Barnes & Thornburg Augments Financial Regulatory and Transactions Strengths With Dallas and Los Angeles Partners

DALLAS and LOS ANGELES (Feb. 2, 2026) — On the heels of New York-based Neil Begley joining its national practice last month, Barnes & Thornburg welcomes corporate partners Katie Mills and Ryan Mitchell, who bring years of dealmaking and financial regulatory experience to the firm’s growing bench.

Based in Los Angeles, Mills focuses on compliance, anti-money laundering, financial institution regulatory issues, fintech products, digital assets and cryptocurrency regulations. As a former head of the financial crime advisory at multinational electronic money institution Modulr Finance, she brings a wealth of private sector experience to the firm. Mills also previously served as compliance director at Avanti Financial Group and corporate counsel at Salt Blockchain.

From his Dallas office base, Mitchell advises clients in a wide range of industries on myriad private equity and corporate transactional matters. He has particularly extensive experience with control and non-control private equity transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, strategic and platform stock and asset acquisitions, minority equity investments, and recapitalizations.

“We anticipate that 2026 will be an exciting year for financial regulation and M&A alike — both areas where Katie and Ryan can provide strategic, business-focused counsel to our clients,” Corporate Department Chair Jahan Sharifi said. “They are well-established in these areas. I’m looking forward to their contributions to the firm and our corporate team.”

Mills previously spent four years as counsel at Barnes & Thornburg and throughout her career has led the design and implementation of analytical compliance frameworks for cutting-edge digital assets and fintech payment companies. She regularly manages all aspects of clients’ financial regulatory compliance, including strategy and implementation, licensing, examination and reporting, and program testing and audits.

“I’m so pleased to be returning to the firm and its exceptional team of legal practitioners,” said Mills. “As digital assets, payments, stablecoins and other innovative financial tech solutions continue to boom, I’m excited to enter this new phase of my career with Barnes and Thornburg.”

Mitchell, who joins from McGuire Woods, handles transactions for clients across a wide range of industries, including technology, energy, industrials, manufacturing, business services, consumer goods and services, and financial services. He also counsels clients on corporate governance issues and general commercial agreements.

“I’m continually impressed by the depth and breadth of Barnes and Thornburg’s Corporate Department, and look forward to collaborating with this stellar group,” Mitchell said.

About Barnes & Thornburg

Barnes & Thornburg operates 26 offices across the United States, enabling more than 800 lawyers to serve clients nationwide. As one of the 100 largest law firms in the country, we provide seamless coast-to-coast coverage for high-stakes litigation, complex transactions and innovative IP matters. Our national reach and knowledge of local markets help clients conduct business confidently wherever opportunities arise. Visit btlaw.com.