Samantha Whitney Bryant

Prior to joining The West Firm in 2024, Samantha was a partner at a large Albany law firm where she was a member of the firm’s Trusts and Estate Department and Commercial Department. As part of the Trust and Estate Department, Samantha provided legal services to high-net-worth clients in connection with wills, trusts and estates, with particular focus on family business succession planning and multi-generational asset management. She represented clients in probate court in connection with all types of trust and estate administration matters, including contests, audits and settlement negotiations. In addition, Samantha served regularly as a court appointed Guardian Ad Litem and Court Evaluator for estates and guardianships. She prepared gift, estate and fiduciary tax returns.  

As a member of the Commercial Department, Samantha performed the same services to her clients as she does now. She continues to offer to negotiate and closes complex business and corporate transactions, including corporate acquisitions and mergers and related due diligence. Samantha can facilitate your corporate reorganization, restructuring and/or liquidation needs. In connection with real estate transactions, Samantha manages borrower financing, documenting and closing on a wide variety of commercial matters. In addition to the foregoing, Samantha negotiates and drafts various types of commercial leases.  

After more than a decade in private practice, Samantha transitioned to an in-house position with a Fortune 500 company. In her role as corporate counsel, she was responsible for preparing various sales and distribution strategic agreements and government bids. She served as an interdepartmental primary to integrated supply chain and sourcing in connection with negotiation of manufacturing and supply agreements, statements of work, purchase orders and claims. She has experience reviewing SaaS contracts and NDAs. Samantha is also a source for clients who wish to establish a maquiladora.  

Realizing that she missed the more personalized interactions that private practice offers, as well as the satisfaction of playing a key role in assisting clients to achieve their individual, small business or corporate goals in multiple areas of law, Samantha chose to return to the Capital Region and join The West Firm.  

Samantha more specifically focuses her practice on representing franchised or non-franchised dealers who face wrongful termination, difficulty negotiating dealer agreements, or need assistance with transactions that involve the sale and transfer of ownership and accompanying due diligence. She helps clients to negotiate contracts with suppliers and distributors. In doing so, she secures enforceable commitments for appropriate levels of delivery, performance and payment and allocations of risk. Her contracts focus on supporting flexible, innovative, collaborative relationships that drive business value. Finally, Samantha continues to practice in the area of trusts and estates and represent clients with business succession planning and complex estate administration needs.