Jay R. McDaniel

Jay R. McDaniel is a Partner in Scarinci Hollenbeck’s Corporate and Business Law practice, bringing more than three decades of experience as a business counselor and corporate litigator. His practice sits at the intersection of business valuation, ownership disputes, and the governance of closely held companies, with a focus on helping owners protect, enhance, and realize the value of what they have built, whether through litigation, negotiation, or strategic planning.

A significant part of Jay’s work involves serving as special counsel on valuation issues and advising owners of closely held enterprises through business divorce matters. He has deep experience in complex disputes among business partners, shareholders, and LLC members. As both a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) and a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA), Jay combines legal strategy with financial and valuation insight to guide clients through the transitions, disputes, and succession events that define the life cycle of privately held businesses.

Owners facing shareholder and LLC member oppression, breach of fiduciary duty, and forced buyouts turn to Jay to represent both majority and minority interests. His valuation background brings precision and credibility to cases where the worth of a business, or of an owner’s stake in it, is at the center of the conflict.

Beyond the courtroom, Jay advises family-owned, founder-led, and investor-backed companies on governance, management transitions, partner exits, and conflict prevention. He approaches each engagement by blending legal, financial, and strategic planning to strengthen enterprise value while reducing risk. His commercial and intellectual property litigation practice rounds out this work, covering restrictive covenants, trade secrets, unfair competition, trademarks, and copyrights, often in disputes over confidential information, employee mobility, and contract enforcement.

Jay has guided numerous clients through ownership transitions, buyouts, and sales, securing outcomes that balance fairness with continuity for the enterprise and its stakeholders. His litigation experience spans industries including construction, distribution, manufacturing, professional services, hospitality, architecture, e-commerce, and software design.

A recognized thought leader in his field, Jay is the editor and principal author of the Business Divorce Law Report, where he writes on valuation disputes, shareholder litigation, and the governance of closely held businesses. He also produces educational content through his YouTube channel, @CloselyHeld, and is a frequent lecturer on business valuation, partner disputes, governance, and the dynamics of closely held companies. His writing and presentations reflect a blend of legal experience, financial acumen, and practical insight drawn from decades of advising private business owners.