Portrait of Rachel E. Barnes

Rachel E. Barnes

Attorney

Rachel E. Barnes counsels startups, emerging growth companies, and established businesses on a wide range of corporate matters, helping them navigate critical transactions and strategic business decisions. Her practice encompasses mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and equity financing transactions, corporate governance, joint ventures, strategic partnerships, securities offerings, operational matters, and nonprofit governance.

With experience in both corporate law and business administration, Rachel provides practical, business-focused guidance that aligns legal strategy with her clients’ operational objectives and long-term growth plans. She works closely with business leaders to address evolving challenges, structure transactions, and support organizations through every stage of development.

Rachel has advised emerging companies on venture capital financings and strategic investments, counseled corporate clients on governance and board-related matters, supported companies engaged in joint ventures and strategic alliances, and assisted startups with entity formation and organizational planning.

In addition to her legal practice, Rachel served as an adjunct professor at Temple University’s Fox School of Business, where she taught and mentored future business professionals.

    Education

    • University of Virginia School of Law (J.D.)
    • UVA Darden Graduate School of Business (M.B.A)
    • University of Georgia (B.A.)

    State Bar Admissions

    • Pennsylvania

    Admitted in Pennsylvania. Not admitted in Maryland. Supervised by a Maryland attorney.

    Professional Affiliations

    • Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated

    Recognitions

    • National Black Lawyers 40 under 40 2022 

Firm Highlights

  • Podcasts
    Behind the Scenes at Howard County Hospital with Kirsten Baier
    What does it take to fund the growing healthcare needs of an entire community? Kirsten Baier, Vice President of the Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center Foundation, joins Linda Ostovitz to discuss the critical role philanthropy plays in healthcare and why fundraising is essential to improving patient care, expanding services, and supporting hospital growth. Drawing from her experience in nonprofit development, public health, and healthcare philanthropy, Kirsten shares how donor relationships are built, how charitable investments help fund major projects, and why transparency and community engagement are key to successful fundraising. She also explains Maryland’s unique hospital reimbursement model, the challenges facing modern healthcare systems, and how community support helps bridge the gap between growing demand and available resources. Whether you are a nonprofit leader, healthcare professional, philanthropist, business executive, or community advocate, this conversation offers valuable insights into leadership, relationship building, strategic fundraising, and the lasting impact of giving back locally. Follow and subscribe to Real Talk Real Growth wherever you listen to podcasts. New episodes feature practical conversations with leaders who are creating meaningful impact in business and their communities. If this episode resonates with you, leave a five-star review and share it with someone who is passionate about leadership, healthcare, or community engagement.
  • Events
    AIA Tri-State Conference
    Princeton will serve as the backdrop for three days of connection, learning, and design leadership. From keynotes to tours to the Tri-State Design Awards, this year’s conference is designed to go far beyond education sessions. Kick off the week with pre-conference intensives and individual state component Design Award celebrations, followed by three days of education, inspiration, networking, and design excellence at the 2026 AIA Tri-State Conference—featuring pre-conference intensives, three keynote speakers, 25 education sessions, curated tours, an expo, spec academies, and the AIA Tri-State Design Awards—bringing together architects and design professionals from New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania to connect, learn, and celebrate the best of the profession. G2. Designing Secure Practices: Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, Contractual Provisions, and Insurance Risks for Architects (4:00 PM - 5:30 PM) Architects and design professionals increasingly rely on cloud platforms, BIM software, and digital tools to manage sensitive data, creating cybersecurity and privacy risks. A single incident can trigger liability claims, regulatory obligations, reputational harm, and insurance challenges. Yet many firms underestimate how contracts, insurance, and internal practices intersect during a breach. This program offers legal and insurance perspectives on cyber risk in architecture, examining liability exposure, risky contract provisions, and mitigation strategies. A cyber insurance expert will explain policy responses, coverage gaps, coordination with professional liability, and best practices for aligning insurance with contractual risk and protecting firms from evolving cyber threats. Learning Objectives: Identify key cybersecurity and data privacy risks faced by architecture firms and explain how these risks can impact professional liability and project outcomes. Analyze common contractual provisions to determine which clauses may increase exposure to cyber incidents and propose strategies to mitigate these risks. Evaluate the scope and limitations of cyber insurance policies, including coordination with professional liability coverage, to determine how a policy would respond in a breach scenario. Develop actionable risk management strategies by integrating legal, contractual, and insurance considerations to protect sensitive client and project data.