Six Goulston & Storrs Attorneys Named to Lawdragon’s 2026 Leading 500 U.S. Dealmakers

Goulston & Storrs, an Am Law 200 firm, is pleased to announce that attorneys Daniel Avery, Gene Barton, Jonathan Calla, Kristen Ferris, Gregory Kaden, and Allison Sherrier, members of the firm's Corporate Group, have been named to Lawdragon’s 2026 list of 500 Leading Dealmakers in America. According to Lawdragon, these lawyers are “among the most coveted in the world” whose “mere presence can make or break a deal.”

Daniel Avery is a corporate and M&A attorney who advises companies facing critical strategic transactions and challenging operational issues. He has led the successful acquisition and disposition of more than 150 businesses across the globe. Avery is a nationally recognized expert on M&A best practices and emerging M&A deal trends. He is the creator and author of a 25-article series published by Bloomberg Law analyzing market shifts in M&A practice. Avery was a longtime member of the ABA’s Private Target Study Working Group, which publishes the biennial Private Target M&A Deal Points Study. He earned his J.D. from Boston University School of Law.

Gene Barton brings over 30 years of experience in leading middle-market M&A transactions for both U.S. and international clients across a wide range of industries, including healthcare, biotechnology, manufacturing, and retail. Barton’s clients include private and public company sellers, private equity firms, strategic buyers, entrepreneurs, and a diverse group of technology companies. Barton earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Boston University School of Law.

Jonathan Calla brings nearly two decades of experience advising clients on M&A, private equity, venture capital, and securities offerings. He represents a wide range of clients, including international businesses, private investment firms, privately held emerging and middle-market companies, and private equity sponsors along with their portfolio companies. He received his J.D. from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and his B.S. from Northeastern University.

Kristen Ferris has nearly 20 years of experience as a trusted advisor to middle-market companies on M&A, private equity, and venture capital transactions. Ferris is known for her work in managing complex, multi-faceted deals across industries including technology, life sciences, energy, consumer retail, and automotive. Ferris also focuses on the growth of Goulston & Storrs’ Corporate Group, co-chairs the firm’s Business Development team, and is a member of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee. She is an avid supporter of women in the M&A field. Ferris earned her J.D., cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School and her B.A., cum laude, from Boston College.

Gregory Kaden has over 24 years of experience driving M&A deals for buyers and sellers, counseling lenders on subordinated loan transactions and intercreditor arrangements, and advising boards and executives on corporate governance and risk management matters. Kaden is co-chair of Goulston & Storrs’ Corporate Group and is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He received his J.D., with honors, from the University of Chicago Law School.

Allison Sherrier represents middle-market private companies in M&A and corporate reorganization transactions. She has extensive experience advising buyers and sellers across domestic and cross-border M&A deals across a variety of industries, including healthcare, technology, manufacturing, and retail. Sherrier is a member of the ABA’s Private Target Study Working Group, which publishes the Private Target Mergers & Acquisitions Deal Points Study. She earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from American University Washington College of Law.