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Mass Tort Litigation counsel Frank Talbott joins Hunton in Richmond. September 14, 2026 Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is pleased to welcome nationally recognized litigator Frank Talbott, V, to Richmond as counsel in the firm's Product Liability and Mass Tort Litigation practice. With a focus on environmental, toxic tort, and consumer product litigation, Talbott regularly represents consumer product manufacturers, retailers, and online marketplaces defending consumer class actions and mitigating risks across the country. Talbott joins Hunton from his position as counsel at McGuireWoods, where he defended companies facing a wide variety of cases from claims of nuisance and false advertising class actions to civil enforcement, public interest litigation related to environmental statutes, and mass tort litigation. "Frank's arrival reflects our continued investment in a premier litigation team serving clients in the consumer products, retail, and e-commerce sectors, while further strengthening our toxic tort and environmental class action capabilities," said Alexandra Cunningham, head of Hunton's litigation team. "He is a highly regarded litigator with deep experience handling complex, high-stakes matters, and we are delighted to welcome him to the firm." A selection of Talbott's notable representations prior to joining the firm include: * Defense of the world's largest secondary ticket marketplace in a proposed class action, in which plaintiffs alleged failure to provide refunds for postponed and canceled events in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Led the defense that defeated class certification. * Defense of a private equity firm in numerous litigation matters regarding its investment in a solar panel retailer, for allegations of fraud related to consumer purchases and led the defense that obtained dismissal of over twenty individual actions. * Defense of an American multinational automaker in a public and private nuisance class action lawsuit in Missouri, seeking damages related to odors from the painting facility adjacent to the main assembly plant. * Defense of a Fortune 200 manufacturer in a public and private nuisance class action lawsuit in Virginia, seeking damages and injunctive relief related to alleged dust from a paper mill. * Defense of numerous online retailers in threatened and filed class actions related to strike-through pricing. Talbott earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and his law degree from the University of Richmond School of Law, cum laude. About Hunton's Product Liability and Mass Tort Litigation Practice Ranked as a top national practice in Chambers USA (2026) and The Legal 500 (2026), the product liability and mass tort team at Hunton brings depth of experience in crisis management, risk mitigation, and veteran trial lawyers essential to the development of a comprehensive and winning defense strategy. Its product liability and mass tort litigation practice provides clients the advice and counsel needed to develop a business strategy to avoid litigation where appropriate, and the talent and experience required to engage and resolve litigation where necessary. Its lawyers provide critical risk assessments and advise manufacturer and retail clients on other liability issues, including regulatory compliance, product recalls, product failure events, labeling, warnings and warranties.

McGuireWoods launches deal-by-deal podcast on private equity deal-making. McGuireWoods, a major law firm, has launched "Deal-by-Deal," a podcast series exploring private equity deal-making in the middle market and lower-middle market, with emphasis on the independent sponsor model. The show features interviews with investors, operators, and transaction professionals discussing acquisition strategies, financing, governance and market trends. The podcast, hosted primarily by McGuireWoods partner Greg Hawver, has released at least 39 episodes covering topics ranging from debt financing and executive compensation to technology transformation and real estate optimization in M&A transactions. Episodes are available on YouTube, iTunes and Spotify, making the content accessible to private equity professionals, independent sponsors and deal-focused investors seeking practical guidance on structuring and executing acquisitions. Recent episodes feature executives and specialists discussing real-world deal scenarios and market conditions. In one episode, Clint Simkins of DPO&Co traced his firm's evolution from strategy consulting into a fully integrated platform spanning consulting, transaction advisory services and principal investing, including a $100 million fund raise. Another episode featured e2E founder and CEO Nancy McCullough discussing post-acquisition integration during the critical first 100 days after closing. "It was fun going through due diligence, having done that many times for other companies," said McCullough, describing her experience as an entrepreneur navigating the acquisition process from the seller's perspective. The podcast addresses core concerns for independent sponsors and private equity investors. Parm Atwal, managing director at Configure Partners, a credit-oriented investment bank, emphasized timing in debt financing discussions, noting "earlier is better" when engaging advisors. Rafael Telahun, managing director of the technology sector at Altaline Capital Management, explained how service companies can transform into technology-enabled assets to capture multiple re-ratings. He highlighted vertical-focused businesses transitioning from transactional to subscription models as ideal transformation targets. For podcast and audio industry professionals, the series demonstrates sustained demand for specialized business-focused audio content targeting niche professional audiences. The show's multi-platform distribution strategy across Spotify, iTunes and YouTube reflects evolving consumption patterns among busy executives who consume content during commutes and work. The emphasis on long-form interviews with substantive discussion of complex financial and legal topics contrasts with broader entertainment podcasting, indicating robust market appetite for professional development and business intelligence audio content. The independent sponsor model and middle-market private equity sector have experienced significant growth in recent years. McGuireWoods noted in one episode that independent sponsors have become increasingly sophisticated in their deal-making approach. The firm conducted a 2024 Independent Sponsor Deal Survey compiling data from more than 300 transactions. "One change I've observed in independent sponsor transactions is that the level of professionalism and the backgrounds and credentials of the parties have become better and better every year," said Jeff Brooker, a McGuireWoods partner, adding that this trend is "resulting in more transaction volume, more sophisticated transactions, and, frankly, larger transactions as well." Economic uncertainty has shaped deal-making discussions on the show. In one episode focused on deal-hunting amid mixed economic signals, Matt Wolf of RSM provided an economic outlook citing a 4.2 percent unemployment rate, 2.5 percent inflation and 2.5 percent GDP growth as baseline forecasts. However, Wolf noted that uncertainty surrounding tariffs was creating "paralysis" among operators and some investors, complicating investment decision-making in the current environment. The podcast represents a strategic content marketing initiative for McGuireWoods, positioning the firm as a thought leader in independent sponsor and middle-market private equity transactions. By featuring clients, capital partners and transaction specialists, the firm builds relationships within its target market while providing valuable educational content. The series demonstrates how professional services firms are using podcasting to engage with high-value audiences in competitive sectors. For content creators and audio production professionals, the show illustrates the viability of B2B podcasting targeting affluent, deal-focused professionals willing to invest time in detailed explorations of complex transactions and market dynamics.