Craig Heryford, Esquire

Adjunct Professor of Law

Biography

Craig S. Heryford's practice is concentrated in the area of mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and corporate finance matters as well as the representation of mature and emerging businesses. He has experience in a wide variety of commercial transactions, including numerous corporate finance and venture capital funding transactions involving both equity and debt, as well as merger and acquisition and private equity transactions.

Mr. Heryford regularly represents investors, including private equity and venture based investors, in portfolio investments and acquisition and divestiture transactions. He has also represented fund clients in fund formation work, including the structuring and formation of the funds, negotiation and preparation of investor documents and constituent fund documentation.

Mr. Heryford is the co-chair of the firm's Business Services Section and Business Transactions Practice Group.

Mr. Heryford has acted as lead counsel in transactions with enterprise values ranging from greater than $2 billion to less than $10 million. In addition, he regularly acts as general counsel for a number of privately-held, middle market clients. Mr. Heryford assisted a client in the successful closing and funding of one of the largest early stage venture capital equity financings consummated in the United States.

Mr. Heryford is a frequent lecturer on corporate, finance and business law matters. He has been consecutively recognized in the Chambers Guide to America's Leading Business Lawyers. Since 2006, he has been consistently selected to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list. Since 2007, he has been named to The Best Lawyers in America® list and was named as a 2016 “Lawyer of the Year” in the review guide’s Business Finance Law category.

Prior to joining Gordon & Rees, Mr. Heryford was a shareholder with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, PC where throughout his career he served as the Chairperson of the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group, the Chairperson of the Private Equity Practice Group and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Corporate Finance Section and a member of the Firm’s Strategic Planning Committee.

Mr. Heryford is active in the communities within which he works and lives and is currently the Chairperson of the Board of the Sewickley Valley YMCA and is an active board member of numerous business organizations as well as non-profit organizations. Mr. Heryford is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Pittsburgh University School of Law where he teaches classes on Entrepreneurship and Business Planning.

Other Activities

  • Private Equity and Venture Capital Subcommittee, American Bar Association Section of Business Law
  • Pennsylvania Bar Association
  • New York Bar Association
  • Allegheny County Bar Association
  • Chairperson, Sewickley Valley YMCA
  • Board Member, Corporate Secretary and Executive Committee Member, Catalyst Connection
  • Chairperson, The Pattyn Project
  • Board Member of numerous privately-held business organizations
  • Adjunct Professor, University of Pittsburgh School of Law - Business Planning and Entrepreneurship
  • Past member, National Advisory Board, Commercial Finance Association
  • Association for Corporate Growth
  • Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association

Programs & Courses