R. Alan Higbee

R. Alan Higbee is a partner in the Tampa office of Shutts & Bowen LLP where he is a member of the Corporate Practice Group and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee.

Alan represents public and private domestic and international companies and entrepreneurs in all facets of general business, corporate and securities matters, including public and private equity and debt offerings, mergers and acquisitions, business contracts, business transactions, joint ventures, corporate governance, and franchise matters.  He has significant experience in the restaurant and hospitality, auto dealership, defense, homeland security, fertilizer, agricultural products, chemicals, metals, mining and manufacturing industries.

Alan is a Martindale-Hubbell AV® rated attorney and has been named by Chambers USA as America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and is one of the Best Lawyers in America® in Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Project Finance Law, Corporate Law, Securities / Capital Markets Law, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Compliance Law, and Agriculture Law. Most recently, Best Lawyers in America® selected Alan as Tampa’s 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” in Corporate Compliance.

During his over 30 years of practice, Alan has:

• Represented both issuers and underwriters in more than 25 public offerings and numerous private placements of securities and has represented both issuers and special committees in multiple going private transactions;
• Served as counsel to public company boards and special committees in a variety of matters and represented public companies and their boards in matters ranging from annual reporting to investigations by the United States Securities & Exchange Commission and other governmental agencies;
• Served as general outside counsel and advisor to the boards of substantial non-profit arts corporations;
• Represented buyers and sellers in domestic and international merger and acquisition transactions which have ranged from small asset sales to a public company acquisition of $4.3 billion;
• Represented participants in major international and domestic joint ventures in industries ranging from regional restaurants to international defense to chemical manufacturing and distribution;
• Represented both franchisors and franchisees in franchise relationships;
• Represented both Venture Capital providers and recipients in multiple venture finance transactions;
• Represented companies in the financing of aircraft, ship and rental car fleets; and,
• Provided general business and corporate representation to public and private companies ranging from local businesses to Fortune 500 companies.

Alan is an accomplished speaker and has participated in numerous Florida and local bar association seminars on business, corporate and securities related subjects, as well as other professional continuing education seminars.