Cases and Deals
Deal

Blank Rome as Representative Counsel on Over 100 Corporate M&A and Securities Transactions

Blank Rome's Corporate M&A and Securities group has represented its clients in more than 100 transactions in 2018. Below is a select list of publicly disclosed deals.

  • A leading lighting manufacturer primarily offering semiconductor-based products and technologies in a wide range of high-tech applications in its acquisition of a company specializing in LED-based horticultural systems for a wide variety of applications including vertical farming. The Blank Rome team was led by Timothy French, John Adkins, and Matt Altomare, and included Winnie Wang, Brandon Einstein, Michael Medveckus, Jeff Rosenfeld and Lisa Campisi, among others. The transaction closed in July 2018.
  • A leading lighting manufacturer primarily offering semiconductor-based products and technologies in a wide range of high-tech applications in its acquisition of a manufacturer of short wavelength VCSEL-based optical components and subassemblies for sensor and device applications within the biomedical, industrial, office product, automotive and consumer industries. The Blank Rome team was led by Timothy French and Matt Altomare, and included George Boggs, Winnie Wang, Alan Lieblich, Michael Medveckus, and Brian Gocial. The transaction closed in July 2018.
  • An investment and management company that acquires, supports, and operates lower middle market businesses in the acquisition of a provider of lab and drug testing services in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  The Blank Rome team included Josh Strober, Jennifer Daniels, Shlomo Troodler and Jeffrey Rosenfeld. The transaction closed in August 2018.
  • AdMedia Partners (AdMedia), a merger and acquisition advisory firm in the digital, marketing, and media sectors, in its sale to GP Bullhound, a technology advisory and investment firm. The Blank Rome team was led by Henry Kuller and Emanuel Adler, and included Joseph Gulant, Anthony Mingione, Maria Carnicella, Brandon Einstein, and Alexandria Popovnak. (March 2, 2018) PHL
  • Artech Information Systems, LLC, a minority and women-owned business enterprise (“MWBE”) committed to maximizing global workforce solutions on behalf of its clients, in its acquisition of certain assets from CDI Corporation and its affiliates, a privately-held multinational enterprise providing engineering, information technology and staffing services to clients in a range of industries including energy, chemical, aerospace, defense, transportation and financial services. The Blank Rome team was led by Lou Rappaport, Emanuel Faust, Pete Tsoflias, and Caleb Anderson. The transaction closed on October 2, 2018.
  • Backstage, LLC, a staple in the entertainment industry, in its sale to a private equity firm. Blank Rome  the buyers of Backstage when it was purchased in December 2013 and continued the company’s representation through its sale. The Blank Rome team was led by Kathleen Cunningham and Bob Mittman, with assistance from Scott Smith, Elena Jacque, and Mike Kadlec. The transaction closed on October 19, 2018.
  • Cohen Media Group, an Academy Award-winning independent theatrical distribution and production company, in its purchase of Landmark Theatres, the nation's largest specialized theater chain dedicated to independent cinema with 252 screens in 27 markets. The acquisition was financed by Fortress Investment Group and, as part of the deal, Cohen will retain Landmark’s senior management team. The Blank Rome deal team was led by Martin Luskin, and included Michael Mullman, Scott Smith, Peter Schnur, Joe Gulant, Larry Beaser, Lisa Campisi, Lisa Casey Spaniel, Kimberly Timko, D'Juan Neal, Elena Jacque, Ari Pozez, Nathan Brill, Leena Ketkar, and John Louros. The transaction was announced on December 4, 2018.
  • Connecticut Distributors, Inc., one of the largest wine and spirits distributors in the state of Connecticut, in its acquisition of New England Wine & Spirits which represents close to 100 suppliers from around the globe, as an Importer and a wholesale distributor across the entire state of Connecticut. The Blank Rome team was led by Peter Schnur, and included Thomas Cournoyer and Ari Pozez. (April 30, 2018) NY
  • Drew's LLC, a manufacturer of healthy organic and non-GMO foods and a subsidiary of parent company Gertrude Hawk, in its sale to Schlotterbeck & Foss, a manufacturer of premium, private label and branded sauces, condiments, dressings and dessert sauces. Schlotterbeck & Foss is majority owned by Frontenac, a private equity firm focused on investing in the lower middle market. The Blank Rome team was led by Alan Zeiger, Michael Medveckus, and Matt Altomare, and included, Courtney Presswood, Dan Ivler, Maria Carnicella, Jonathan Clark, and Cory Jacobs. The transaction closed on October 19, 2018.
