Dallas-based Sonida Senior Living Corporation has hired former Avantax General Counsel Tabitha Bailey as its new chief legal officer starting Jan. 1.
Bailey succeeds David Brickman, who is stepping down as Sonida’s GC after 32 years with the owner and operator of 91 communities in 20 states that are home to more than 10,000 senior residents. Sonita is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange with a market cap of $488 million.
Earlier this year, the Association of Corporate Counsel’s DFW Chapter and The Texas Lawbook honored Bailey with the 2023 DFW Corporate Counsel Award for General Counsel of the Year for a Midsized Legal Department. She was recognized for her leadership in completing a $1.2 billion take-private merger for Avantax with a private equity-owned competitor, Cetera.
As chief legal officer and a member of the executive committee, Bailey will oversee all legal matters, including corporate, transactions, regulatory and compliance.
“Her history of success with rapidly growing companies and a wide range of M&A and commercial transactions within both public and private markets will be key to Sonida’s inorganic, accretive growth strategy, which aims to further expand and upgrade its portfolio to fully leverage operating scale and efficiencies,” Sonita stated in announcing Bailey as its top lawyer.
“Tabitha is an incredibly accomplished attorney and dynamic leader who joins Sonida with extensive experience, having aided the successful growth of multiple companies and having led the negotiations and closings of numerous complex deals,” said Sonida CEO Brandon Ribar. “She is a significant addition to the leadership team as we continue working diligently to scale the business, drive a high-performance culture and achieve greater results for the company and our stakeholders. Her talent and experience positions Sonida for a seamless transition within the crucial legal function.”
Sonida signed a six-month consulting agreement with Brickman, allowing him to work closely with Bailey during a transitional period and perform consulting services for the company.
“David has been a valued and instrumental team member for more than three decades and has helped steward the Company successfully through many phases, challenges and achievements,” Ribar continued. “He leaves our company and the legal function well-positioned for the future, and we thank him for his significant contributions to Sonida throughout his tenure.”
Prior to being the CLO at Avantax, Bailey was the general counsel at TransAtlantic Petroleum Ltd. She previously practiced corporate transactional law at Haynes and Boone and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.