Elliot Watts

Overview

When high-stakes decisions demand both legal precision and financial insight, Elliot Watts is the trusted advisor businesses turn to. With a rare dual credential as both a JD and MBA, Elliot brings a cross-disciplinary approach to complex matters where precision is paramount and the margin for error is razor-thin. Whether guiding a client through a multimillion-dollar refinancing, advising on a strategic acquisition, or enforcing a judgment in a contentious dispute, Elliot’s counsel is marked by clarity, rigor, and results.

Elliot’s career spans elite law firm, federal clerkship, and investment banking. He has served as counsel and deal architect on transactions exceeding $1 billion, and has advised public and private companies on matters ranging from corporate governance to debt restructuring. His experience includes serving as Of Counsel at Jimerson Birr, where he supports the firm’s financial services and litigation practices with a focus on judgment enforcement, collections, and strategic advisory.

Clients value Elliot not only for his technical fluency, but for his strategic mindset and calm under pressure. He is known for translating complexity into actionable insight, managing cross-functional teams, and delivering outcomes that align with both legal and business objectives. His work has earned recognition from the National Black Lawyers as a Top 40 Under 40 attorney in Georgia, and his leadership extends to board service with Georgia Legal Services Program and the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta.

A Yale graduate and Columbia Law School honors scholar, Elliot also holds an MBA from The Wharton School, where he double-majored in Finance and in Marketing and Operations Management and was a Communications Fellow and teaching assistant in negotiations. His global perspective is shaped by fieldwork in Liberia and South Sudan, studies in Paris, and a world tour with the Yale Whiffenpoofs. Whether in the courtroom, the boardroom, or the community, Elliot brings a principled, pragmatic, and purpose-driven approach to every engagement.

Bar and Court Admissions
- Admitted to the State Bar of Georgia
- Admitted to the State Bar of New York
Education
- The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, MBA, Finance & Marketing and Operations Management (2022)
- McMullen Family Merit-Based Fellowship; Co-Chair, Wharton Communications Fellow
- Columbia Law School, JD, with Honors (2014)
- Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar (for superior academic achievement); Business Law & Governance Certificate
- Yale University, BA, History (2009)
- Phi Alpha Theta, National History Honors Society; National Achievement Scholar
Representative Matters
Debt Collection and Financial Services Litigation
- Supported enforcement and recovery strategies for commercial debt portfolios.
- Provided legal counsel on judgment collection and creditor rights.
Corporate Transactions and M&A
- Lead associate on $400M amend-to-extend refinancing for NYSE-traded education software company.
- Advised on $1.05B acquisition of a payments company.
- Lead associate on $95.5M cross-border acquisition of an AI payments firm.
Strategic Consulting and Advisory
- Identified $41.6B market opportunity for Upstart’s small-dollar loan product.
- Provided M&A advisory to Kickstarter on acquisition strategy.
Selected Publications and Lectures
- “Urban Public Student Achievement and Equity,” Columbia Law School Web Article (2009)
- Staff Editor, Columbia Business Law Review, Vol. 2012 No. 2 and Vol. 2013 No. 1
Organizational Affiliations
- Chair, Bishop’s Advisory Committee, Church of the Common Ground, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta
- Board Member, Georgia Legal Services Program
- Board Member Emeritus, Duke’s Men of Yale Alumni Board

Industries