OUR TEAM
PJ Harris
General Counsel
PJ Harris advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and independent sponsor transactions, and a wide range of corporate matters. He represents public and private companies in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, platform and add-on acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and other complex strategic transactions.
PJ counsels business owners and management teams on corporate governance and operational issues throughout the life cycle of a company—from formation and growth to exit.
Before joining McGuireWoods, PJ practiced corporate law in Charlottesville, Virginia, representing emerging growth companies. His prior experience also includes co-founding and operating a software-as-a-service platform and advising on strategic transactions at a Big Four professional services firm.
Jamee Dion
Bookkeeper
As a lifelong supporter of local and small businesses, Jamee has always been eager to make an impact at the community level. She’s the owner of Balanced Bookkeeping, where her strong attention to detail, clear communication style, and superior organizational skills make sure that small business owners are set up for success. Within Thistlerock, she keeps the books straight and makes sure staff are paid for all the hard work they do daily.
Advisors
Stu Subotnick advises Thistlerock Mead Company with decades of financial and strategic leadership from global media, communications, and hospitality. A director at Carnival Corporation (since 1987) and Carnival plc (since 2003), he chairs Nominating & Governance Committees and serves on Audit and Compliance, excelling in corporate transactions and risk oversight. As CFO of Metromedia, Inc., he led its leveraged buyout; later, as General Partner and EVP, he scaled fiber optics, Wi-Fi, and telecom internationally. His experience founding Metromedia International Group, Orion Pictures, AboveNet, and Big City Radio sharpens Thistlerock’s growth, governance, and market expansion while preserving craft integrity.
Bill Moses advises Thistlerock Mead Company with proven leadership including with scaling and selling beverage brands, including as CEO of Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard (now Trump Winery) from 2001–2011 in Charlottesville. A strategic investor in media, sports tech, and cannabis via Red Sea Ltd. and Element 47 LLC (2011–present), he recently guided capital raises and Series A planning at EchoLeaf Systems (2023–present). His prior roles include CEO of DDSports Inc. (ShotTracker, 2020–2023), EVP at Biomass Innovations (2019–2023), and senior positions at IBM, NFL, and PanAmSat. Moses’ beverage expertise and capital strategy acumen drive Thistlerock’s regenerative mead growth in national markets.
Michael Pirron advises Thistlerock Mead Company on impact-driven operations as a Mid-Atlantic B Corp pioneer, guiding the balance of impact and commercial practices and social-purpose governance. He founded Impact Makers in 2006—Virginia’s first benefit corporation—and previously served as Senior Consultant at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in France, managing complex EMEAI-region engagements across seven countries. After earning an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School, he held leadership roles as Manager of Application Development at Health Management Corporation (WellPoint subsidiary) and Director of Product Development at First Health Services. Pirron’s expertise ensures Thistlerock’s operations honors environmental stewardship and community benefit while delivering on commercial priorities.
Rachel Lipman, a fifth-generation winemaker from a storied Polish honey wine dynasty dating back over 150 years, advises Thistlerock Mead Company on mead fermentation, quality control, and production management. As lead winemaker at Loew Vineyards—the fourth-oldest winery in Maryland, founded by her Holocaust-survivor grandfather in 1982—she upholds one of the world's longest mead traditions, blending ancestral techniques with innovative practices. A University of Maryland graduate in plant science and communications, certified in winemaking by Washington State University, and experienced through a Loire Valley internship and wine distribution roles, Lipman assumed leadership in 2022, overseeing small-team operations while pursuing historic kosher certification for Loew's meads (Star-K by 2026) and wines.
