M&A Masters

Mark Gartner is head of investment development at private equity firm ClearLight Partners LLC, which is dedicated to the lower middle market.    Over his years in the industry, he’s seen a sea change in how PE firms go after potential targets, from “smiling and dialing” to using CRMs and data to guide their strategy.   He talks about other elements of his approach to potential acquisitions, includ...

Back in May, Sander Zagzebski maintained that COVID-19 was not a black swan. He even saw a silver lining in the pandemic in the form of opportunity for savvy players in the M&A world to make significant gains.   In this episode we talk about his original prediction and how it has manifested today.   Sander, of Greenspoon Marder LLP,  says the current economic crisis is similar to what happened...

As a veteran M&A lawyer in the Bay Area, Louis Lehot has advised many public and private companies, VCs, investors, and more on forming, financing, governing, and buying and selling companies.   Formerly with DLA Piper, Louis founded his boutique law firm, L2 Counsel, to serve the unique needs of entrepreneurs and investors, specifically those young founders in the early startup phase.   He ta...

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with special guest, Laura Simms. Laura handles Business Development at Strait Capital, a fund solutions provider offering a full range of financial solutions to hedge funds, private equity, family offices, and alternative asset managers. From their Dallas headquarters, Strait delivers fund administration, middle office operations, CFO suite servi...

Asset-based lending is one of the best ways for mid-sized companies to get to the next level.  And the role of credit insurance, which has vastly improved since the days of the Great Recession, is often overlooked… yet will be vital to recovery after countries – and the companies in them – exit lockdown.   Jo Bennett-Coles, managing director of FGI Finance, a global leader in domestic and internat...

Communication is vital during an M&A transaction, on both sides, externally and internally. Clarity is a PR firm that works to help companies get through the deal, from media relations to crisis management.   It can be a stressful process… and certainly not the time to “wing it.”   As Alex explains, they use a change management model called ADKAR to shepherd organizations and people through ti...

Clarity is a public relations firm that offers communications strategy, positioning, marketing, content creation, and other services to companies in the fast-moving world of global business.   As Global COO, London-based Alex MacLaverty guides the growth of this ambitious agency. Part of that growth has been through recent strategic acquisitions of complementary PR agencies.    Alex explains why t...

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we speak with Christie McFall, Business Development Director of Great Range Capital. Based in Mission Woods, Kansas, Great Range Capital brings a unique combination of institutional-grade experience and Midwestern values to middle market and lower-middle market firms in the Heartland. “Our whole goal is to take a successful business that has a strong mana...

On this week’s episode of M&A Masters, we chat with Ben Mimmack and Andy Waltman, Director of Investor Relations and Director, respectively, of private equity firm Baymark Partners.  Ben got his start in banking in London before coming to the US to attend SMU in Dallas. After completing business school, he went on to work in finance at American Airways before ultimately being brought on at Bay...

Drew Caylor, managing director, and the rest of the team at private equity firm WILsquare Capital have a passion for helping lower middle market companies grow bigger and better.    He says it’s all about the leaders at these companies and their commitment to making a difference to their people and the communities they’re in.   At WILsquare, they help create value through hands-on work with carefu...

Trevor Crow works in the M&A space, specializing in what he calls an “underserved” area: lower middle market companies. He says bigger firms chase bigger deals because of high overheads and other internal costs.   But as a boutique firm, he’s able to work closely with owners and founders of what are often family-owned businesses.  Trevor says Buyers and Sellers at this level are savvy and smar...

When it comes to M&A, lower middle market companies often get overlooked and overcharged by big institutions. But Cascadia Capital is an investment bank that specializes in working with this underserved market.    Chairman and CEO Michael Butler explains how they help “stage the house” for a company about to go to market, including the financial, legal, and operational aspects, among others. ...

In today’s episode of M&A Masters, I sit down with Gaurav Bhasin, managing director of Allied Advisers-- a Silicon Valley-based investment banking firm with team members in Irvine, Tel Aviv, and Mumbai. Allied Advisers specializes in M&A advisory services, or middle-market companies, particularly in the technology space. Gaurav and I met when he engaged Rubicon to provide rep and warrant i...

