Joshua E. Porte
Partner
Joshua E. Porte
+1.615.850.8751
Overview
Josh Porte is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Nashville office. Mr. Porte advises clients in connection with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint venture agreements and other strategic business and fundamental transactions.
Mr. Porte counsels private equity firms, investors and legal service providers on structuring and executing investments in law firms and other legal services businesses. With deep experience in ownership, regulatory and compliance considerations unique to the legal industry, Mr. Porte helps clients develop strategic structures that align with evolving market dynamics and ethical rules. He also advises on investments and acquisitions across healthcare sectors, including dental, medical and physical therapy enterprises.
Mr. Porte is widely recognized for his work on law firm management services organization (MSO) transactions and related regulatory matters. He advises clients on structuring MSOs, navigating complex ownership and professional responsibility rules and deploying capital to support firm growth. His clients span the legal industry, from law firms and in-house departments to legal technology companies nationwide. He is also a frequent media commentator and publishes thought leadership on legal services innovation to help clients stay ahead of key industry developments.
Representative Experience
- Represented InFocus Eyecare, a market-leading eyecare platform and a portfolio company of Regal Healthcare Capital Partners, in its add-on acquisitions of America's Vision, a New York-based optometry practice; Optical Designs Inc., a Massachusetts-based eyecare practice with three locations; Pathway Eye, a provider of quality vision care with seven offices in Alabama and Tennessee; Juno Beach Optical, a Florida-based leading provider of eye care services; Sharper Vision Center, a Florida-based provider of comprehensive eye care, designer frames and sunglasses; and South Beach Vision, a Florida-based eyecare practice with three locations
- Assisted HCA Healthcare Inc., one of the nation's leading healthcare providers, in obtaining majority ownership in the parent company of Galen College of Nursing
- Represented Onlife Health and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee in the sale of Onlife to GuideWell Health
- Represented DermCare Management, a leader in specialized dermatology and cosmetic surgery practice management services and a portfolio company of Hildred Capital Management, in its add-on acquisition of multiple dermatology practices based in Texas and California
- Represented a private equity-backed leading provider of sleep and fatigue management programs to patients suffering from the most common sleep disorders in its add-on acquisitions of a sleep clinic with three locations in Arizona; a Michigan-based provider of home respiratory equipment; and a Virginia-based provider of brain health and restorative sleep services
- Represented a private equity-backed leading dental support organization (DSO) in its add-on acquisitions of an Alabama-based general, cosmetic and implant dentistry practice
- Represented a private equity-backed dental consulting and management company working with emerging DSOs, group practices and entrepreneurial dentists in its add-on acquisitions of a California-based dental practice; a Florida-based dental practice; and a New Hampshire-based dental practice offering various general and cosmetic services
- Represented Chicago Dental Partners, an Illinois-based pediatric dentistry and orthodontics practice, in its acquisition of Rita J. Tamulis-Shea DDS Ltd., an Illinois-based pediatric dental practice, and in its sale of equity to an incoming shareholder
- Represented The Smilist DSO LLC in connection with its acquisition of BrookBeam Dental, expanding The Smilist's footprint to more than 100 locations in the Northeast
- Represented a DSO in its acquisition of a Missouri-based family dentistry
- Represented investment firm Sorensen Capital in its investment in Spring Dental Intermediate
- Represented Tru Family Dental in its acquisition by Heartland Dental and assisted with regulatory compliance and corporate matters
- Represented Eye Institute of Corpus Christi, a Texas-based leading provider of eye care services, in its sale to NVISION Eye Centers Inc., a national leader in eye care services and backed by Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board
- Represented Excelsia Injury Care, a mission-driven provider of outpatient post-traumatic injury care and physical rehabilitation and a portfolio company of Bain Capital Double Impact, in its add-on acquisition of a multistate operator of auto accident and injury care healthcare practices
- Represented Riccobene Central Services Inc. in connection with its recapitalization and majority investment by Comvest Partners
- Represented Whipple Eye Center, an Indiana-based leader in comprehensive eye care, in its sale to Bridgeview Eye Partners, an emerging management services provider to one of the fastest-growing providers of multi-level eye care in Indiana and northwest Ohio and a portfolio company of Sentinel Capital Partners
- Represented The Eye Center in connection with its recapitalization and partnership with ReFocus Eye Health Partners
- Represented Huddle Pediatrics, a venture capital-backed provider of modern pediatric services, in its add-on acquisitions of Westchester Park Pediatrics and Bridgespan Medicine, both New York-based pediatric practices
- Represented Lorient Capital in its partnership with a Missouri-based, regional provider of long-term care, assisted living and geriatric services
- Represented Direct Radiology in the sale of its teleradiology platform to Royal Philips
- Represented MindCare Solutions Group in its acquisition of TriCounty Tele Behavioral Services
- Represented a Connecticut-based primary care practice in its acquisition of a Massachusetts-based primary care practice
- Represented two specialists in internal medicine in the acquisition of Connecticut-based nephrology practice
- Represented an intellectual property law firm in connection with a restructuring as a management services organization (MSO)
- Represented a private equity sponsor in connection with its investment into a legal services MSO supporting a debt collection-focused law firm
- Represented a government services-focused law firm in connection with its restructuring as an MSO and recapitalization with a private equity sponsor
Credentials
Education
- University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., magna cum laude
- Macalester College, B.A., magna cum laude
Bar Admissions/Licenses
- Tennessee
Memberships
- American Bar Association
- American Health Law Association
Honors & Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, Health Care Law, 2026
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, Ones to Watch, Nashville Health Care Law, 2022-2025; Nashville Corporate Law, 2023-2025; Nashville Mergers and Acquisitions Law, 2023-2025
- Rising Star, Mid-South Super Lawyers magazine, 2018-2025