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Find Lawyers in Florida, United States for Mergers and Acquisitions Law
Practice Area Overview
A merger or large acquisition is a significant event in the life of a company and its numerous constituencies. It can affect everyone from shareholders, directors and managers to employees, customers and communities.
Mergers and acquisitions lawyers play critical roles in how M&As are evaluated, structured and implemented. Also called business acquisition lawyers and acquisition attorneys, these legal professionals provide useful guidance throughout this complex process.
- M&As in the United States are governed by a dual regulatory regime, consisting of state corporation laws (e.g., the Delaware General Corporation Law) and the Federal securities laws (primarily, the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934).
There are three primary types of M&A transactions:
- A merger, which is the legal combination of two separate entities under state law.
- “Stock deals,” which are the purchase of a business through the purchase of the owner or an interest in the owner of the business.
- “Asset deals,” which are the purchase of a business through the purchase of assets. Transactions can involve public or private companies. They may be on a hostile or friendly basis and may entail acquisition of 100% ownership, a controlling interest or a minority stake.
The legal environment for the public company merger and acquisition activity in the United States has changed dramatically over the last several years. This process of change continues apace.
M&A lawyers advise their clients to ensure the transaction is in compliance with federal and state laws. We work with our clients to evaluate the strategy and tactical advantage of a friendly versus hostile transaction.
M&A law firms represent their clients in negotiations on the structure of the deal, perform due diligence and assist with the terms of the contract. An M&A attorney has responsibilities that extend beyond merely negotiating the terms of the agreements. They play a key role across the entire process by which board decisions are made.
This includes board and management counseling throughout the process on legal obligations, evolving corporate governance standards and shareholder relations.
Understanding Mergers and Acquisitions
The mergers and acquisitions M&A practice area relates to two distinct processes that ultimately produce similar results. Namely, the consolidation of two organizations into a single entity.
Mergers refer to the coming together of two previously separate organizations. These combined companies establish a single business name and legal entity that represents their new structure.
Acquisitions involve one business purchasing another. The purchased business may eventually cease to exist as a distinct entity. It is absorbed by the organization that acquired it.
A hostile takeover is an example of an acquisition. However, acquisitions are not always adversarial.
There are a number of reasons why M&As occur. Businesses may want to gain access to innovative technology or intellectual property, among many other objectives.
Acquisitions are more common than mergers. However, the term merger is often used to refer to both processes in casual settings. Acquisitions are sometimes thought of as an aggressive or negative process.
Regardless of which definition applies to your company’s situation, an M&A lawyer can share their knowledge and provide support throughout the process.
The Potential Complexity of Mergers and Acquisitions
M&As involve due diligence, contract preparation and many other often complex processes. Negotiation can also require a significant investment of time and effort.
For very large businesses, the agreement may need to be reviewed by state or federal agencies. On the federal level, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice regulate this activity.
Similarly, international M&As can add additional layers of complexity to the process.
M&As are not common events for many business owners or decision-makers. However, these activities have very important stakes. They often involve significant financial transactions and substantially change the companies involved.
The best M&A law firms provide guidance throughout this complex workflow. They can offer support and guidance, from reviewing the initial letter of intent to assisting with the post-closing process.
Select a city from the list below to find the best legal talent for your needs.
Cities
Jonathan Awner serves as Co-Chair of Akerman’s Corporate Practice Group. Ranked by Best Lawyers in America , Chambers USA , and The Legal 500 as a preeminent corporate lawyer, Jonathan Awner advises clients in automotive retail, aviation, distribution, hospitality, logistics, manufacturing, services, technology, waste management and other industries. Described by a client quoted in Chambers USA as a “top-notch” lawyer who is “smart, hard-working and practical,” J...
Chester E. Bacheller is a transactional lawyer practicing in the areas of securities, mergers and acquisitions and finance including, venture capital financing. The majority of Mr. Bacheller's practice has centered on representing companies and investors in various corporate and financial transactions. He has substantial experience in a wide range of corporate, securities and banking matters, including: public offerings of securities registered under the federal and state securities laws; cor...
Nate Balint represents private equity funds, strategic acquirers, and entrepreneurs on the purchase and sale sides of merger, acquisition, and leveraged buyout transactions, including associated equity and debt arrangements. His experience spans sectors such as business services, retail, restaurants, technology, consumer products, education, and energy. Nate also works with venture capital and growth equity funds, advising on the completion of early and growth stage investments. Related to hi...
