Three Corporate Partners Join Dorsey in Southern California

COSTA MESA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Attorneys Terrence Allen, Megan Gess, and Andrew Hagopian have joined Dorsey & Whitney LLP as Partners in the Mergers & Acquisitions group in Southern California, the international law firm announced today. The three distinguished partners are uniting to collectively bring tremendous experience with upper- and middle-market M&A across a range of industries.

“These seasoned attorneys bring extensive experience handling strategic transactions across most major industries,” said Jonathan Van Horn, Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group Co-Leader for Dorsey. “We are delighted to welcome this team to our M&A group and our growing Southern California office.”

Terrence Allen

For more than 30 years, Terry has strategically represented private equity funds, public and private companies, and leading entrepreneurs in their most important and complex transactions. Terry’s experience extends to public and private mergers, asset acquisitions and dispositions, leveraged recapitalizations, and corporate reorganizations. Terry has also represented entrepreneurs and executives in the negotiation and implementation of employment, retention, and incentive agreements. Terry has handled transactions in nearly all major industries, including cross-border acquisitions, dispositions and joint ventures, public company acquisitions and sale transactions, and the acquisition and sale of more than 100 privately held businesses, many of them family-owned companies with major regional and national operations. Terry joins Dorsey from Loeb & Loeb LLP, where he was a Partner. Terry received his J.D. from University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, and his B.S. in Business Administration and B.A. in Journalism from University of Southern California.

Megan Gess

Megan has extensive experience guiding clients through sophisticated M&A, private equity, and commercial transactions. Her experience spans a variety of sectors including retail and consumer products, real estate, technology, healthcare, financial services, and life sciences, giving her a broad perspective on the business and regulatory considerations that shape corporate decision-making. Clients appreciate Megan’s thoughtful approach, her genuine interest in their business goals, and her talent for crafting solutions that move deals forward. She takes the time to understand the context behind each transaction and works closely with clients to develop creative, practical strategies for complex challenges. Megan is coming from Stradling, where she was a Partner. Megan received her J.D. from Loyola Law School and her B.A. from University of California, Davis.

Andrew Hagopian

Andrew brings years of in-house legal experience in regulated industries to guide clients through high‑stakes corporate transactions. Andrew has served in general counsel and other legal executive roles at both publicly traded and privately held growth companies, including a health and wellness franchise, a biotechnology and manufacturing start-up, and a sports betting entertainment company. This background gives him a practical understanding of how business priorities, operational realities, and legal risk intersect in fast‑moving environments. With a strong legal and technical foundation and significant work in regulated consumer industries, Andrew is adept at identifying risks, navigating growth-stage challenges, and leading the cross-functional coordination essential to M&A deals. Andrew joins Dorsey from Xponential Fitness, where he was Chief Legal Officer and provided strategic business and legal advice to company leadership. Andrew received his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.S. in Business Administration USC Marshall School of Business.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Andrew and with Megan at separate firms, and I’m thrilled to reunite with them at Dorsey,” said Terry Allen. “We are excited to join this eminent group together and deliver excellent results for our clients.”

About Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Clients have relied on Dorsey as a valued business partner since 1912. With locations across the United States and in Canada, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, Dorsey provides results-oriented, grounded counsel for its clients' legal and business needs. Dorsey represents a number of the world's most successful companies from a wide range of industries, including banking & financial institutions; development & infrastructure; energy & natural resources; food, beverage & agribusiness; healthcare & life sciences; and technology.