  • eLocal USA LLC, a leader in performance-based advertising for local, regional, and national service businesses, in its acquisition of both Felix Calls, LLC (a pay-per-action advertising business) and CityGrid Media, LLC (a local content and advertising network) from InterActiveCorp (IAC) and its affiliates. The Blank Rome team was led by Lou Rappaport and Shaun Bockert, and included Cory Jacobs, Jeff Rosenfeld, Jonathan Clark, Michael Swoyer, and Molly Crane. The transaction closed on December 31, 2018.
  • eLocal USA LLC, a leading provider of performance-based advertising for local, regional and national service businesses, in its acquisition from Ring Router, Inc. of its business of performance-based advertising in the form of pay-per call programs within insurance and other verticals. The Blank Rome team was led by Josh Strober, Lou Rappaport, Rachel Packer and Ashley Catalano-Leckerman. The transaction closed in October 2018.
  • FirstElement Fuel in securing a long-term renewable hydrogen supply for its California True Zero Network by entering into a renewable hydrogen supply agreement with Air Liquide, which in turn will invest more than $150 million to build the first-ever dedicated liquid hydrogen production facility for the zero-emission hydrogen electric vehicle market. The Blank Rome team consisted of Jason Kim, Jonathan Keen, and Joshua Bachrach. The transaction closed on November 21, 2018.
  • FragranceNet.com, an online retailer of perfumes, skincare and related beauty products, in its sale to B&S Group, a global distributor of consumer goods. The Blank Rome team was led by Shaun Snitman, Linsey Bozzelli, Inna Zaltsman and Brock Wittmeyer, and included Yelena Barychev, Mark Blondman, Joshua Broderson, Lisa Campisi, Barry Friedman, Cory Jacobs, Michael Kadlec, David Kuchinos, Alan Lieblich, David Perry, Jeffrey Rosenfeld and Nicole Vorrasi. The transaction closed on October 29, 2018.
  • Gladstone Investment Corporation in its acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Educators Resource, Inc., an e-commerce provider of school supplies and supplemental teaching materials to blue-chip e-retailers, with exceptional sourcing, fulfillment and distribution capabilities. The Blank Rome team was led by Emanuel Faust, Pete Tsoflias and Ashley Catalano-Leckerman, and included Donald Gregory, Michael Green, Mary Ann Knoeckel, Peg Hill, Michael Kadlec, Brooke Iley, Jennifer Daniels, Megan Wood, Jon Grossman, Beth Friel and Stephen Zumbrun, James Kelly led the debt financing component of the transaction. The transaction closed on November 30, 2018.
  • Harbour Group, a privately owned, operations focused company based in St. Louis, Mo., and a long-standing firm client, in its acquisition of Nationwide Industries (“NWI”), a leading supplier of specialty hardware to OEMs, distributors and installers in the fence and gate, railing and patio markets.  The company’s brands include Nationwide and Ultra-Tec. The Blank Rome team was led by Ken Morrow, Malcolm Sandilands, Saminaz Akhter, and Elaine Scivetti. (March 19, 2018) WAS
  • ImageFIRST Healthcare Laundry Specialists, Inc. (“ImageFIRST”) in its sale to an affiliate of the private equity firm Calera Capital. Prior to its sale, ImageFIRST was a multigenerational family-owned business. It serves healthcare facilities nationwide, providing commercial laundering and linen rental services. Blank Rome has been representing ImageFIRST since 2013, and is poised to continue its relationship following this transformative transaction. The Blank Rome team was led by Lou Rappaport, Rich McMahon, Frank Dehel, Cory Jacobs, Molly Crane, Michael Swoyer, Adam Seiden, and included attorneys and professionals from across many of the Firm’s practice groups and offices. The transaction closed on October 25, 2018.
