James A. “Rocky” Gianola
Rocky leads a diverse business practice that includes estate planning and administration, construction law, tax law, business and commercial law. Rocky represents small and large businesses in commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, commercial leasing, capital formation and development, financing, compliance, and operational matters. Rocky handles the planning, creation, and execution of estate plans for individuals and families for large and small estates including estate administration. He is known for delivering practical, achievable, and innovative legal advice that helps clients make well-informed decisions with an emphasis on results. Whether guiding new and old companies through a transaction or the day to day operations of their business, or planning an estate for succession of a business, Rocky works to provide the best decision to obtaining the desired results in a timely manner.
Education
West Virginia University College of Law, JD, 1982
West Virginia University, B.S., Accounting, 1979 (Cum Laude)
Community Involvement
Member of the West Virginia Bar Association
Member of Community Associations Institute
Member of West Virginia University Lettermen
Member of West Virginia University Alumni Association Board of Directors
Other Interests?
Rocky lives in Morgantown with his wife Victoria Adams. He is an avid supporter of West Virginia University and West Virginia athletics along with youth and high school athletics.
Bar and Court Admissions
Professional Affiliations
Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning and Administration.
Rocky has helped hundreds of individuals with planning, documenting, and executing an estate plan for large and small estate, business estates, and specialty estates. Rocky has administered and planned estates in size from $100,000 to $95,000,000 with innovative, proven, and appropriate techniques and structuring.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Rocky has had great success in guiding businesses, their owners and principals through the negotiations, structuring, and complexities of buying, selling, or merging a business. Rocky provides an innovative, well thought out, and timely approach, tailored to the needs of individual owners and non-publicly traded organizations, from the selling or transferring side and the buying or requiring side of a transaction. Rocky has extensive experience in structuring, planning, and executing due diligence reviews, negotiations purchase agreements and related documents necessary for securing regulatory approvals, consents, and challenges of a transaction.
Commercial Transactions
Rocky works with clients to negotiate, organize, and document their contractual needs with contracts that are clearly written, enforceable, and in compliance with applicable state and federal law while helping clients to mitigate, legal risks. Rocky clearly communicates the obligations and liabilities associated with every transaction to help clients consummate the transactions they need or pursue and to create long-term value for their businesses.
Business Organization and Capital Formation
Rocky works with new organizations and ventures to advise clients on selecting, structuring, and forming legal entities tailored to their business goals, liability concerns, tax considerations, and operational needs. He works with these clients, as well as clients that were organized without ever considering these important foundational issues, to prepare or revise key governing documents to establish the internal rules of the business, allocate decision making authority, and define ownership rights and responsibilities. Rocky has provided planning, structuring and documentation of business transfers and operational aspects of a business.
Tax Planning and Compliance.
With accounting background and over 25 years of tax experience, Rocky is uniquely qualified and experienced in structuring transactions to maximize the tax benefits to his clients. Every transaction, transfer, estate, business, or individual involvement with nearly anything will always have a tax effect to it and need tax planning and compliance for the transaction.
Our attorneys are committed to delivering exceptional legal service and representation across a wide range of practice areas. Whether you need assistance with corporate, real estate, commercial, or transactional matters, our team is here to help.
