Private Equity

One of Benesch’s core competencies is the representation of private equity firms, including leverage buyout firms, growth equity firms, mezzanine funds, and portfolio companies located both domestically and offshore, in the acquisition, financing, operation, and ultimate disposition of their assets and in the formation and ongoing operation of the fund itself.

Dedicated to fully understanding our clients, their businesses and their industries, we develop client-focused teams.  These teams ensure first-class legal service and continuity of personnel, view business issues from our clients’ perspectives, and assist in discovering the best legal services to address our clients’ needs, drawing upon the strengths of diverse, knowledgeable, and experienced lawyers.

Our Private Equity Group is comprised of attorneys with individual specialties that include corporate finance, subordinated lending, senior lending, including second lien lending, securities, recapitalizations, buyouts, mergers and acquisitions, and restructuring.  We have a successful track record assisting investment firms in reaching their business objectives, including fund formation and maintenance, solicitation of capital, acquisitions, management of portfolio companies, divestitures, leveraged buyouts, PIPEs, SPACS, and distressed investments.  In addition, we have substantial experience taking private-equity-backed companies public, publicly-traded companies private and in the issuance of public debt.  Furthermore, we are equally conversant in representing the company seeking an investment from or an acquisition by a private equity firm.

We believe that our private equity practice is differentiated from that of our competitors because of our focus on the middle market, our ability to represent portfolio companies post-acquisition on a responsive and affordable basis, our CEO-centric program, and our commitment to always staffing projects with teams led by senior attorneys that are actively involved in the process.

As a firm, we focus our practice on middle-market companies. This allows us to provide immediate value to private equity clients as we recognize changing market conditions, identify potential transactions, and proactively counsel portfolio companies in their day-to-day operations.  We believe that our emphasis on middle-market companies makes us a value-added partner in today’s private equity marketplace.

We offer a strong CEO-centric program, where we team successful CEOs with private equity firms to create industry-focused transactions.  We actively identify and qualify these CEOs before introducing them into CEO-centric private equity firms.  In addition, we provide an ongoing program to attract managers who are considering MBOs of their operating companies.

Our ongoing representation of portfolio companies shows our ability to work with management and private equity owners cost-effectively and responsively.

Unlike many of our competitors, we staff our client matters with experienced attorneys that remain actively involved in the day-to-day decision-making process.  We are committed to having an experienced partner involved in all transactions and to building a consistent service team that develops a true partnership with the client.  In addition, our Midwest base allows us to provide this benefit at a competitive rate structure.

Although we have represented clients in transactions in almost every industry, we have specific experience in the packaging, plastics, specialty chemicals, consumer products, transportation and logistics, financial services, specialty printing, health care, communications, software, media, retail and distribution, manufacturing, and biotechnology sectors.  Additionally, we have vertical industry knowledge with special practice groups for transportation and logistics (asset and non-asset based), retail and regulated health care as to long-term care, assisted living, home health, institutional pharmacy, and managed care companies.

As a sophisticated player in the private equity marketplace, we know how to invest institutional funds properly, how to help with ongoing governance, operational, and financing issues, and ensure the proper exit.  Through a dedicated team, we get the deal done efficiently and effectively while protecting the interests, and achieving the objectives, of our clients.