Bréia R. Maddox, JD ‘24 was two months into her position as a Junior Associate at Foley & Lardner LLP when she was approached by Von Bryant, JD ‘11, a Partner in the firm’s Transactions Practice Group in Washington, D.C.
Men in Blazers Media Network, a soccer-focused media company, was in the midst of a Series A funding round and had received a $15MM investment from Avenue Sports, a sports-focused private equity fund launched by Avenue Capital Group.
Bryant had a simple question: Would she be interested in supporting a deal?
With just one additional Tax Partner, he needed an associate to assume project management, including communication with opposing counsel, and he knew that Maddox was a sports fan who previously worked as a legal intern for the Seattle Seahawks.
“We try to align peoples’ interest with the work they get because then it’s a win-win,” Bryant said.
Maddox jumped at the chance to work on her largest financial transaction to date – and the duo spent the next three months working long nights and weekends to bag the deal.
“You’re basically drinking from a fire hose,” Maddox said. “I really had to make sure I stayed on top of every document, every detail.”
The deal, which kicked off in late August, closed before Thanksgiving.
“When you get into those final days there is no stone unturned. You cross every T, dot every I,” Bryant said. “You’re across from another law firm, and an investment bank was on our side, so there are a lot of stakeholders, and it was me and Bréia interacting with all of them, and we have to make sure everything gets done the right way and on time.”
Maddox and Bryant partly credit working together to their shared bond over WashU Law — and their mutual surprise at winding up at the same firm.
As an undergraduate, Bryant played football at Duke and the University of Pennsylvania and studied business – a background that he bolstered at WashU by taking courses at the Olin School of Business. After graduating in 2011 and beginning his law practice the following year at Foley Hoag in Boston, he made a lateral move to Foley & Larder in D.C. where he worked his way up through the ranks, from Associate to Senior Counsel and then Partner in February 2022.
For her part, Maddox earned her Bachelors and Master’s degrees in Sports Administration from the University of Louisville, and secured a summer associate position at Foley & Larder during her first year at WashU Law. She received an offer from the firm after her second summer in 2023, and joined the Black Attorney Affinity Group early on, where she met Bryant and realized their WashU connection.
“WashU helps place students in their preferred markets, but what are the odds?“ Maddox said. ¨I didn’t expect to be at the same firm in the same location as another alum.”
A mentor-mentee relationship burgeoned.
“It was comforting knowing I was working with someone who went through a similar law school process as me,” Maddox said. “I perceived him as being more approachable because of that connection.”
For Bryant, Maddox’s background inspired confidence. “When you get into these high pressure situations at work you’ve been tested,” he said. “If you get through WashU Law School you’re prepared for Big Law.“
With the Men in Blazers Media Network deal, Maddox also learned along the way.
“As a first year you can get down on yourself, especially when working with a Partner, but the good outweighed the bad,” Maddox said. “I made a lot of mistakes, but Von never seemed like he was disappointed in my work product and after we closed, he shouted my name to the rooftops, and that felt good.”
Maddox was also excited to finally get some sleep, but happy about the work accomplished. “It definitely helps in terms of how we are viewed with certain clients, it’s like now, ‘They’re the go-to team,’” she said.
Going forward, Maddox hopes to advance her career as an attorney and eventually assist players with their business development needs. For his part, Bryant feels grateful to have achieved his goals of practicing Venture Capital and M&A and becoming a Partner – and hopes to continue maximizing opportunities.
“I hope to learn as much as I can on every deal, stay helpful and connected to colleagues and friends, and be someone that people think about when they need a corporate lawyer,” he said.
While he continues to focus on a wide range of investment and corporate transactions, often in the technology and life sciences space, he is also increasingly involved in the sports world and believes the Men in Blazers Media Network deal is one of many announcements and closings to come.
“I’d expect more sports and entertainment deals, and if they do happen, Bréia is one of my go-to associates. She’s on my short list to support those transactions,” he said.
“We’re always rooting for WashU and one another.”
Written by Natalie Olsen