Recognized by The Legal 500 as a national top-tier firm for M&A and continuously ranked by PitchBook as among the most active in the industry, Akerman is known for our ability to close sophisticated transactions effectively, cost efficiently, and with full consideration of the risks involved. Our lawyers advise private equity firms and their portfolio companies, public companies and other strategic investors, privately held companies, family offices, management teams, emerging growth companies, and entrepreneurs on complex transactions, including buy-side and sell-side mergers and acquisitions, leveraged recapitalizations and buyouts, spin-offs and sales of divisions, control and minority investments, growth equity investments, distressed company transactions, cross-border transactions, and joint ventures. We have experience across a range of sectors, including automotive, aviation, business services, consumer products and services, distribution and logistics, financial services, healthcare, industrials, insurance, life sciences, manufacturing, real estate, restaurants, retail, sports and leisure, technology, telecommunications, transportation, and waste management.
In private equity transactions, we ensure that each tier of the capital structure works in harmony with the others and is aligned with financial objectives, management incentives, and exit strategy. We also implement strategies designed to drive efficiencies, mitigate risk, improve governance, and facilitate smooth exit processes for portfolio companies.
Because our clients' transactions often involve difficult business, legal, and diligence issues and require rapid execution, all transactions are led by senior lawyers with support from a deep and talented bench who can quickly mobilize to meet client objectives. We form specialized teams for each deal—drawing on the right mix of tax, finance, antitrust, capital markets, employee benefits, creditors’ rights, intellectual property, data privacy, real estate, environmental, litigation, healthcare, labor and employment, policy, and regulatory lawyers to achieve the best results.
Our lawyers develop close working relationships with clients—learning their business and transaction objectives so we can provide straight-forward, practical advice. And because sourcing, negotiating, financing, and closing transactions are enhanced by constructive relationships within the transaction community, we routinely introduce our clients to the opportunities, relationships, and insights afforded by our national platform.
What We Do
- Public-to-public deals, including mergers, consolidations, and representation of special committees
- Public-to-private deals, including going private transactions
- Private-to-private deals, including leveraged recapitalizations and buyouts, spin-offs, and sales of divisions and growth equity investments
- Distressed company deals through bankruptcy and other structures
- Joint ventures and strategic alliances
- Tax planning
- Antitrust counseling
- Acquisition debt financing
- Structure management compensation and equity incentive plans to align interests
- Post-acquisition integration
Timely Topics and Events
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- Martin G. Burkett
- Co-Chair, M&A and Private Equity Practice
- +1 305 982 5578
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- E. Paul Quinn
- Co-Chair, M&A and Private Equity Practice
- +1 561 273 5583
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- Kenneth R. Wiggins
- Co-Chair, M&A and Private Equity Practice
- +1 305 982 5612