  • J.F. Lehman & Company, LLC in its recent acquisition of 100 percent of the outstanding equity interests of International Marine & Industrial Applicators, LLC and Craft and Technical Solutions, LLC (collectively, “IMIA”) from IMIA Group, Inc. The Blank Rome team was led by Peter Schnur, Thomas Cournoyer, and Ari Pozez, and included over 30 attorneys and professionals from across many of the Firm’s practice groups and offices. The transaction closed on October 26, 2018.
  • Joseph Gunnar & Co, LLC, as representative of the underwriters, in connection with the $7,320,000 initial public offering of Units (consisting of common stock and warrants) of Adial Pharmaceuticals, Inc.  Adial is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of a therapeutic agent for the treatment of alcohol use disorder. The Blank Rome team was led by Brad Shiffman, Elena Jacque and Ari Pozez. The transaction closed on July 31, 2018.
  • Juniper Landscaping of Florida, LLC, a provider of landscape design, construction and maintenance services for residential and commercial properties in Florida and portfolio company of ZS Fund L.P., in its acquisition of Prestige Property Maintenance Inc. The Blank Rome team was led by Shaun Snitman and Inna Zaltsman and included Manish Antani, Mark Blondman, Gary Goldenberg, Cory Jacobs, Jeffrey Rosenfeld, Mat Rotenberg, Adam Sansweet and Shlomo Troodler. The transaction closed on September 14, 2018.
  • Kindred Partners Inc., a Toronto-based specialty cannabis brokerage serving the adult recreational use market and wholly-owned subsidiary of Breakthru Beverage Group, a long-standing firm client, in its exclusive partnership with CannTrust, one of Canada’s leading licensed producers and most trusted brands for medical cannabis. Breakthru Beverage Group purchased 902,405 common shares of CannTrust at a purchase price of CAD$10.23 (US$7.93) per share for an aggregate price of CAD$9,231,600 (US$7,153,569). The Blank Rome team was led by Malcolm Ross and included Joe Poluka and Yoelle Epstein. The transaction closed on October 18, 2018.
  • Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., as representative of the several underwriters, in connection with the $40,000,000 public offering of 6.25% Notes due 2025 of Saratoga Investment Corp.  Saratoga is a specialty finance company that invests primarily in leveraged loans and mezzanine debt issued by private U.S. middle-market companies. The Blank Rome team was led by Brad Shiffman, Tom Westle, Thomas Cournoyer, and Brandon Einstein. The transaction closed on August 28, 2018.
  • Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., as representative of the several underwriters, in connection with the $28,750,000 follow-on public offering of common stock of Saratoga Investment Corp.  Saratoga is a specialty finance company that invests primarily in leveraged loans and mezzanine debt issued by private U.S. middle-market companies. The Blank Rome team was led by Brad Shiffman, Tom Westle, and Thomas Cournoyer. The transaction closed on July 13, 2018.
  • Lindstrom, LLC (“Lindstrom”), a portfolio company of longtime client Harbour Group in its acquisition of Stelfast Holdings, Inc. and certain of its affiliates in Canada and Taiwan (“Stelfast”). Lindstrom is the largest master distributor of specialty fasteners in the United States and the addition of Cleveland-based Stelfast significantly expands Lindstrom’s service and product offering while increasing the combined enterprise’s presence globally.  The Blank Rome team was led by Saminaz Akhter, Nathan Brill, Caleb Anderson, and Elaine Scivetti. The transaction closed on September 19, 2018.
  • Lively in its $6.5 million Series A investment from GGV Capital, NF Ventures and former Nautica CEO Harvey Sanders.  The Blank Rome team included Josh Strober and Cory Jacobs. The transaction closed in July 2018.
  • Logo Sportswear Inc., a Gladstone portfolio company and a supplier and retailer of customer apparel and related soft promotional products through its e-commerce websites, in its sale to Digital Room LLC, a leading online printing company. The Blank Rome team was led by Emanuel Faust, Pete Tsoflias and Courtney Presswood and included Michael Kadlec, Michael Green, Brooke Iley, Stephanie Kaplan, Donald Gregory, Mary Ann Knoeckel, Margaret Hill, Jonathan England, and Ivy Shapiro. The transaction closed on November 5, 2018.
