Consumer Products Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Holland & Knight attorneys have completed hundreds of mergers, acquisitions, carve-outs and other transactions involving consumer product entities.
  • Our Consumer Products Mergers and Acquisitions Team represents buyers and sellers, such as private equity firms, founders and large consumer product companies, in middle-market deals ranging from $10 million to over $1 billion.
  • We know what's important to these businesses when they change hands, so we strive to manage deal structures, terms and the entire process to achieve our clients' objectives efficiently.
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Overview

Our lawyers have guided buyers, sellers and other stakeholders in hundreds of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals for consumer product companies ranging from $10 million to over $1 billion. We regularly work with private equity firms, founders, large consumer product companies and financing sources on all aspects of these transactions.

Holland & Knight's Consumer Products Mergers and Acquisitions Team has the experience to effectively navigate the challenges facing businesses in transition and work to achieve their goals. While our attorneys have broad consumer products M&A experience, they are particularly adept at M&A deals involving food brands, personal care products, sporting goods, fashion, beauty and luxury goods, and alcohol and other beverage products.

When we represent buyers in corporate carve-outs, spinoffs and other types of transactions, our focus reaches far beyond the dotted line, with the ultimate goal of the resulting enterprise being positioned to succeed. We know from experience that supply and customer contracts, inventory valuation, Universal Product Codes (UPCs), product-related artwork, gross-to-net issues, return policies and transition services agreements, among other matters, must be addressed properly so the new company can operate independently.

Often, we also serve as outside general counsel to our consumer products company clients. When needed, our attorneys can call on Holland & Knight colleagues experienced in litigation, intellectual property, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, antitrust laws, taxes, environmental law, labor and employment, international trade, real estate and other related practices. Regarding FDA regulations and compliance, our lawyers have specific knowledge related to product approval, marketing and distribution, and we advise companies on premarket and postmarket FDA regulatory strategies, including product classification, application filings, Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) requirements and other manufacturing issues.

Holland & Knight has been ranked among the Top 20 law firms in Bloomberg's Global M&A Mid-Market Legal Advisory Rankings.

Other Consumer Product Transactions

Our attorneys advise buyers, sellers, investors, shareholders, boards of directors, special committees, financial advisors, private equity firms and hedge funds on a wide range of other transactions and matters related to consumer products, including:

  • auctions
  • consolidations and roll-ups
  • distressed assets
  • exchange offers
  • "going private" transactions
  • joint ventures
  • leveraged buyouts
  • recapitalizations
  • reorganizations
  • restructurings
  • spinoffs
  • stock and asset sales and purchases
  • special committee, fairness opinion and corporate governance engagements
  • tender and exchange offers
  • FDA enforcement actions

Key Commercial Transactions

Our lawyers also represent consumer product companies on a variety of important commercial transactions and matters, such as:

  • manufacturing agreements
  • private label agreements
  • licensing agreements
  • supplier and customer agreements
  • logistics/warehousing agreements
  • labor and employment matters
  • equity and debt financings
  • real estate transactions
  • information technology and privacy agreements and matters

HK Deal Flow℠

Tapping long-standing relationships throughout the banking, financial and legal communities, our unique HK Deal Flow℠ program supplements deal-sourcing strategies, opens doors and generates leads before they hit the market. This proprietary program has successfully sourced hundreds of deals and made hundreds more introductions for our clients.

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