David A. Barkus focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions and private equity. David's industry experience includes aviation and aerospace, computer software and information technology, construction, consumer products, education, energy, food and beverage, franchising, gaming, health care, and restaurants.
David Birke serves as co-chair of Akerman’s M&A and Private Equity Practice Group. David’s practice focuses on representing private equity funds, family offices and their portfolio companies in complex acquisitions, divestitures, recapitalizations, restructurings, growth capital investments, and debt and equity financings. David’s wide ranging practice also encompasses representing other private and public companies with corporate governance, joint ventures, executive co...
Martin Burkett serves as co-chair of Akerman’s M&A and Private Equity Practice. Martin represents public and private companies and private equity funds in a variety of corporate transactions, with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions. Martin’s practice includes structuring and negotiating complex business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, going private transactions, venture and growth capital investments, debt and equity fi...
Ivan A. Colao practices in the area of corporate and securities laws, as well as in mergers and acquisitions, venture capital investments and loan transactions. Mr. Colao has represented public and private companies, businesses and individuals in various types of financings and commercial transactions. His experience includes securities offerings, corporate acquisitions, dispositions, mergers, reorganizations, syndication and finance, asset acquisitions and dispositions, venture capital inves...
Louis T. M. Conti is a partner in the Tampa office of Holland & Knight. Mr. Conti's practice includes serving as outside counsel to businesses of all sizes, mergers and acquisitions, cash flow and asset-based financings, leveraged buy-outs, mezzanine and subordinated debt transactions, public and private equity placements, venture capital and private equity investments, company governance advice, and sophisticated and complex cross-border transactions and joint ventures and strategic alli...
Angie is a seasoned transactional lawyer whose practice focuses on complex healthcare matters and navigating mergers and acquisitions . She has advised and represented a wide variety of clients in financing transactions, healthcare regulatory matters, joint ventures, commercial contracts, clinical trials, corporate governance and more with the knowledge and insight only 25 years of experience can provide. Prior to joining Smith Hulsey & Busey, Angie was a partner at a global AmLaw 100 fir...
David Doney focuses on M&A and public and private securities financings, corporate governance and compliance matters, as well as Securities Exchange Act reporting. David’s clients include established public companies and privately held companies with significant growth potential in sectors ranging from IT solutions to pharmacy benefits management and underwater exploration. He works closely with these clients on their financings, leveraging his longstanding relationships with source...
Practicing law for over 20 years, founding partner Ray Driver focuses on corporate law (including mergers and acquisitions), business, contracts, venture capital and securities law. He represents clients in business acquisitions, dispositions and mergers, as well as providing ongoing counseling regarding business formation, corporate governance, contract law and ancillary legal issues. He also counsels clients in obtaining capital through private placements, venture capital investments and ot...
David is a transactional lawyer in the firm’s Business Department. His practice includes mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, contract preparation and negotiation, entity structuring, joint ventures and the provision of general business and governance advice. David represents public and private companies in a variety of business transactions. His clients include logistics companies, motor vehicle dealers, banks, agricultural businesses, private equity funds and other i...
Eric Gilbert focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, joint ventures and general corporate matters. He routinely represents private equity clients in all aspects of their investments from acquisition through portfolio management/growth until their exit. Read full biography: https://www.mwe.com/people/gilbert-eric/
John Giordano is regularly involved in complex business-related transactions. Mr. Giordano’s practice encompasses a broad range of areas, including federal and state securities law, corporate finance, mergers, acquisitions and tax law. Mr. Giordano has substantial experience in counseling clients, including start-up enterprises, in obtaining capital and advising clients about obstacles to successfully growing a business.
Robert J. Grammig is a partner and leader of the firmwide Public Companies and Securities Practice at Holland & Knight. Mr. Grammig has practiced for more than 30 years in the areas of public company mergers and acquisitions, securities law, general corporate law and international business transactions. He serves on the firm's Directors Committee. Mr. Grammig has represented both companies and underwriters in numerous public company offerings. He has also led legal teams on behalf of acqu...
Bernard (Bernie) P. Grondin focuses on representing private equity funds, strategic investors, and founders/owners-operators in complex corporate transactions, including leverage buyouts, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), debt and equity investments and joint ventures. Bernie also has extensive experience advising buyers, sellers, founders and joint ventures partners in negotiating, documenting, facilitating and consummating transactions involving health care companies. He also concentrates...
