Four Akerman partners representing the Corporate, Real Estate and Healthcare Practice Groups were selected as finalists for the Daily Business Review's "Top Dealmakers of the Year" award, which recognized lawyers who completed the largest and most complex deals of 2014. Akerman lawyers were once again among the top dealmakers in the corporate finance category, and were named a finalist for the office section as well.
Top Dealmakers in Corporate Finance - Finalists
Martin Burkett, Mergers and Acquisitions & Private Equity Practice Co-Chair, corporate partner Teddy Klinghoffer and healthcare partner William Spratt were one of two finalists in the corporate finance category for facilitating the asset sale of Navarro Discount Pharmacy to CVS Health. The deal included 33 retail drugstore locations and Navarro Health Services, a specialty pharmacy serving patients with complex or chronic diseases. Working with Navarro, the largest Hispanic-owned drugstore chain in the U.S., and its majority shareholder, MBAF Healthcare Partners, the Akerman team successfully negotiated in short order all acquisition documents and provided timely counsel on corporate and real estate issues. In addition, the lawyers provided federal and state regulatory guidance and counseled the client on healthcare licensure standards with respect to Navarro's retail, wholesale and specialty pharmacy business.
Top Dealmakers in Office Building Transactions - Finalists
Real estate transactional lawyer Eric Rapkin, Fort Lauderdale Office Managing Partner, was one of four finalists in office category. He represented long-time firm client Parmenter Realty Partners, a real estate investment management company, in four class A office tower sales in the span of six weeks, including the sale of Bank of America Tower in Jacksonville, Fla., and the Fifth Third Center in Charlotte, N.C., which were valued in excess of $300 million. Other sales in 2014 included Two Forest Plaza and Park Central 7, 8 and 9 in Dallas. The volume and size of these transactions in an accelerated time period signal a trend of increasing demand for office space in both primary and secondary markets.
The Daily Business Review's editorial staff selected this year's dealmakers upon review of hundreds of nominations and reported transactions. The selection process accounted for the overall size of every deal, along with the degree of complexity behind each transaction and the level of creative structuring they entailed. The Akerman finalists were honored at the publication's annual ceremony on May 8 at the JW Marriott Marquis in Miami.