40 Under 40, 2021 – CBJ’s signature awards program which spotlights individuals who are making a difference in their careers and communities
• Winston-Salem State University Forty Under 40, 2021 – celebration of young alumni professionals who are making positive changes in the world
• Campbell Law 45th Anniversary Alumni Spotlight, 2021 – 45 Campbell Law alumni who are living out the university’s motto “leading with purpose”