Brad Houser's primary practice areas include corporate and banking, with a focus on securities and mergers and acquisitions matters. He has extensive experience with real estate investment trusts (REIT's) and special purpose acquisition corporations (SPAC's). Brad formerly served as the chair of the firm's Miami Corporate practice. He began his career as an attorney at the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. and has over 25 years of experience in handling a wide variety of ...
Dan Jacobson advises private equity funds and mid-size public and private entities, family offices and high net worth individuals with respect to their material or non-routine business transactions including mergers and acquisitions and debt and equity financings and investments. His practice is both U.S.-based and international with extensive experience representing clients with their subsidiaries’ and affiliates’ transactions in Latin America, Asia and India. His work has been r...
A preeminent corporate lawyer who has negotiated an extensive number of deals, Teddy Klinghoffer devotes his practice to merger and acquisitions, private equity investments, as well as corporate compliance and governance issues. He advises buyers, sellers, and investors in structuring, negotiating, and closing complex business transactions. Teddy serves clients across a range sectors with a concentration on healthcare, life sciences, aviation, real estate, and private equity. His clients incl...
Tammy L. Knight practices in the areas of corporate, securities and franchise law. She is experienced in a wide range of corporate and securities matters with an emphasis on advising clients in public offerings, private placements, M&A transactions, periodic reporting and compliance matters, and proxy contests. Her experience also includes advising boards of directors and their committees on disclosure, governance and compliance matters arising out of Securities and Exchange Commission re...
Roy J. Larson concentrates his practice in domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions and routinely advises clients in connection with corporate governance matters, securities issues, spinoffs, joint ventures and equity and debt finance transactions. Read full biography: https://www.mwe.com/people/larson-roy-j/
Steven D. Lear, a Partner in the Corporate & Securities Group, offers more than 25 years of complex legal, tax and business experience representing top national companies in the areas of mergers & acquisitions and joint ventures. As a licensed CPA with a masters degree (LLM) in tax law, combined with work experience as chief in-house counsel of two major mulit-faceted companies, Steve offers an extraordinary range of skills for structuring, negotiating, documenting and closing sophist...
Frederic (Fred) L. Levenson is the co-head of the Firm’s Private Equity Practice Group. He provides legal counsel to clients on a broad range of corporate counseling and sophisticated domestic and international transactions. He focuses primarily on private equity (leveraged buyouts), domestic and international mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, venture capital investments and financings, private and public offerings of equity and debt securities, restructurings, joint ventures, str...
Dick is managing partner of the firm, a member of the firm’s Board of Directors and chairman of the firm’s Business Department. Dick’s practice focuses principally on healthcare, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, contract negotiation, general corporate matters, financings, regulatory matters, and antitrust advice. Dick represents a wide range of corporations, limited liability companies and other entities, including start-up companies and healthcare providers, ...
Bruce I. March focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, public and private securities offerings, private equity and venture capital transactions, and counseling boards and senior management on strategic business, corporate governance, financial and transactional matters. Bruce's specific industry experience includes aviation, computer software and information technology, beverage and food suppliers, telecommunications, privatized government services, employee outsourcing and leasing,...
Joel Mayersohn, a Member at Dickinson Wright, focuses his practice in corporate, securities and business law. He advises a diversified client base in private placements, public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, financing transactions and general securities, as well as corporate law matters. He also has experience in venture capital, going private transactions, bridge loans and pipe financings.
Tom McAleavey practices in the area of corporate and securities law. His practice includes mergers and acquisitions, public and private offerings of securities, corporate governance matters and securities regulation compliance. His experience includes the representation of public companies in connection with public and private offerings of debt and equity securities; SEC periodic reporting and proxy statements; and corporate acquisitions, dispositions, and reorganizations.
Steve is a member of the firm’s Board of Directors and a corporate transactional lawyer in the firm’s Business and Healthcare practice areas. Steve’s practice for more than 20 years has focused on the representation of clients in their most important and complicated transactions, including the negotiation and documentation of mergers, acquisitions and stock and asset sales, joint ventures, private equity investments and financings. Steve also represents clients and executive...
With broad-ranging experience advising public and private companies, Esther Moreno focuses her practice on capital markets transactions, disclosure and corporate governance matters, and M&A transactions. She represents a range of clients on equity, high-yield, convertible debt, and Regulation S/offshore offerings. In addition, Esther advises public companies, boards of directors, and board committees on corporate governance matters, director responsibilities and fiduciary duties, executiv...
