Joshua E. Porte
Partner
Overview
Josh Porte is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Nashville office who co-leads the firm's Legal Services Transactions Team. He focuses his practice on legal services transactions, including law firm management services organization (MSO) structuring, alternative business structures (ABS) and private equity investment into law firms, as well as healthcare mergers and acquisitions (M&A), with a focus on dental, medical and physical therapy platforms. Mr. Porte regularly represents private equity sponsors, venture capital investors, law firms, legal technology companies and healthcare operators in complex transactions across the legal and healthcare industries.
Highlighted in Law360 as "one of only a few attorneys with experience putting together law firm MSO deals in the U.S.," Mr. Porte's practice encompasses the full range of legal services transactions, including law firm recapitalizations, M&A, equity and debt financing, bolt-on expansions and MSO restructurings. Mr. Porte counsels private equity firms, venture capital investors and legal service providers on structuring and executing investments in law firms and other legal services businesses, drawing on deep experience in ownership, regulatory and compliance considerations unique to the legal industry. Mr. Porte also advises on artificial intelligence (AI)-native law firms and technology-enabled legal service models, counseling founders and investors on venture and growth financing and the intersection of technology innovation with professional responsibility requirements. His clients span the legal industry, from law firms of all sizes and consumer-facing practices to AI-native boutiques, in-house legal departments and legal technology companies.
In addition to his legal services practice, Mr. Porte advises on investments and acquisitions across healthcare sectors. He represents private equity-backed platforms, MSOs and individual providers in connection with M&A, divestitures, recapitalizations and joint ventures involving dental support organizations (DSOs), medical practices, eye care platforms, behavioral health providers and other healthcare enterprises. Across all areas, Mr. Porte works closely with clients to structure transactions that allow them to focus on their core business operations, client service and long-term growth while he navigates the complex transactional, regulatory and compliance considerations on their behalf.
Mr. Porte is a frequent media commentator on legal industry investment trends. He has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Reuters and Bloomberg Law, among other publications, and regularly publishes and speaks on MSO structuring, legal services innovation and the regulatory landscape for nonlawyer investment in law firms.
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 Orion Legal MSO, a managed services organization (MSO) owned by private equity firm Uplift Investors, in its partnership with Hughes & Coleman Injury Lawyers, a personal injury firm operating in Kentucky and Tennessee; advised on transaction structure, regulatory and ethical considerations, and supported matters associated with the MSO model
- Represented an intellectual property law firm in connection with a restructuring as an 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
- University of Minnesota Law School, J.D., magna cum laude
- Macalester College, B.A., magna cum laude
- Tennessee
- American Bar Association
- American Health Law Association
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, Health Care Law, 2026
- On the Rise, The Daily Report Southeastern Legal Awards, 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
- USA Growth Equity Deal of the Year, USA and Global M&A Atlas Awards, Global M&A Network, 2025
- Rising Star, Mid-South Super Lawyers magazine, 2018-2025