  • Magna Legal Services, a provider of end-to-end legal assistance to law firms, corporations and governmental agencies, in its investment from CIVC Partners, L.P. (“CIVC”), a Chicago-based middle market private equity firm focused on investments in the business services and financial services industries. The Blank Rome team was led by Michael Medveckus, Frank Dehel, Matt Altomare and Arthur Bachman, and included, Winnie Wang, Jonathan Clark, Cory Jacobs, Jeff Rosenfeld, Stephanie Kaplan, Mat Rotenberg, Matt Homyk, David Kuchinos, and Saloni Patel. The transaction closed on November 30, 2018.
  • MLH Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of MainLine Investment Partners, LLC, in its investment in Alternative Medical Enterprises, LLC, a fully integrated company that brings pharmaceutical industry precision to the development, production and dispensing of medical cannabinoids. The Blank Rome team was led by Frank Dehel and Steve Dubow and included Winnie Wang, Kathy Herman, Brock Wittmeyer, Ashley Catalano-Leckerman, Brad Einstein, Lisa Casey, Cory Jacobs and Jeff Rosenfeld. The transaction closed on April 6, 2018. PHL
  • National Securities Corporation as underwriter of a $12.8M follow-on public offering of common stock of Manhattan Bridge Capital, Inc.  Manhattan Bridge is a New York-based real estate finance company that specializes in originating, servicing and managing a portfolio of first mortgage loans The Blank Rome team was led by Brad Shiffman, Elena Jacque and Ari Pozez. The transaction closed on July 24, 2018.
  • National Securities Corporation as underwriter of a $12M follow-on public offering of common stock of Workhorse Group, Inc.  Workhorse is a technology company focused on providing sustainable and cost-effective solutions to the commercial transportation sector. The Blank Rome team was led by Brad Shiffman and Elena Jacque. The transaction closed on August 14, 2018.
  • Nationwide Industries, a leading supplier of specialty hardware to OEMs, distributors and installers in the fence and gate, railing and patio markets, and a portfolio company of longtime firm client Harbour Group, in its acquisition of Rail FX LLC, a distributor based in Tacoma, Washington. The Blank Rome team was led by Malcolm Sandilands and Elaine Scivetti and included Elena Jacque and Terence Hastick. The transaction closed on November 1, 2018.
  • NewSpring Holdings, a long-standing Firm client and a leading diversified holding company focused on acquiring and building companies in logistics, managed services, financial software and technology and government services, in its acquisition of The Sentinel Company, establishing NewSpring Holdings’ government services platform, its fourth platform in just over four years. The Blank Rome team was led by Alan Zeiger, Molly Crane, and Brock Wittmeyer, and included, Cory Jacobs, Jeff Rosenfeld, Justin Chiarodo, Carolyn Cody-Jones, Jonathan Clark, Shaun Bockert, Dade Thornton and Ivy Shapiro. The transaction closed in September 2018.
  • ONICON Incorporated, a leading supplier of HVAC, irrigation, wastewater and other flow control technologies, and a portfolio company of longtime firm client Harbour Group, in its acquisition of the Pulsar Process Management companies, based in England.   The Blank Rome team was led by Malcolm Sandilands and Elaine Scivetti and included Don Gregory, Jon England, Elena Jacque and Terence Hastick. The transaction closed on December 13, 2018.
  • Paddy Power Betfair in the merger of its U.S. business (“Betfair US”) with FanDuel, which was announced today. The combined company creates the largest online sports destination in the United States, bringing together the leader in international sports betting and gaming and the company that redefined fantasy sports. The Blank Rome Team was led by Dennis Ehling, Peter Schnur, Jonathan Keen, Nathan Brill, Caleb Anderson, and Brandon Einstein, with support from Lisa Casey Spaniel, Jonathan Clark, Joseph Gulant, Andrew Woodman, Joseph Doloboff, and Richard Chou. (May 23, 2018) NY
  • QualTek USA, LLC (“QualTek”), in its sale to Brightstar Capital Partners in partnership with senior management of QualTek. Based in King of Prussia, PA, QualTek is a leading provider of turnkey solutions, including engineering, installation, fulfillment, and program management to the North American telecommunications and power sectors. The Blank Rome team included Kipp Cohen, Tim French, Shlomo Troodler, Mat Rotenberg, Cory Jacobs, Matt Altomare, Michael Kadlec, Lisa Casey Spaniel, Frank Dehel, Jay Ross, and Dalila Berry. The transaction closed in July 2018.
