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David is a partner with Berger Harris and has represented clients in every state and federal court in Delaware.  David’s practice includes areas of corporate, commercial and employment law.  He has counseled clients and litigated cases in a wide range of areas involving fiduciary duty claims, corporate and alternative entity control disputes, advancement and indemnification, breach of contract, business torts, real estate matters and commercial and personal insurance disputes.. David also represents employers and employees in a wide range of matters including restrictive covenants, trade secrets, wage and hour, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, breach of contract, unfair competition and wrongful termination claims.  Additionally, David counsels employers regarding workplace issues such as hiring and discharge matters, executive compensation, severance agreements, wage and hour compliance and disability accommodations.. Prior to joining Berger Harris, David was an associate at Ballard Spahr LLP.  David also served as law clerk to the Honorable Richard R. Cooch, Resident Judge, Superior Court of Delaware.  While in law school, David was a judicial intern for the Honorable Thomas L. Ambro, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and was on the editorial board of the Delaware Journal of Corporate Law.  Before law school, David served in the United States Army and worked as a counselor for dependent children.

Jim Gallagher maintains a comprehensive business and tax practice that includes the preparation of wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents at Morris James LLP. In his business practice, Jim counsels and advises clients on business formation and management, including the drafting of operating agreements and stockholder agreements. He is experienced in the preparation, review, and negotiation of documents for the purchase and sale of assets or stock or other equity interests, as well as commercial and employment-related contracts. Through the representation of physicians and physician groups, Jim has also developed a thorough understanding of federal and state healthcare regulatory compliance issues, which accentuates his ability to counsel healthcare industry clients on business and tax matters.. In his trusts and estates practice, he counsels clients on diverse matters, from implementing transfer tax minimization strategies to understanding the fundamentals of a basic estate plan, such as the use of powers of attorney and healthcare directives, and the coordination of an estate plan with existing retirement plans and insurance policies. In addition to drafting and reviewing trust instruments and utilizing them to address clients’ needs for tax planning, asset protection, and family wealth preservation, Jim is well-versed in estate administration, trust reformation, and the relocation of trusts to Delaware.. Practice areas:• Tax, Estates and Business Practice• Tax Advice for Businesses and Owners• Trusts and Estates• Small Businesses and Start-Ups• Succession Planning• Business Transactions, Strategic Planning and Counseling• Delaware Alternative Entities: DST, LLC, LP, Partnership and Trust• Commercial Transactions• Corporate Advice• Delaware Advantage Trusts• Elder Law and Disability Planning• Personal Tax Advice and Planning• Private Clients

Ross Antonacci is the Chair of Morris James’ Business Transactions, Strategic Planning and Counseling Practice, a group that routinely handles over $100 Billion in financings annually for a wide range of clients.. Ross has extensive experience in all aspects of Delaware corporate and alternative entity law. Large multinational financial institutions routinely engage Ross to structure entities in connection with sophisticated domestic and international transactions and to render third-party legal opinions on such matters.. With deep experience in a wide range of transactions, Ross regularly acts as Delaware counsel to banks and other financial institutions, fiduciaries, underwriters, lenders, liquidity providers, equity investors, securities intermediaries, arrangers, and non-Delaware attorneys on all types of transactions.

Christopher L. Messa is a partner in the Corporate/Business Entity Counseling practice group of Berger Harris.  Before joining Berger Harris, Chris was an associate in the Commerical Transaction Group at Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A.

Ryan Maerz focuses his practice on a wide variety of transactional matters relating to Delaware alternative entities, including general partnerships, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies. He primarily renders advice and opinions in connection with investment fund transactions, structured finance transactions, and transactions involving alternative entities with respect to formation, operation, governance, dissolution, and enforceability matters.. In law school, Ryan served as managing editor of the Penn State Yearbook on Arbitration and Mediation law journal, and as justice of the William Penn Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. He was also a two-time winner of the CALI Excellence for the Future Award® for academic achievement.