Daniel Nunn practices in the areas of business and corporate law, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, securities law and finance, and franchise law. He represents buyers, sellers, and management groups in taxable and nontaxable transactions involving public and private companies in a variety of merger and acquisition transactions, including stock acquisitions, divisional asset acquisitions and divestitures, tender offers and exchange offers, restructurings, goi...
With more than two decades of experience, Paul Quinn represents private equity funds and their portfolio companies in leveraged acquisitions and dispositions, corporate governance, and restructurings. Paul also represents management teams in employment and compensation arrangements, distressed-focused private equity funds in acquisitions in bankruptcy court and out-of-court processes; and private equity and venture capital funds in minority growth equity investments. Ranked by Chambers USA , ...
Veteran dealmaker Steve Roddenberry advises clients in corporate compliance and governance issues, public and private securities transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity investments. Described as a “masterful strategist” by Chambers USA , he has built longstanding relationships with Huizenga Holdings, the Miami Dolphins, Sheridan Healthcare, and The GEO Group, among others. Steve has served as lead counsel in hundreds of M&A transactions, spin-offs, and restr...
Adam Rogers represents private equity funds, strategic investors, entrepreneurs and other operators as they pursue and execute mergers and acquisitions and other complex corporate transactions driving innovation within the health care industry. He is particularly experienced in transactions in the health care services and health information technology sectors, helping clients find the right partners and deal structures to succeed in this rapidly changing and competitive space. Adam is the man...
Ira N. Rosner has nearly three decades of experience helping entrepreneurs and corporate management teams create, fund, manage, grow and capitalize on their businesses. He has worked with a wide array of companies, ranging from start-up ventures to Fortune 100 enterprises, in industries including energy, manufacturing, high tech, life sciences, healthcare, retail, real estate, business outsourcing, telecommunications and insurance.
Carl Roston serves as Co-Chair of Akerman’s Corporate Practice Group. Ranked by Chambers USA, which notes Carl does “very sophisticated, high-level deals,” he represents private equity funds, public and private companies and large family offices in domestic and cross border acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, joint ventures, co-investments, growth capital investments, debt and equity financings, and securities offerings. He represents portfolio companies of p...
Marty focuses his practice on complex business transactions, including domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, debt financings, restructurings, and venture and growth capital investments.Marty represents all categories of participants in transactions, including buyers, sellers, major stockholders, lenders, financial advisers, management, special board committees, private equity firms, other private investment funds, high net worth individuals, and venture capit...
Jeanne Seewald serves as a member of Hahn Loeser’s Board of Directors and focuses her practice on intellectual property, general business, and mergers and acquisitions. Jeanne works with clients ranging from startups to established companies. As an intellectual property and business attorney, she provides advice in the areas of trademark and copyright registration, trademark portfolio management, trademark and domain name dispute resolution, trademark and patent licensing, software lice...
Douglas Starcher successfully manages mergers and acquisitions and has been recognized by the M&A Advisor in New York as the Seller’s Attorney on the 2015 Technology Deal of the Year over $250 million and again in 2018 on the Financials Deal of the Year. Mr. Starcher serves as outside general counsel for entrepreneurs and growth companies, and regularly counsels clients as a trusted advisor with regard to organizational structuring, capitalization, contracts, technology licensing, a...
Patrick’s practice focuses on corporate financial transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, capital raises, and strategic partnerships. Patrick’s counsel covers company formation, initial capital structuring, corporate governance matters, all the way through exit of the company. Patrick organized and quarterbacked the merger and acquisition process for companies, and in other transactions separately advised the various stakeholders, including investors, entrepreneurs, exec...
David E. Wells focuses on advising public and private companies in connection with corporate finance transactions and mergers and acquisitions. In the field of corporate finance, Mr. Wells routinely assists clients with public and private securities offerings including IPOs, registered direct offerings, secondary offerings, PIPEs, registered shelf offerings, and Regulation D and offshore offerings. In the mergers and acquisition space, he has worked on a wide variety of transactions, includin...
Everett Wilson is the Managing Partner of Polsinelli's Miami Office and a Shareholder in Polsinelli’s Health Care Practice Group. With over 30 years of legal and business experience, his practice is devoted to the representation of health care providers, insurers and other entities involved in the health care industry. A health care regulatory attorney with a business and finance background, Everett’s focus is on issues related to Medicare and Medicaid managed care, value-based ca...
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