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Private Equity & Venture Capital

Ice Miller has been active in the private equity industry for over 40 years, representing both management teams building great companies and the private equity firms and individuals that invest in them.

We have extensive experience with all types of funds (formations and operations); leveraged buyouts, roll-ups, build-ups, and consolidations; portfolio company divestitures and other exits; mezzanine and junior capital financings; and complex litigation on behalf of investors and privately financed companies. We represent private equity funds; professional, institutional and angel investors; family offices; and independent sponsors and others seeking to raise capital in private equity and venture finance transactions.
 

We have acted as lead counsel in numerous domestic and international transactions. In the past five years, our attorneys have closed over 1,000 transactions worth in excess of $44 billion.

We are an AM 200 law firm principally based in the Midwest with longstanding relationships with investment professionals throughout the US, including buy-out, broad-based, seed, venture, mezzanine and "cross-over" investment funds, as well as fund of funds, family offices and independent sponsors. Our national practice provided us with insights on emerging trends in deal structures and formations. Our presence in New York allows us to provide further market knowledge and support to our client base. Ice Miller provides efficient, cost-effective, value-added service throughout each stage of the investment lifecycle and complete transparency and predictability with its billing arrangements.
View selected private equity and mezanine matters here.

Our Private Equity Group is comprised of more than 40 attorneys with experience in a wide variety of private equity and venture capital matters, including the creation of optimal fund and acquisition/investment structures; the allocation of control and contractual rights between management and investors; the development and implementation of exit strategies; including debt and equity recapitalizations; mergers and acquisitions; sales; and senior and junior debt financing transactions. Our Private Equity Group focuses on middle market transactions and understand the often unique dynamics of this space. 
 
We also act as outside general counsel for most of the portfolio companies of our fund clients in handling both day-to-day legal issues, add-on acquisitions/divestitures and the eventual sale of the company. Acting as outside counsel gives our attorneys the depth of knowledge and experience needed to help portfolio company boards and their management teams navigate the often complicated legal and business landscape in matters including employee benefits, intellectual property, tax and corporate finance along with other personnel-related and day to day issues.

As a full-service law firm, we assist portfolio companies with a variety of services, including:
  • Patents and trademarks
  • Data privacy and security
  • Federal, state and local regulatory compliance
  • Heathcare
  • Debt and equity financing
  • Restructuring and bankruptcy
  • Labor and employment
  • Litigation
  • Employee benefits
  • Environment
  • Tax
  • Government investigations
  • Real estate
Our professionals have experience working with a variety of industries, including:
 
Aerospace Life Sciences
Automotive Manufacturing
Biotech Media
Colleges and Universities Medical device
Construction Medical Practice Management
Distribution and logistics Pharmaceuticals
Energy Plastics
Financial Services Retail
Food and Agriculture Software
Gaming Technology
Health Care Telecommunications
Industrials Transportation
Insurance Utilities

At the acquisition/investment stage, we assist our clients in setting goals that align the operational, economic, accounting, tax and regulatory needs of a particular investment strategy. We have extensive experience in all aspects of an acquisition/investment transaction, including tax structuring, financing, and complex acquisition/investment negotiations.

Ice Miller also has vast experience in the area of fund formation having assisted in the formation of approximately 30 funds or fund of funds in the past five years. The specific services we provide in each fund formation are tailored to the needs of each client depending on various factors, such as the investment strategy and size of the fund, special tax, securities, ERISA or other regulatory or investor considerations, the complexity of the fund formation and the formation of the general partner and management company and most importantly, our client objectives. We are also frequently involved in the structuring of relationships between the fund and general partner and management company entities, as well as providing to them the full array of legal services the fund and those related entities require.
 