  • Rajant Corporation, a leading provider of mobile wireless mesh networks and technology, in its sale of preferred stock to Westinghouse Air Brakes Technology Corporation. The Blank Rome team was led by Alan Zeiger and Frank Dehel and included Michael Swoyer. (June 27, 2018) PHL
  • RugsUSA, LLC and NuLoom, LLC, the leading online providers of rugs and other home décor products, in the $300 million sale of all outstanding equity interests to an affiliate of Comvest Partners, a private investment firm with over $3.1 billion of assets under management. Comvest became the buyer after an extensive auction process conducted by Lazard Middle Market, with Blank Rome’s participation. The Blank Rome team was led by Michael Mullman and Rustin Paul, with assistance from Courtney Schrenko, Ari Pozez, Joseph Gulant, Mark Blondman, George Boggs, Shawn Wright, Scott Smith, David Perry, Jennifer Daniels, Peg Hill, Jonathan Clark, Mary Ann Knoeckel, Bradford Craig, Andrew Woodman, Henri Chalouh, and Riki McGettigan. (April 30, 2018) NY
  • Ryder System, Inc., a leader in commercial fleet management, dedicated transportation, and supply chain solutions, in its acquisition of all outstanding equity of MXD Group, an e-commerce fulfillment provider with a national network of facilities, including last mile capabilities. The Blank Rome team was led by Peter Schnur and Kevin Bruno, and included Thomas Cournoyer, Ari Pozez, Joe Doloboff, Jonathan Clark, Lisa Campisi, Scott Smith, Richard Chou, and Greg Cronin. (April 2, 2018) NY
  • Safe Passage Management LLC, a provider of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (“IONM”) services, employing approximately 135 clinicians, reading physicians and support staff, in its sale to an affiliate of NuVasive, Inc., a Delaware publicly traded corporation and a leading provider of hardware, software and IONM services utilized in spine and other surgeries. The Blank Rome team was led by Jeffrey Siegel and Kathleen Cunningham, and included, Thomas Cournoyer, Brandon Einstein, Michael Kadlec, Joseph Gulant, Bill Gramlich, and Jennifer Daniels. (January 2018) NY
  • Siemens Energy Management Division in the formation of Fluence Energy, LLC, a 50/50 joint venture with The AES Corporation, which will be a global energy storage technology and services company reaching customers in over 160 countries. The Blank Rome team was led by Shaun Snitman and Timothy French, and included, Gary Goldenberg, Dan Blickman, Dan Morgan, and Shaun Bockert. The transaction closed on January 1, 2018. PHL
  • SOS Security LLC, a privately-owned security company, in its acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Premier and Apex3 Security, providers of security services to customers in the greater Chicago area. The Blank Rome team was led by Linsey Bozzelli and Inna Zaltsman and included Dan Ivler, Matt Altomare, Mark Blondman, Lisa Casey-Spaniel, Cory Jacobs, Michael Kadlec, Jeffrey Rosenfeld and Scott Smith. (May 31, 2018) PHL
  • SOS Security LLC, a privately-owned security company, in its acquisition of First Alarm Security & Patrol, Inc. d/b/a First Security Services, a provider of security services to customers in Northern California. The Blank Rome team was led by Linsey Bozzelli and Inna Zaltsman and included Dan Ivler, Matt Altomare, Mark Blondman, Lisa Campisi, Lisa Casey Spaniel, Richard Chou, Joseph Doloboff, Caroline Donelan, Cory Jacobs, Michael Kadlec and Scott Smith. The transaction closed on July 20, 2018.
  • SOS Security LLC, a privately-owned security company, in its acquisition of substantially all of the assets of McGinn Security, a provider of security services to customers in the greater Philadelphia area. The Blank Rome team was led by Linsey Bozzelli and Inna Zaltsman and included Matt Altomare, Mark Blondman, Lisa Casey-Spaniel, Daniel Ivler, Cory Jacobs, Michael Kadlec, Jeffrey Rosenfeld, Scott Smith and Brock Wittmeyer. The transaction closed on September 7, 2018.
