SPACs

Overview

Despite the generally soft market for initial public offerings (“IPOs”), special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) have grown in popularity. SPACs can be a great business opportunity, but the process requires counsel familiar with each step of the transaction.

Blank Rome has established itself as a leader in completing these types of specialty offerings. For underwriters, we have raised in the aggregate more than $292 million in connection with IPOs of SPACs, and for issuers, we have raised in the aggregate more than $310 million. We will counsel you through every step, from structuring the transaction, the pre-IPO process, the IPO process, and choosing the management teams. 

Our lawyers also have significant experience assisting issuers going public through a business combination with a SPAC.  They counsel clients on structuring the transaction, addressing tax issues, negotiating letters of intent and the merger and ancillary agreements; undertaking a related financing, SEC filings and preparing to be a public company.

We also counsel both targets and SPACs in connection with their qualifying business combinations. We negotiate letters of intent and acquisition agreements, assist in preparation of proxy materials, and advise on other shareholder approval issues as they emerge.

How We Can Help

  • SPACs structure
  • Registration statements
  • SEC reporting
  • Rule 144
  • NASDAQ listing rules
  • Structuring a business combination
  • Timeframe considerations
  • Trust accounts and expenses
  • Proxy statements
  • Shareholder approvals and redemptions
  • Liquidation 
  • Tax issues

What Sets Us Apart

  • Our corporate attorneys authored several articles and alerts on SPACs, including:
    • “SPACs: An Emerging Exit Strategy,” by Partner Brad L. Shiffman (The National Law Journal)
    • “SPACs Show Impressive Growth in the Investment Community and IPO Markets,” by Partner Eliezer M. Helfgott (The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel)
  • Ranked Tier 1 in 2022 U.S. News & World Report–Best Lawyers® (Woodward/White, Inc.) for M&A Law nationally and in Pittsburgh and for Corporate Law nationally and in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Highly ranked for Capital Markets Law nationally and regionally in Los Angeles and Philadelphia and for M&A Law regionally in Los Angeles, New York City, and Pittsburgh.
  • 2023 Legal 500 ranks Blank Rome as a Recommended Firm in M&A – Middle Market.
  • Chambers USA 2023 ranks Blank Rome for its Corporate/M&A work in Philadelphia and Surrounds and notes that clients say:
    • Blank Rome is one of the most responsive firms I have worked with. It has outstanding commercial awareness.
    • The firm is staffed with a broad-based set of knowledgeable and experienced legal partners. It is truly among the finest legal teams I've worked with.
  • Our attorneys are frequent lecturers on M&A matters and are well known for “writing the book” on all aspects of valuing and selling businesses and capital formation entitles, such as The Complete Guide to Valuing and Selling Your Business.

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