We have a very exciting show for you this week! In this episode of M&A Masters, we’re joined by Codie Sanchez, the managing director of Entourage Effect Capital Partners and one of the most sought out speakers in the cannabis business. Entourage Effect is a unique private equity firm as it was the first to focus exclusively on the cannabis industry. Since 2014, Entourage Effect has invested ov...

In today’s episode, we sit down with Tash Meys and Viv Conway, who provide consulting and execution services dedicated to fast-tracking a company’s Instagram growth and engagement. “I think if you’re not using social media, it can be overwhelming with which platform to choose,” says Tash, when asked about what Instagram is and how it’s different from other mediums.  We’ll talk with Tash and Viv ab...

In today’s episode, we sit down with Jordan Selleck-- the founder of 51 Labs. 51 Labs provides digital marketing services to the lower-middle market and were founded based on a string of failures that blossomed into success. Our guest, and 51 Labs, focuses on generating quality and engaging video content for their clients through using original ideas and avoiding “templated” content. We’ll chat ab...

In today’s episode, we sit down with Bud Moore, who is the founding partner of Valesco Industries-- a lower-middle market private equity firm in Dallas, Texas. We love everything Valesco is doing, especially because there is a large need for their expertise, guidance, and capital in the lower-middle market. “Our ideas are muscle, and so we put that behind companies to help them grow and become a b...

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Vania Schlogel-- the founder and CEO of Atwater Capital, who focuses exclusively on the media and entertainment sectors.  In our chat, Vania shares with us the fine line between being able to have the formal, polished side of the business in conjunction with the creative and operational side. Vania also chats about the areas she specializes in, and… Streaming se...

The energy industry is going strong so far in 2020… and the outlook for the future is good as the industry responds to sustainability initiatives and reacts to market pressures.  Bart Vossen of Houston-based SGR Energy shares how upcoming regulations are impacting the industry, as well as why the company looks beyond U.S. borders for most of its customers.   We also chat about mergers and acquisit...

There comes a stage in every company’s life where organic growth is no longer enough. A strategic acquisition is the only way forward.    But for middle-market companies, this is a tricky proposition. The management team is running the business… they don’t have time to research potential targets, negotiate price and terms, and all the rest that goes with an M&A deal.   Pejman Makhfi, the found...

This is Part 2 in a two-part series about a recent M&A deal in which PE firm Broadtree Partners purchased SAAS company, RedCAT Systems, which provides specialized HR services for major corporations like Uber, NYSE, and LinkedIn.    This time we’ll be covering the Buyer’s side of the transaction with Rob Joyce from Broadtree. (Be sure to check out my conversation with Steven Epstein of RedCAT h...

The first of a two-part series of a real-world M&A transaction. First up, I’m talking to Steven Epstein, the founder of RedCAT systems, a Colorado-based SAAS company involved in HR and compensation solutions for clients like LinkedIn, Uber, NYSE, and many more.   They were recently funded by PE firm Broadtree Partners.   Specifically, we’ll be looking at how Representations and Warranty (R&amp...

In the world of tech, a lot of companies, especially the smaller ones and startups, their financials are quite opaque. You never know on the surface if one is about to go under or go unicorn.   Austin Leo, VP of USI Insurance Services, highlights a specialized type of insurance, once reserved for large manufacturers, that can help larger companies identify who to do business with… especially those...

After culling through a decades-worth of data on IT services companies, Colin Campbell, Associate Director at Livingstone Partners, sees potential for a market downturn on the horizon. He shares what trends he sees that point to this potential slowdown, as well as how Buyers and Sellers approach M&A deals to account for it.  Colin says that Strategic Buyers are being quite selective in compani...

Acquisition can be the ideal way to experience fast growth as a company. But there’s no need to stay within your home country when looking at potential target companies. Jacob Whitish is the San Francisco-based vice consul for financial services for the U.K.’s Department for International Trade. And he doesn’t just work with U.K. companies looking into the U.S. but also American companies looking...