Representative Experience

  • Represented Level Equity, a New York-based growth equity and structured capital investment firm, focused on providing capital to rapidly growing software and technology companies, in its investment in PhotoShelter, Inc., a cloud based service for photographers.
  • Represented Star Mountain Capital, a specialized asset management firm, in its investment in Kingsway Warranty Holdings, a company primarily in the extended warranty, asset management and real estate industries, in connection with its acquisition of Geminus Holding Company, Inc., a specialty, full-service provider of vehicle service contracts and other finance and insurance products to used car buyers around the country.
  • Represented Star Mountain and its affiliated funds in connection with their investment in Rock Gate Capital. Rock Gate Capital provides instruction to, and licensing of, commercial drivers throughout the United States under the name 160 Driving Academy.
  • Represented Atlanta Center for Medical Research, a clinical research trial site in Atlanta, to JBR Clinical Research, a portfolio company of Webster Capital out of Waltham, Massachusetts.
  • Represented Pretzels, Inc., a leading contract and private label manufacturer of pretzels and extruded corn products to Peak Rock Capital LLC.
  • Represented Crown Wheel Partners in its acquisition of a royalty stream from the inventors of a drug for the treatment of excessive sweating, an affiliate of Longitude Capital, Greenwich, Connecticut.
  • Represented DFW Capital Partners (DFW) and Evolution Research Group, LLC (ERG), a portfolio company of DFW, in its sale to Linden Capital Partners. ERG is the largest independent clinical research site services company focused on special populations and a leader in central nervous system studies, Watchung, New Jersey.
  • Represented New Canaan Funding in its debt and equity financing of a company specializing in business consulting and intelligence solutions.
  • Representation of CSI IT Holdings, LLC, a portfolio company of White Wolf Capital, in the acquisition of a complimentary staffing services company. CSI IT specializes in providing contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire placements services to technical professionals in various industries, including industrial, transportation, information technology, food, financial, healthcare, and government.
  • Representation of Centerfield Capital Partners, in an equity investment to a company that provides logistics international freight forwarding and domestic shipping solutions for the aerospace supply chain.
  • Represented DFW Capital Partners in the sale of its portfolio company Covenant Surgical Partners, Inc. ("Covenant"), to KKR. Covenant operates ambulatory surgery centers in 17 states and is headquartered in Nashville, TN.
  • Represented Lineage Capital, LLC in its acquisition of Diamond Mowers a company in the business of designing, manufacturing and selling industrial mowing, brush cutting and mulching equipment and related parts.
  • Represented Pennant Park in the mezzanine debt and equity financing of a manufacturer of tools and other industrial items and equipment.
  • Represented CID Capital in the acquisition of ProSource. ProSource is in the business of sourcing, marketing, selling and distributing plumbing supplies, fixtures, lighting and cabinet and door hardware and related accessories.
  • Represented Praesidian Capital in connection with an acquisition financing of a company providing turnkey printed circuit board design, prototype, and production services with a focus on speed and service.
  • Represented Patriot Capital in a senior subordinated debt investment in a recreational sporting goods company.
  • Represented Champlain Capital in the exit of its portfolio company Freeman Beauty to Yellow Wood Partners. Freeman Beauty is a provider of branded consumer goods for the skin and hair care sector.
  • Represented OFS Capital in connection with its senior debt and equity investment in a provider of equipment and piping installation services.
  • Represented Stonehenge Capital in debt and preferred equity and debt financing in the acquisition of an innovator of specialty sensors in the factory and process automation markets.

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Professionals

Name Position Phone Email
Diane Bell Partner 312-726-8157
Jason Berne Partner 312-726-2586
Edward Braum Partner 614-462-1098
Adam Calisoff Partner 312-726-2505
Timothy J. Capen Partner 317-236-2425
Joshua L. Christie Partner 317-236-5802
Dustin S. DuBois Partner 317-236-2251
Stephen B. Edwards Partner 614-462-1108
Pierce Han Partner 202-807-4039
Josef Keglewitsch Partner 614-462-2279
Thomas Kesoglou Partner 212-824-0012
TaeSoo Sean Kim Partner 212-824-4962
Mark Kromkowski Partner 312-726-2561
Chris Michael Partner 614-462-1148
Laurie Miller Partner 630-955-6398
Michael E. Millikan Chief Managing Partner 317-236-5965
Thomas A. Pampush Partner 614-462-5041
Samuel Raboy Partner 212-835-6318
Megan Ryther Partner 317-236-2305
Brian Schultz Partner 212-824-4950
Brent Showalter Partner
Scott Snively Partner 317-236-2375
Chase A. Stuart Office Managing Partner 212-824-0013
Meghann C.T. Supino Partner 317-236-2107
John R. Thornburgh Partner 317-236-2405
Josh Borean Senior Counsel 614-462-1104
J.C. Brown Of Counsel 312-726-6264
Dann Bruno Of Counsel 614-462-5057
Chelsea Abramowitz Associate 212-824-4954
Kevin Burns Associate 317-221-2880
Dan Durocher Associate 614-462-1121
Roberto Falconi Associate 317-236-2215
Craig Ganter Associate 212-835-6309
Brendan Gibson Associate 212-835-6307
Christopher Hall Associate 212-824-4981
Osvaldo Kurt Kock Associate 212-835-6305
Brian Korman Associate 215-446-8126
Matthew G. Kriege Associate 312-705-6013
Paul Obszanski Associate 317-236-2452
Erik Olson Associate 614-462-1028
Seth Raebel Associate 317-236-2342
Huidi Shu Associate 212-835-6326
James Smolik Associate 614-462-2229
Zachariah Snyder Associate 312-705-6014
Tanner Watson Associate 317-221-2841
Melissa Whigham Associate 312-726-6273
Brian White Associate 312-726-2540
Christopher Williams Associate 312-726-7142
Lisa Samblanet Paralegal 614-462-1045
Marita Clarke Practice Group Director 317-236-5847
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