Selling Businesses With us government ties

Date:
Thursday, February 25th from 10:00am - 11:00am EST

Details:

The federal government does amazing things to assist our nation’s “small businesses.” But when it comes time to sell, there are always concerns about that support muddying the waters. Whether the business benefits from a disadvantaged status (such as minority, female, or veteran-owned) or is simply a business that relies on the government for a large piece of its revenue, there are quite a few myths surrounding the interaction of M&A and government ties. Join us for a debunking of myths on February 25th, when Benchmark International's Managing Director Clinton Johnston interviews both William Sullivan, Benchmark International’s resident expert on selling government contracting businesses, and, Sally Woodward, a partner at the law firm of Shutts & Bowen LLP, whose unique expertise with government contracting issues has ensured the success of numerous transactions.

Here are some common myths that we will discuss: (some of which are true or partially true)

1. I can’t sell my business because I am qualified as a disadvantaged business due to my ownership
2. If I sell, the business will lose all its government contracts
3. The only potential buyer is one that has my same qualification
4. My company qualifies as an 8A business, so any buyer will be too big to keep the qualification, and that is a significant impediment
5. If I sell, I have to go back to all the government agencies to transfer my contracts and that is impossible

We will also discuss some of the steps business owners can take to minimize the impact of government ties in the lead up to taking their business to market and take a look at where the supply and demand curves presently sit for such businesses.

Host:

Clinton Johnston
Managing Director
Benchmark International
In his many roles, Clinton has worked as an outside advisor, an in-house team member, and an owner on both purchases and sales of different businesses. Using his decades of experience, Clinton works to ensure uniformity of service levels across large portions of clients’ businesses and tracks best practices and regulatory changes in the M&A world to assure that Benchmark International remains on the cutting edge of the industry and continues to deliver the highest quality service to our clients.

Guests:

Sally Woodward 
Partner
Shutts & Bowen LLP
Sally is a member of the Corporate Practice Group and has a sub specialization in government contracting.  She regularly represents public and private domestic and international companies and entrepreneurs in all facets of general business and corporate matters, including mergers & acquisitions, contracts, transactions, joint ventures, corporate governance, franchises, and labor & employement. Sally been recognized as a “Rising Star” by Florida Super Lawyers in Mergers & Acquisitions and Business/Corporate Law.

William Sullivan
Transaction Director
Benchmark International
Will leverages his decade-plus of experience as an M&A professional to help business owners and managers find great partners. With over 15 years of experience with aerospace, defense, and government markets (ADG) issues, Will understands the opportunities and challenges that come with closing deals in this space. 

About Benchmark International:

Benchmark International’s global offices provide business owners in the middle market and lower middle market with creative, value-maximizing solutions for growing and exiting their businesses. To date, Benchmark International has handled engagements in excess of $6B across various industries worldwide. With decades of global M&A experience, Benchmark International’s deal teams, working from offices across the world, have assisted hundreds of owners with achieving their personal objectives and ensuring the continued growth of their businesses.

About Shutts & Bowen LLP:

Shutts & Bowen is a full-service law firm that has provided leadership and high-quality legal services to businesses and individuals for over a century. With approximately 300 attorneys located in eight offices in Florida, Shutts offers a full range of legal services to its clients locally, nationally and internationally.