Lake, chair of the firm’s Securities & Capital Markets Department and co-leader of the Public Company Advisory Practice Group, is a go-to adviser for complex disclosure matters, securities offerings and corporate governance matters.
For more than 25 years he has counseled public companies on reporting and disclosure requirements under U.S. securities laws and guided clients on a broad range of public and private securities offerings, tender offers and exchange offers. In addition to securities law, Lake’s practice includes representing clients on corporate governance and general corporate matters, NYSE and NASDAQ matters.
His clients include public companies of all sizes across various industries, including consumer products, utilities, financial services and manufacturing. Lake advises on a broad range of public and private securities offerings, including investment grade and Rule 144A/Reg. S high-yield debt offerings, and liability management transactions, including tender offers and exchange offers, corporate governance and general corporate matters, and compliance under the Dodd-Frank Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and NYSE and NASDAQ rules.
Lake previously served as chair of the Virginia Bar Association’s Section of Business Law, Committee on Business Organizations. In 2025, The Best Lawyers in America named him Richmond’s Lawyer of the Year for corporate governance law.
Experience
- Advised a wide variety of public companies on disclosure obligations under and compliance with the U.S. securities laws.
- Advised a NYSE-listed Fortune 500 consumer products company in public offerings of senior notes totaling over $48.0 billion and debt tender offers totaling over $10.0 billion.
- Advised a NYSE-listed Fortune 50 home improvement retailer in public offerings of senior notes totaling $3.3 billion.
- Advised a NYSE-listed Fortune 50 automobile company in public offerings of senior notes totaling $2.0 billion.
- Advised a NYSE-listed Fortune 500 energy company in public offerings of junior subordinated notes totaling $2.775 billion.
- Advised a NYSE-listed Fortune 500 energy company in connection with an approximately $1.2 billion common stock forward-sale transaction.
- Advised a publicly traded utility of a NYSE-listed Fortune 500 energy company in a public offering of $1.282.0 billion of securitization bonds to recover deferred fuel costs.
- Advised a publicly traded utility of a NYSE-listed Fortune 500 energy company in a public offering of $1.7 billion of senior notes.
- Advised a NASDAQ-listed acquirer of nonperforming loans in a Rule 144A/Reg. S offering of $345.0 million of convertible notes and Rule 144A/Reg. S offerings of senior notes totaling $2.0 billion.
- Advised a NYSE-listed leading supplier of innovative building envelope products and solutions in public offerings of senior notes totaling $1.85.0 billion.
- Advised a NASDAQ-listed satellite designer and manufacturer in the establishment of “at-the-market” common stock offering programs totaling $1.7 billion.
- Advised a NYSE-listed Fortune 500 leader provider of offering water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services in a public offering of $500.0 million of senior notes.
- Advised a NYSE-listed holding company comprised of a diverse family of businesses and investments in a public offering of $600 million of senior notes.
- Advised a NASDAQ-listed leading global provider of packaging solutions in Rule 144A/Reg. S offerings of senior notes totaling $825 million and related tender offers.
- Advised a NYSE-listed global leader in specialty materials in a Rule 144A/Reg. S offering of $400 million of senior notes.
- Advised a NYSE-energy company in series of 144A/Reg. S debt offerings.
- Advised a NYSE-listed energy company in debt restructuring, including tender offers and exchange offers for outstanding debt.
- Advised a NASDAQ-listed bank holding company in its initial capital raise and follow-on common stock offering.
- Advised clients on corporate governance matters and compliance under the Dodd-Frank Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, NYSE rules and NASDAQ rules.
Events
- Speaker, Virginia Corporate Law Developments CLE, 2019
- Panelist, Implementing XBRL for SEC Reporting Webinar, 2009
Insights
- Author, The ExxonMobil Retail Voting Program: What Public Companies Should Know, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, November 20, 2025
- Author, SEC Guidance Update: How to Launch an IPO During the Government Shutdown, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, October 15, 2025
- Author, SEC Operations During the Government Shutdown: Key Takeaways, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, October 2, 2025
- Author, Act Quickly: EDGAR Next Enrollment Deadline Approaching, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, August 6, 2025
- Author, SEC Adopts Final Rules on Climate-Related Disclosures, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, March 21, 2024
- Author, SEC Adopts Amendments to Modernize Share Repurchase Disclosure, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, May 10, 2023
- Author, SEC Releases Updated Interpretations Regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measures, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, December 20, 2022
