Independent Sponsors

Why Independent Sponsors Choose Levenfeld Pearlstein

The Right Experience and Fit

• With extensive experience and a track record of successfully closing independent sponsor transactions across multiple industries throughout the United States, Levenfeld Pearlstein is becoming a leading go-to firm for both emerging and established independent sponsors, as well as capital providers investing in sponsor-led transactions.
• Our platform provides independent sponsors with access to a full-service transactional team and specialists in multiple areas of law. We combine the deep expertise, sophistication, and resources of a large firm with the partner-level attention, collaborative teams and agile execution of a mid-sized firm. This allows our clients to receive hands-on strategic guidance and experienced legal counsel tailored to their unique transaction at a price point and approach appropriate for this segment of the market.
• We know the lower middle market. As an entrepreneurial firm that understands the unique nature of founder/family owned and managed companies that our independent sponsor clients seek to acquire, we tailor our approach to ensure our clients receive practical legal guidance that aligns with their business objectives, risk tolerance and the requirements of the transaction.

Strategic Partners and Value Add Approach

We collaborate with our clients and their other advisors and look to add lasting value by leveraging our extensive network and relationships to make thoughtful introductions to potential sellers, capital providers, lenders, operators and service providers.

We prioritize building long-term partnerships with our sponsor clients and are committed to adding value and efficiency to their business and transactions as we help them scale their investment platforms over time.

Effective and Practical Deal Management

• We know the market for relevant economic, governance and other deal terms unique to independent sponsor transactions. We focus on results and work to get the deal done on our client’s schedule and terms.
• We work with our clients to proactively stage workstreams to provide the appropriate level of legal support based on the phase and priorities of the transaction. We prepare scopes of work and estimated budgets for each transaction, with regular updates and checkpoints to keep our clients informed during a transaction to align expectations and avoid surprises.
• Drawing on our vast experience, we have invested significant resources in process efficiency and have developed proprietary project management tools, resources and systems that help us manage our transactions efficiently and effectively. Additionally, as we work on matters with our independent sponsor clients, we build client-specific forms, clauses, institutional knowledge, and other resources that we leverage for future transactions and assist in keeping the legal process and corresponding budget efficient and predictable.

Flexible Fee Structures and Accommodations

We recognize and understand the unique structuring, timing and budgetary considerations and risks that come with the independent sponsor model. As part of our investment in the relationship, we partner with our independent sponsor clients to ensure that the legal budget and fee accommodations are the right fit based on the scope of the transaction and our client’s objectives.

This approach allows independent sponsors to access high-quality legal services while aligning legal costs with the requirements of the transaction, giving the sponsor the predictability and downside protection needed in recognition of broken deal risks.

Some examples of our accommodations include complimentary review and advice on letters of intent, deferred fees tied to the successful closing of a transaction, and broken deal fee waivers/discounts with deferment/rollover of fees into the next closing.

Your LP Contact

Robert E. Connolly
Partner,
Corporate
rconnolly@lplegal.com