Charles R. “Bob” Brettell

Charles R. “Bob” Brettell serves Smith/Coonrod in an Of Counsel capacity, representing businesses of all sizes in the areas of business formation, mergers & acquisitions and economic development (tax incentives, grants & financing). He has broad experience in and exposure to franchising, licensing & distribution systems, project finance (equity & debt) and commercial contracting. Mr. Brettell has also served in dispute & restructuring advisory roles for banks, private equity firms & shareholder groups.
Mr. Brettell is also a Principal of Energy Asset Advisors, LLC (EAA), a boutique energy industry investment banking firm with offices in Houston and Kansas City. Through EAA, he and his partners offer clients a variety of services including business valuation, capital sourcing (equity & debt), government financing, merger & post –merger integration, growth / exit strategy planning, start-up & turn-around assistance, general business planning & management, executive consulting and interim executive (CEO, CFO, COO, CRO) resources.
Prior to founding EAA, Mr. Brettell held executive posts with Tyr Energy and Aquila, Inc. As Senior Director with Tyr, Mr. Brettell was responsible for asset acquisition & merger integration, as well as third-party crisis management for Tyr’s client base. During his tenure at Aquila, Mr. Brettell’s leadership spanned strategy, competitive intelligence, business development, legal, regulatory and human resources for multiple wholly-owned subsidiaries.
In addition to his energy industry experience, Mr. Brettell has served several franchise companies in senior leadership positions, including stints as Senior Vice President of Operations (IRR-Residential) and Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel (RE/MAX). In these roles he led and managed functions including business strategy & planning, legal, business development, marketing, client service, finance & accounting, human resources and information technology.
Mr. Brettell has also worked as an attorney in private practice at Drew, Eckl & Farnham (Atlanta, GA) handling business and litigation matters for a variety of clients.
Mr. Brettell holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Maryland, a joint Juris Doctor & Master of Business Administration (Finance) degree from the University of Kansas, and a Master of Laws (Taxation) degree from the University of Missouri – Kansas City.