- Author, SEC Adopts Significant Changes to Securities Exchange Act Rule 10b5-1 and Imposes Related Disclosures, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, December 19, 2022
- Author, SEC Sets Deadline for Compliance with Electronic Filing Requirements for Form 144, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, October 26, 2022
- Author, SEC Releases Proposed New Rules on Climate-Related Disclosures, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, April 5, 2022
- Co-author, "SEC Issues Sample Climate Change Comment Letter," September 28, 2021
- Co-author, "Dealing with Bondholders in Troubled Times," Pratt’s Journal of Bankruptcy Law, January 2021
- Co-author, "SEC Issues New Rules on Private Placements," November 5, 2020
- Co-author, "SEC Modernizes Rule 14a-8 Governing Shareholder Proposals," October 1, 2020
- Co-author, "SEC Amendments to the Accredited Investor and QIB Definitions," September 29, 2020
- Co-author, "Regulation S-K Modernization," September 14, 2020
- Co-author, "Dealing with Bondholders in Troubled Times," August 26, 2020
- Co-author, "Reminder: iXBRL Requirements To Go Into Effect For ‘Accelerated Filers’," June 16, 2020
- Co-author, "SEC Amends Financial Disclosure Requirements for Acquisitions and Dispositions," June 3, 2020
- Co-author, "Federal Reserve Releases FAQ Page and Announces Updated Terms of the Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility," April 22, 2020
- Co-author, "COVID-19: Considerations for Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting," April 14, 2020
- Co-author, "Coronavirus/COVID-19: Director and Management Attendance at Shareholder Meetings," March 17, 2020
- Co-author, "Coronavirus/COVID-19: SEC Staff Issues Guidance for Virtual Meetings," March 16, 2020
- Co-author, "SEC Adopts Rules to Simplify and Streamline Disclosures in Certain Registered Debt Offerings," March 12, 2020
- Co-author, "Coronavirus/COVID-19: Considerations for Shareholder Meetings," March 10, 2020
- Co-author, "SEC Proposes Amendments to Regulation S-K Financial Disclosures," February 18, 2020
- Co-author, "New SEC Disclosure Guidance on Intellectual Property and Technology Risks Associated with International Business Operations," January 13, 2020
- Co-author, "Upcoming Changes to 2020 Proxy Statements and Annual Reports," January 7, 2020
- Co-author, "Shareholder Proposals: New SEC Staff Guidance on the ‘Ordinary Business’ Exclusion and Other Rule 14a-8 Matters," October 23, 2019
- Co-author, "SEC Warns of Risks Related to LIBOR Transition," July 25, 2019
- Co-author, "SEC Adopts Rules to Implement FAST Act Mandate to Modernize and Simplify Disclosure," April 4, 2019
- Co-author, "Proxy Advisory Firm Guidance Withdrawn by the SEC," September 18, 2018
- Co-author, "SEC Votes to Approve New Rules and Proposed Rules on a Variety of topics Applicable to Public Companies," July 5, 2018
- Co-author, "SEC Publishes New Guidance on Public Company Cybersecurity Disclosure," February 26, 2018
- Co-author, "US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Issues Highly Anticipate Decision Regarding Corporate Debt Restructurings," January 23, 2017
- Co-author, "SEC Staff Release New Guidance on Use of Non-GAAP Measures," May 23, 2016
- Co-author, "2016 Conflict Minerals Update," May 5, 2016
- Co-author, "SEC Proposes Executive Officer Compensation ‘Clawback’ Rules," July 22, 2015
- Co-author, "Conflict Minerals Update: Next Form SD Due June 1," May 11, 2015
- Co-author, "SEC Proposes Enhanced Hedging Disclosure Rules," February 19, 2015
- Co-author, "Federal Court Overrules SEC Staff No-Action Letter Excluding Shareholder Proposal," December 15, 2014
- Co-author, "SEC Concludes a Busy Week of Beneficial Ownership Enforcement," September 15, 2014
- Co-author, "SEC Staff Releases Guidance on Investment Advisors and Proxy Advisory Firms," July 9, 2014
- Co-author, "SEC Staff Issues Statement on Conflict Minerals Ruling; Report Not Stayed," May 1, 2014
- Co-author, "SEC Issues New Guidance on the Use of Social Media," April 30, 2014
- Co-author, "NASDAQ Adopts Amendments to Compensation Committee Independence Listing Standards," December 19, 2013
- Co-author, "SEC Proposes CEO Pay Ratio Rules," September 24, 2013
- Co-author, "SEC Brings Enforcement Action Under Regulation FD Against Investor Relations Professional," September 10, 2013
- Co-author, "SEC Adopts Significant Changes to Private Placement Rules," August 1, 2013
- Co-author, "SEC Proposes Additional Limitations on Private Placement Marketing," August 1, 2013
- Co-author, "NYSE and NASDAQ Adopt Listing Standard Amendments Related to Compensation Committees and Compensation Advisers," January 29, 2013
- Co-author, "SEC Adopts Final Rules Related to Compensation Committees and Compensation Advisers; National Securities Exchanges Must Now Promulgate New Listing Standards," July 2, 2012
- Co-author, "President Obama Signs JOBS Act Into Law," April 5, 2012
- Co-author, "House Passes JOBS Act," March 20, 2012
- Co-author, "SEC Issues No-Action Responses for Proxy Access Proposals," March 13, 2012
- Co-author, "Corporate and Securities Law Update: SEC Approves Expanded Compensation and Corporate Governance and Disclosures," December 15, 2009
- Named “Lawyer of the Year,” Richmond, Corporate Governance Law, Best Lawyers, 2026
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law, 2024, 2025, 2026
- Listed for Capital Markets: Equity Offerings, Legal 500 United States, 2018