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Blank Rome is pleased to be a Platinum Sponsor of the Association for Corporate Growth Boston Chapter’s (“ACG Boston”)&nbsp;<a href="https://dealfestnortheast.org/event/inside-the-deal-featured-transactions-verndale-and-optikos/">DealFest Northeast</a>, being held June 15 through 16, 2026, at Thomas M. Menino Convention &amp; Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

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DealFest Northeast is the largest mergers and acquisitions (“M&amp;A”) event in the region, bringing together key deal professionals from across the country—capital providers, intermediaries, deal advisers, and strategics—for efficient, dynamic, and effective networking. The program features a packed agenda of speaker sessions featuring middle-market insights from industry experts, and structured and unstructured meetings for all attendees.

Blank Rome will partner with Boston Search Group and EY-Parthenon to host a cocktail reception at Legal Seafoods Harborside in the Seaport District.&nbsp;

Blank Rome partner <a href="/people/josef-b-volman/" type="poa_person" id="18757">Josef B. Volman</a>, co-chair of our Boston office, will serve as panel moderator for “<a href="https://dealfestnortheast.org/event/inside-the-deal-featured-transactions-verndale-and-optikos/">Inside the Deal: Featured Transactions—Verndale and Optikos</a>,” taking place on Tuesday, June 16, from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m.

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Attendees will go behind the scenes of two recent transactions as Chris Pisapia (Verndale) and Steve Fantone (Optikos) share an inside look at how their deals came together. This candid conversation will explore strategic motivations, valuation considerations, diligence dynamics, and the decision‑making moments that shaped each outcome. Speakers will share firsthand insight into what it takes to navigate a successful transaction from the operator’s seat—what surprised them, what they’d do again, and what they’d do differently as they positioned their companies for the next stage of growth.

Moderator: Josef B. Volman, Partner &amp; Boston Office Co-Chair, Blank Rome

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Chris Pisapia, Chief Executive Officer, Verndale

Stephen D. Fantone, Ph.D., Founder, Strategic Advisor, and Chair Emeritus, Optikos

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For more information, please visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://dealfestnortheast.org/event/inside-the-deal-featured-transactions-verndale-and-optikos/">DealFest Northeast webpage</a>.

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DealFest Northeast

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