Jack Stephens

I serve as in-house counsel for Arena Investors, a hedge fund managing over $5 billion, advising business, investment, and operational teams on legal, commercial, and regulatory matters. I draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements—prioritizing practical risk allocation, liability exposure, termination rights, and confidentiality.

Previously, as an Associate at Alston & Bird, I led public and private entities through mergers and acquisitions and capital-raising activities. I negotiated and drafted primary and ancillary transaction documents, including licensing agreements and securities documentation, while supporting deal execution end-to-end.

Across both roles, I provide governance and compliance counsel for public and private financial institutions, including banks, wealth management firms, and private equity firms. My approach blends rigorous legal analysis with business practicality, so contracts and transactions move forward efficiently without sacrificing protection.

Before practice, I strengthened my research and analytical foundation as a Research Assistant at the University of Florida and a State Attorney’s Office intern. I analyzed U.S. Courts of Appeals decisions to identify trends by circuit, and I built a quantitative framework to study prosecutorial discretion—skills I now apply to spot risk early and document clear, defensible recommendations.