Press Release

Centre College Honors CJ Donald as 2022 Young Alumnus

October 26, 2022

Haynes and Boone, LLP Associate CJ Donald received the 2022 Young Alumnus Award from his alma mater, Centre College, during an alumni recognition event this month in Danville, Ky. CJ is a member of Haynes Boone’s Finance Practice Group.

CJ received his undergraduate degree in government from Centre College, where he received the Max P. Cavnes Prize, "awarded to the best-loved and most-respected senior man and senior woman," as determined by their senior classmates. Today, CJ serves as a member of the Centre College President’s Advisory Council. CJ received his juris doctor degree from Vanderbilt University Law School, where he was a Chancellor’s Law Scholar and president of the VLS Honor Council.

CJ’s practice focuses on representing financial institutions, private equity firms, and commercial borrowers in financial transactions. He also has experience with various corporate matters, representing clients in the entertainment, hospitality, and sports industries. CJ was part of the Haynes Boone deal team that represented Landry’s, Inc. and its subsidiaries in the acquisition of Del Frisco’s Steakhouse brands. He helped advise the client on financing the award-winning transaction.

CJ is included in Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars directory, Thomson Reuters (2022), and is participating in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s 2022 Pathfinders Program, a professional program designed to train high-performing, early-career attorneys on foundational leadership and relationship-building.

Read a Centre College profile about CJ and other award recipients.

Haynes Boone is an international corporate law firm with 18 offices in Texas, New York, California, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., London, Mexico City and Shanghai, providing a full spectrum of legal services in energy, technology, financial services and private equity. With 600 lawyers, Haynes Boone is ranked among the largest U.S.-based firms by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer and The Lawyer. It was recognized in the BTI Consulting Group’s 2022 “A-Team” report, which identifies the law firms that in-house counsel commend for providing superior client service.