Joel Pruett

Joel Pruett

Managing Associate

Overview

Joel works on corporate matters, assisting in the representation of strategic buyers and sellers, private equity sponsors, and portfolio companies in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, equity financings and other investment transactions. Joel also provides public and private companies with guidance on general corporate and governance matters. His work involves all stages of a transaction, including preparing term sheets; drafting, reviewing, and negotiating principal deal agreements and ancillary documents; conducting corporate, finance and commercial due diligence; negotiating representations and warranties insurance policies; facilitating closings; and handling post-closing issues.

Prior to working as a lawyer in private practice, Joel worked as a business appraiser and forensic accountant, appraising business entities and ownership interests in connection with M&A transactions, tax matters, financial reporting, litigation consulting and regulatory compliance.

While pursuing his law and business degrees, Joel researched and wrote a 200-page book on the legislative history of the Oklahoma General Corporation Act. His writing and presentation of the book, which remains in working paper form, earned him the Durrell Public Law Research Award as well as a scholarship from the Oklahoma City Mineral Lawyers Society. Joel’s law review article regarding the relationship between tribal civil jurisdiction over non-tribal parties and the availability and cost of capital to tribal parties was also published in the American Indian Law Review and won the Salem Civil Rights Award.

Through the University of Oklahoma College of Law International Human Rights Clinic, Joel served as a contributing author to the “Report on the Republic of Suriname to the 25th Session of the Universal Periodic Review, Human Rights Council, April-May 2016.” The purpose of the report was to provide to the United Nations a third-party review of the human rights concerns of indigenous and tribal peoples in Suriname and to recommend measures to address those concerns.

*Matter completed prior to joining Benesch.

Experience

Credentials

Education

  • University of Oklahoma College of Law, J.D., with honors, Business Law Certificate, 2016
    • Outstanding Editor Award, American Indian Law Review
    • CALI Award, Securities Regulation
    • Salem Civil Rights Award
    • Durrell Public Law Research Award
    • Oklahoma City Mineral Lawyers Society Presentation Scholarship      
  • University of Oklahoma Price College of Business, MBA, (i) Corporate Finance, (ii) Financial Risk Management, 2016       
    • Price Scholarship    
  • Kansas State University, B.S., summa cum laude, Secondary Education in English and Journalism, 2011

Clerkships and Bar Admissions

District of Columbia
Illinois
New York
Pennsylvania
Texas

More

  • New York City Bar Association (2023-Present)
    • United Nations Committee (2024-Present)
    • Business and Human Rights Committee (2024-Present)
  • American Bar Association, Business Law Section (2022-Present)
    • Business Law Fellows Program (2025-2027)
    • Leadership Academy Participant (2024-Present)
    • M&A Committee (2022-Present)
  • Association for Corporate Growth, New York Chapter (2022-Present)
    • Member, Forward Committee (2025-Present)
    • Participant, ACG NY University 2023
  • State Bar of Texas, Business Law Section, Mergers and Acquisitions Committee (2018-Present)
  • Dallas Association of Young Lawyers (2017-2021)
    • 2017 Leadership Class Participant
    • Fellow, Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Foundation (2019-2021)