Areas of Practice
- BANKING & FINANCE
- Asset Based Lending
- CORPORATE
- Business Reorganizations
- General
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Securities
- GOVERNMENTAL
- Utilities
- INTERNATIONAL LAW
Industries
Education
- J.D., Vanderbilt School of Law, 1982
- A.B., magna cum laude, Duke University, 1979
Bar Admissions
- Florida
- New York
Memberships
- American Bar Association (ABA)
- ABA Section of Business Law's: Ad Hoc Committee on Audit Responses; Ad Hoc Committee on Corporate Compliance; Committee on Corporate Governance; Committee on Federal Securities Regulation; Committee on Legal Opinions;
- Small Business Committee
- Association for Corporate Growth Florida, 2006 Capital Connection, Chairman
- Association for Corporate Growth, South Florida Chapter (ACG), Board of Directors
- The Florida Bar's Business Law Section
- The Florida Bar's Committee on Corporations, Securities and Financial Services (CSFS)
- The Florida Bar's Committee on Corporations, Securities and Financial Services' subcommittee on Florida Security Laws, Chairman
- The Florida Bar, Standing Committee on Relations with the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants (FICPA) and CPAs, Chair
- The New York Bar's Business Law Section, Committee on Federal Securities Law
- The New York Bar's Business Law Section
P.O. Box 1900
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301
TEL: 954-527-2473
FAX: 954-333-4073
Mr. Brighton’s practice has included a variety of capital market transactions representing U.S. and international issuers, as well as underwriters and placement agents. These transactions have ranged from initial public offerings by emerging companies to offerings of sophisticated financial products by Fortune 500 corporations. His merger & acquisition experience is similarly varied. Mr. Brighton has represented buyers, sellers and investment bankers in connection with asset purchases and sales relating to small closely-held corporations and tender offers for publicly-traded Fortune 500 corporations involved in a variety of service, commercial and manufacturing industries, including regulated industries.
With more than 20 years of corporate legal experience in the areas of securities law and mergers & acquisitions, Mr. Brighton heads the firm’s Securities Law Practice Group.
Mr. Brighton has assisted public companies in corporate governance matters, the filing of periodic reports and proxy statements, as well as other public company compliance matters, including informal and formal investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission and related internal corporate investigations. He has advised broker-dealers, investment companies, investment advisers, insurers, banks and other financial service companies with respect to formation, regulatory and transactional issues. His clients have also included venture capital and private equity firms, and investment and commercial banks, in addition to public and private companies in various industries, including high technology, telecommunications, media and information, health services, oil and gas, mining, public utilities, retail and real estate.
Mr. Brighton has extensive experience in the insurance industry and has served as counsel to state insurance commissions, insolvent insurers, and insurance company creditors and investors in connection with insurance company insolvencies. His experience includes representation of insurance companies and insurance brokers in acquisition and financing transactions, as well as captive insurers and their sponsors in the formation and capitalization of captive insurers.
Mr. Brighton represents borrowers and lenders in credit transactions ranging from acquisition financing to asset-based loans and credit facilities. His proficiency also includes the project finance and securitization areas, as well as business reorganizations.
Mr. Brighton frequently writes and speaks on topics in the corporate and securities law areas; and he has served as a competition judge on securities law topics for the Kauffman National Moot Court competition. Mr. Brighton taught Lawyers Skills and Values -- Transactional as an adjunct professor of law at Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad Law School.
At Vanderbilt, Mr. Brighton served as an Associate Articles Editor of the Law Review and was cited for his outstanding contributions while a member of the staff.
Publications
- RIEGEL v. MEDTRONIC A Victory for Medical Device Manufacturers
- THE SEC ANNOUNCES SMALL COMPANY INITIATIVES
- SECURITIES LAW UPDATE
- THE SECS NEW 'GOLDEN RULES' FOR EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
- LEGAL UPDATE: SEC ISSUES RULES ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION WHICH ADDRESS OPTION BACKDATING
- THE SEC'S NEW GOLDEN RULES FOR EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
- KNOW YOUR POSITION: DOES FAS 150 AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO KEEP YOUR LENDER HAPPY?
- SEC STAFF PROMPTS INCLUSION OF SHORT SALE PROVISION IN REGISTRATION RIGHTS AGREEMENTS, DOCUMENTS
- SARBANES MAY AFFECT PRIVATE COMPANY CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND COMPLIANCE
- SARBANES-OXLEY: A PRIMER FOR PUBLIC COMPANIES, AND THEIR OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS, AND AUDIT FIRMS(C)
- FLORIDA'S ANNUAL REPORT REQUIREMENT: A TRAP FOR THE UNWARY
- HOW TO AVOID THAT KNOCK ON THE DOOR FROM THE SEC (AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT WHEN IT HAPPENS)