  • Sylvin Technologies, Inc., a specialty plastics manufacturer, in its sale to Mexichem Ethylene Holding Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Mexichem S.A, B. de C.V., a publicly traded Mexican company. The Blank Rome team was led by Barry Genkin and Inna Zaltsman, and included Lisa Campisi, Nicole Vorrasi, Jeff Rosenfeld, Lisa Casey Spaniel, Peg Hill, Jonathan Clark, Sam Becker, Courtney Presswood, and Ivy Shapiro. (January 2018) PHL
  • Syngin Technology, LLC, a leading provider of automated logistics solutions for disposition of used vehicles, in the sale of 70% of the company to a subsidiary of Wallenius Wilhelmsen, a global provider of logistics and shipping solutions. The deal team included Kipp Cohen and Shaun Bockert. The transaction closed on July 3, 2018.
  • TayganPoint Consulting Group, a consulting firm that helps global companies, particularly in the life sciences and healthcare industries, with complicated transformation projects, in its sale to Grant Thornton, the U.S. member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd, one of the world’s leading organizations of independent audit, tax and advisory firms. The Blank Rome team was led by Lou Rappaport and Inna Zaltsman, and included Jonathan Clark and Cory Jacobs. The transaction closed on October 3, 2018.
  • Veritext Legal Solutions, a leading provider of deposition and litigation support solutions, in its acquisition of the assets of Paradigm Litigation Support Inc., a court reporting and legal video provider based in Minneapolis. The Blank Rome team was led by Frank Dehel and included Winnie Wang and Michael Kadlec (June 1, 2018)  PHL
  • Voice Comm, L.L.C., a national leader in supply chain management services for the mobile device accessories industry, in its restructuring and the sale of a majority of its membership interests to Tiger Peak Capital Holdings, LLC. The Blank Rome team included Alan Zeiger, Rachel Packer, Frank Dehel, Courtney Presswood, Ashley Catalano-Leckerman, Shlomo Troodler, Cory Jacobs, Jeff Rosenfeld, Mark Blondman, Jonathan Clark, Lisa Campisi, Josh Broderson, Shaun Bockert, Tom Kelley, Peg Hill, and Ivy Shapiro. The transaction closed on August 31, 2018.
  • vybe, an operator of urgent care centers intended to provide treatment for a broad range of illnesses and injuries, with regard to a growth equity investment by NewSpring Health Capital, the dedicated healthcare fund of parent private equity company NewSpring, and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (“PCOM”). The Blank Rome team was led by Lou Rappaport, Linsey Bozzelli and Jonathan Keen, and included, Jenn Daniels, Cory Jacobs, Jeff Rosenfeld, Courtney Presswood and Carol Buckalew. (May 10, 2018) PHL
  • Winxnet, Inc., a Maine based I.T. outsourcing and consulting firm, in the sale of a majority of its equity interests to an affiliate of the Riverside Company, a global middle market private equity firm.  The Blank Rome team was led by Lou Rappaport, Jim Staiger, Mike Swoyer, and Cory Jacobs, and included Pete Tsoflias, Ashley Catalano-Leckerman, Josh Broderson, Lisa Casey, Jonathan Clark, and Mark Blondman. (June 29, 2018).
  • World Wide Registration Systems, Inc. (dba Expo Logic), a global event technology and service company specializing in integrated registration, lead retrieval and attendee tracking solutions, in its sale to Community Brands, a leading provider of cloud-based software solutions for associations, nonprofits, K-12 schools and faith-based groups. The Blank Rome team was led by Rustin Paul, and included, Thomas Cournoyer, Joseph Gulant, Andrew Woodman, Lisa Casey Spaniel, Jonathan Clark, and Jason Snyderman. (June 13, 2018) NY
  • Yucatan Foods, L.P., a California guacamole company, as its co-deal counsel and lead tax counsel in its sale to Landec Corp. (NASDAQ: LNDC), a fresh food supplier to retailers, for $80 million, including $60 million in cash and $20 million of Landec stock. The Blank Rome team consisted of Jason Kim, Joe Doloboff, and Richard Chou. The transaction closed on December 6, 2018.