Portrait of R. Scott Tobin

R. Scott Tobin

Principal

Scott Tobin provides strategic legal and business counsel to high‑growth companies and the boards, executives, and investors who guide them. His work centers on helping organizations manage risk while positioning for growth—especially at moments when decision‑making is time‑sensitive, and the stakes are high such as when raising capital, forming strategic partnerships, entering new markets, or planning for leadership transitions.  

Drawing on a career that blends private practice with extensive in‑house and executive leadership experience, Scott advises clients on business growth and succession planning, board governance, strategic partnerships and licensing arrangements, mergers and acquisitions, and emerging company and venture capital matters. Clients also turn to him when disputes arise. His corporate litigation experience includes matters involving private company investors, lenders, directors, members, and management, and during election cycles, he has litigated election law disputes.  

A significant portion of Scott's practice supports privately held technology companies and their investors, as well as businesses across a broad range of industries. He works closely with founders and leadership teams as owners, managers, or executives join or exit a business, and as companies evaluate how to leverage capital and technology to scale operations. In addition, he serves as U.S. general counsel to expansion‑minded domestic and overseas companies, advising on U.S. market entry and growth strategy.  

Scott’s perspective is shaped by a longstanding record of leadership roles that extend well beyond traditional legal practice. During the late‑1990s internet boom, he left private practice to serve as general counsel and lead the successful sale of a longtime software client to a New York Stock Exchange–listed company. Before returning to private practice, he spent more than a decade as a principal and manager of entrepreneurial business ventures.

Over the course of his career, Scott has served as a board member, president, general counsel, and chief financial officer of an early AI‑focused, publicly traded molecular diagnostics company, as CEO and lead investor of a formerly NASDAQ‑listed North Carolina furniture manufacturer, as general counsel to a global software company, and as an executive vice president overseeing global strategy and venture investment initiatives for a New York Stock Exchange‑listed enhanced communications technology company. His legal career has also included service as the Atlanta managing partner of a European‑headquartered law firm and as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Georgia.

    Education

    • University of North Carolina School of Law (J.D.)
    • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (B.A.)

    State Bar Admissions

    • Georgia
    • North Carolina

    Professional Affiliations

    • Angel Capital Association, Member
    • Association for Corporate Growth, Raleigh-Durham Chapter, Public Policy Task Force Co-Chair, Former Board Member
    • National Association of Corporate Directors, Certified Director, Research Triangle Chapter, Board Member and Past Chair
    • Piedmont Triad Entrepreneurial Network, Former Board Member
    • Republican National Lawyers Association, Member
    • RTP Capital, Member
    • RTP Capital, Member
    • Rotary Club, Paul Harris Fellow
    • Savannah Economic Development Authority Creative Coast Alliance, Former Advisory Board Member
    • State Bar of Georgia, Member
    • State Bar of North Carolina, Member
    • UNC School of Law Alumni Association, Board Member and Former Executive Committee Member
    • UNC School of Law Council for Entrepreneurial Law, Former Director
    • UNC School of Law Foundation, Former Board Chair and President
    • UNC School of Law Initiative for Corporate Governance, Former Co-Managing Director
    • UNC School of Law Long Range Planning Committee, Past Chair
    • UNC School of Law William Horn Battle Society, Member

    Recognitions

    • Best Lawyers in America®, 2024
    • Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review

Firm Highlights

  • 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.