Representative Clients

• ABRA, Inc.
• Carlson Marketing Group
• HNI Corporation
• International Dairy Queen
• Lawson Software
• Luther Automotive Group
• Special Waste Disposal
• Ziegler

Representative Matters

Public Companies:

• Represented a publicly held health care company in a stock-for-stock strategic merger with another publicly held health care company. The transaction was a tax-free reorganization. The combined company has revenues exceeding $1 billion.
• Represented a publicly held manufacturing company in a series of strategic acquisitions to increase manufacturing capacity, enhance distribution, and increase market share.
• Represented a publicly held high tech manufacturing company in a series of strategic dispositions.
• Represented a privately held for-profit higher education institution in its merger with a publicly held special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), with the client’s business becoming the surviving publicly held company.
• Represented a publicly held software company in a series of acquisitions of software companies.
• Advising the board of a publicly held company on its response to an unsolicited purchase offer.

Private Equity:

• Represented a Minnesota private equity group in the creation and marketing of its  second fund.
• Represented a Minnesota private equity group in a series of acquisitions for its fund and add-on acquisitions for existing portfolio companies.
• Represented continuing stockholders and management in the acquisition of a services company in partnership with a private equity group.
• Represented a large, privately held automobile repair company in the purchase of the company by a private equity firm in partnership with management.
• Represented a management team in a going private transaction where a publicly held company was purchased by a private equity group.

Representation of Sellers:

• Represented an upper Midwest manufacturer in its sale to a publicly held strategic acquirer.
• Represented a Minnesota fabricator of components for buses in its sale to a strategic buyer.
• Represented a special waste disposal company in its sale to a publicly held strategic acquirer.
• Represented a domestic manufacturer in its sale to an Asian private equity firm.
• Represented a high tech manufacturer in its sale to a European private equity firm.

Representation of Purchasers:

• Regularly represent a publicly held software company in its purchases of privately held software companies.
• Regularly represent one of Minnesota’s largest automobile dealership organizations in its purchases of automobile dealerships.
• Regularly represent a Minnesota-based national automobile repair company in add-on acquisitions.
• Represented a publicly held manufacturer in its acquisition of the assets of a distressed manufacturer.

Selected Specialty M&A Areas:

Agribusiness
We represent both buyers and sellers in significant agribusiness transactions.

• Represented a company in its acquisition and then subsequent sale of six ethanol plants located in four different states.

Distressed Acquisitions
We regularly represent buyers, sellers, lenders, and creditors in purchase or sale transactions involving distressed businesses, either within or outside of the bankruptcy process.

• Represented a private company in a Chapter 11, Section 363 auction/sale in the District of Delaware in its purchase of a business and consumer gifts company.
• Represented a private company in a Chapter 11, Section 363 auction/sale in the District of Connecticut in its purchase of an electronic discovery company.

ESOP
As part of our national Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) practice, we regularly represent ESOP companies in sales and acquisitions.

• Represented a home medical equipment company in the sale of all of its stock to its Employee Stock Ownership Trust.
• Represented a West Coast-based 100 percent S Corp ESOP corporation in its sale to a strategic acquirer.
• Represented a Midwest-based 100 percent S Corp ESOP corporation manufacturer in its sale to a foreign acquirer.

Franchise
As part of our national franchise practice, we regularly represent buyers and sellers of franchisors.

• Represented a specialty retail franchisor in its sale to a private equity group that focuses on franchisors.
• Represented a home services franchisor in its acquisition of a franchisor in a complementary area.
• Represented an automobile services franchisor in its sale to a private equity group.
• Represented a national fast food franchisor in its sale of non-core assets.

Health Care
As part of our health care practice, we regularly represent buyers and sellers of hospitals, nursing homes, surgical centers, imaging centers, and physician practices.

• Represented several physician groups in their sales and transfers to larger groups, hospitals, and health care systems.
• Represented a health care system in its acquisition of hospitals and physician groups in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
• Represented a large national ancillary service provider in its acquisition of several smaller provider facilities located in different states.
• Represented rural hospitals in Minnesota and North Dakota in their affiliations and transfers to larger health care systems.
• Represented a large nursing home provider in its acquisition of nursing home facilities in Minnesota.
• Represented smaller nursing home providers in their sale and transfer to larger hospitals and nursing home companies.

Management
We frequently represent management or executives when their companies are involved in acquisition transactions. Areas of representation include employment agreements, stay in place agreements, equity packages, and incentive programs.

Nonprofit
We’ve represented numerous nonprofit entities in combinations or mergers with, or acquisitions of, other nonprofit organizations.

Industries represented in GPM’s recent M&A transactions include: 

• agribusiness
• alternative energy
• automobile repair
• automotive
• electrical products
• employment services
• environmental consulting
• ESOP
• franchise
• furniture
• health care
• high tech measurement
• home care services
• hospitality
• infrastructure
• manufacturing
• marketing services
• medical products
• radio stations
• remote control and monitoring
• software
• telecommunications
• travel
• waste disposal