Van R. Mayhall, Jr. Partner—Baton Rouge Phone: 225.381.8009 Fax: 225.387.5397 Email: van.mayhall.jr@bswllp.com

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Van R. Mayhall, Jr., is the senior partner in the Baton Rouge office and is a former Chairman of the firm’s Executive Committee having served six years in such role.  He has extensive legal experience with strategic and enterprise legal issues affecting ongoing businesses.  Mr. Mayhall advises boards of directors and senior management on such issues and for over 38 years has practiced in the areas of corporate and business law; business transactions, tax and securities matters; insurance regulatory matters; selected litigation and alternative dispute resolution.

Admissions and Education

Admitted to practice: Louisiana State and Federal Courts, 1971; U.S. Tax Court and the Supreme Court of the United States, 1979

Georgetown Law, Washington, D.C., Master Law Taxation, 1979

Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University, Juris Doctorate, 1971 (Associate Editor of the Louisiana Law Review from 1970-1971; Order of Coif, Phi Alpha Delta, and Phi Kappa Phi)

Professional Associations

Member Baton Rouge and State of Louisiana Bar Associations

Board Certified Tax Attorney and Former Director of the Louisiana State Bar Association Specialization Board; Chairman of the Section on Taxation for the Louisiana State Bar Association from 1990-1991

Member of American Bar Association’s Committee on Insurance Companies and the Federation of Regulatory Counsel “FORC.”

Downtown Development District, 2009-2010 Chair; past Vice Chair and Secretary

Member of the Board of Directors of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center

Vice Chair and Member of the Board of Directors of the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority

Member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce

Past Chair of the Good Growth, Infrastructure and Transportation Issues Council of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber

Past Chair of the Dinner Committee for the 2007 Brotherhood/Sisterhood Awards Gala in August 2007.

Former Chairman of the Governmental Affairs and Community Development Division of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce

Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Capital Area United Way; CAUW Campaign Chair elect for 2006 and Campaign Chair for 2007

Founding Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Clara Barton Society of the Louisiana Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross

Past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross

Member of Alumni Board of Trustees, LSU Law Center

Past Co-Chairman of the Louisiana Tax Institute

1987 Graduate of Leadership of Greater Baton Rouge

Member of the Board of Governors and Secretary of City Club of Baton Rouge

Publications

Authored or co-authored:  “Insure Louisiana Incentive Program, Second Public Offering”, 2008; Guaranty Association Administrative Claims Paid on a Par With Liquidator Administrative Claims; Insurance Fraud Protection Act; Louisiana: Louisiana Department of Insurance Issues Bulletin on Felons in Insurance Industry; Louisiana: Fifth Circuit Clarifies Imposition of Penalties under Insurance Code where Insurer Arbitrarily and Capriciously Fails to Timely Settle Claim; Louisiana: Officers, Directors & Trustees to File Biographical Information Under New Regulation; Louisiana: Supreme Court Upholds the Constitutionality of “No Pay, No Play” Statute; Louisiana Year 2000 Endorsements/Exclusions; Tax Treatment of Year 2000 Compliance; “Considerations in Buying or Selling a Business in Louisiana”; “Investment Control and Securities Laws”, 1992; “Basic Corporate Law in Louisiana”, 1994;

Louisiana Department of Insurance - wrote papers and delivered seminars, entitled “Basket Clause” (1993) and “Eligible Investments in Admitted Assets” (1992).

Presentations

Presentation to the 6th Annual Louisiana Filing & Compliance Seminar held in conjunction with the Louisiana Insurers’ Conference - “Legislative Highlights & Hot Topics”, July 2009, New Orleans, LA;

Presentation to the 5th Annual Filing and Compliance Seminar held in conjunction with the Louisiana Insurers’ Conference - “Legislative Highlights & Industry Perspective”, July 2008, New Orleans, LA;

Presentation to the Louisiana Insurers’ Conference - “Contracts 101”, March 2008, Baton Rouge, LA;

Presentation to LABI - “Louisianans for Workers’ Compensation Reform”, March 2008;

Presentation to the International Association of Insurance Receivers - “Directors and Officers Liability Issues and Insurance Coverage”, December 2006, San Antonio, TX;

Presentation to Louisiana Insurers’ Conference on insurance regulatory issues and general business issues, November 2006;

Presentation to the NOLHGA MPC Meeting - “Sarbanes-Oxley”, February 2005, Tampa, FL;

Presentation to the Institute of Internal Auditors - Sarbanes-Oxley”, November 2003;

Presentation to attendees of conference on “Considerations in Buying or Selling a Business in Louisiana”, November 1997, Baton Rouge, LA

Presentation to the Society of Louisiana Certified Public Accountants - “Bankruptcy Strategies and Workouts”, June 1987, Orlando, FL

Representative Matters

Represent businesses at board and senior management levels in addressing enterprise and strategic legal issues which constitute opportunities for or threats to such businesses.

Represents clients in major transactional work, valued in the last several years in the hundreds of millions of dollars, including clients in major transactional work regarding corporate formation, dissolutions, reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions.

Represents clients before the Securities & Exchange Commission and the Louisiana Securities Commission.

Represents both private business interests and publicly-held companies. With respect to publicly-held companies, this includes the construction and drafting of many types of securities documents complying with federal and state securities laws, including registration statements, Form 10K’s, Form 10Q’s, 8K’s and other assorted documentation, including private offering memoranda.

Represents private clients’ business interests before many different administrative bodies, including the Department of Insurance, Department of Economic Development, the Department of Revenue, Metro/City/Town Councils, Planning and Zoning Commissions, and miscellaneous boards and agencies.

Represents clients with respect to Internal Revenue Service tax disputes, audits, and controversies arising out of corporate and personal income tax returns as well as transactional tax matters.

Represents insurers, reinsurers, agents, HMO’s, service companies, self-insured funds, third-party administrators, employers, and state regulators on a wide variety of insurance, transactional and regulatory issues.

Represents clients in numerous class action cases and other critical pieces of litigation.

Has served as an expert witness in both insurance regulatory and private contractual matters.

Supports clients in advancing and opposing legislation.