Fred Tannenbaum is recognized by the Illinois Venture Capital Association as a leading expert on private equity capital, by a national bar association organization as a leading authority on mergers and acquisitions, and by the leading business publication, Crain's Chicago Business, as a leading expert on family-owned businesses.  Fred has once again been selected as an Illinois Super Lawyer in 2008.  Fred also serves on the Firm's Management Committee. 

He has a wide range of experience in advising middle market businesses, sophisticated entrepreneurs, private equity funds, and wealthy family businesses form businesses, raise capital (both private equity capital and debt), grow (through acquisitions, mergers, strategic alliances, joint ventures, and licensing), operate (buy-sell agreements, employment and other agreements), attract management (employee incentive plans and executive compensation) and transfer operations (sales, redemptions, new management, partnerships, new generation transfers).  His clients thrive in 60 or so industries including many diversified manufacturing and distribution companies, as well as telecommunications and technology.  Fred combines his legal skills with common sense business judgment and insights. 

Fred has written extensively on business and legal topics, writing one book, five law review articles and over fifty articles on topics of practical importance to investors, entrepreneurs and family businesses.  He frequently speaks worldwide on these topics.  Fred is also the Past President of LawExchange International, a network, together with Law Firm of the Americas, of 30 law firms in Europe, Australia, China, India, and South and North America.  He is formerly head of the firm's Corporate and Commercial Group. 

Fred is also a leader in many charitable organizations.

Representative Matters

Fred has represented over 150 middle market businesses, sophisticated entrepreneurs, wealthy private equity family businesses, and senior key executives in over 500 mergers/acquisitions/divestiture/venture capital/strategic alliance transactions over 20 years, as well as serving as general counsel for over 50 small and medium sized businesses. 

Fred's clients demand his expertise in many industries, including telecommunication-media/entertainment/technology, manufacturing, distribution, and services. Although we strive to build long-term relationships, recent transactions involving Fred's breadth of experience representing:

General:

• A leading commercial bank make a $40 million loan to a real estate developer in several states.
• A leading branded food company receive a venture capital infusion, refinance bank debt, and incentivize management.
• A leading senior care financier raise $100 million of debt and equity for an equity fund.
• A private equity fund making several bridge loans and work-outs.
• An investor group purchase a garbage bag manufacturer in a $5 million acquisition and then subsequently sold for a considerably higher price.
• A leading national food products distribution company purchase businesses in Minnesota and California and establish operations in Canada and Mexico.
• Acting as an expert witness in a venture capital case involving the standard of care of a lawyer representing an entity seeking private equity funds.   

Telecommunications:

• Private equity funds and management team in a roll-up of cellular licenses in the southeast worth several hundred million dollars and then an ultimate sale to a public company for close to $900 million.
• A PCS entrepreneur joint venture with a major cellular carrier to buy, build, and operate a cellular company across the country with initial debt and equity capital of close to $500 million.
• A venture capital fund invest in a large mobile telephone retail store chain.
• A start-up CLEC in New York grow its business and receive a private equity infusion of over $40 million with partial and full redemptions of certain stockholders.
• A management team in Texas in a MBO of a division of a public company concentrating in the development of VoIP software, as well as raise several rounds of equity financing.
• A regional wireless and wireline company consider many strategic alternatives and resolve internal family issues.
• A communications tower owner attempt to sell and ultimately recapitalize its operations in 17 states.
• An entrepreneur raise capital to purchase and then operate a call center equipment manufacturing business in Florida.

Media / Entertainment:

• A radio station operator in Chicago buy several properties in the Midwest and receive private equity and debt financing.
• An outdoor advertising company sell its operations in three states.
• A private equity fund finance and take control of a new media company based in Chicago and New York.
• A leading nationwide golf course owner purchase many golf courses across the country and enter in various management agreements.
• A private equity fund and management group purchase minor league professional baseball teams in Texas, Missouri and New Jersey.
• An private equity fund investigate and structure the purchase of a major music distributor in a 363 sale.
• A major insurance company sell one of the world's most prestigious golf courses.
• Two theatrical producers (including a multiple Tony-Award winner) create a closed end fund for the production of several plays and events.
• A new media company purchase a post-production company and receive an institutional equity infusion.
• A movie theatre operator purchase movie theatres in Connecticut.

Technology:

• An inventor of over 150 medical device patents structure and negotiate several complex licensing transactions with major medical device manufacturers.
• A robotics software company raise various rounds of capital and then sell to a public company.
• A company with patents on several cancer fighting therapies receive equity infusions from a public company.
• A Texas based residential service software company receive multiple rounds of private debt and equity financing.
• A venture capital fund make several investments in early stage software companies.

General Counsel:

Fred acts as day-to-day de facto general counsel for over 50 companies across the U.S. ranging in size from start-up to $500 million in revenues and in industries including manufacturing, distribution, service, minor league baseball, telecom, and technology. 

Professional and Civic Affiliations

• Board of Directors of the Association for Corporate Growth and Co-Chair of the Marketing Committee
• Past President of Law Exchange International, a network of 20 law firms in Europe, India, Brazil, China, Australia and North America with over 50 other correspondent firms throughout the world.
• Many charities, political and civic groups.

Books

• A Lawyer's Guide to Forming, Financing, Operating and Growing a Business, American Bar Association, 2003; Second Edition 2006

Articles

Over 50 business and legal articles including:

• How Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Can Deal With Banks, The Practical Lawyer, February 2008
• Europe: King Canute Trying to Halt Tide of Private Equity Investment, GR Review, Fall 2007
• Venture Capital Transactions in the United States and India, The Practical Lawyer, August 2007
• Earnouts, GR Review, Spring 2007
• Venture Capital Financing in the United States and Canada, The Practical Lawyer, April 2007
• Venture Capital Financing in the United States and Canada, The Practical Lawyer, February 2007
• The Second Half of Smart--How to Temper Your Intelligence and Become a More Effective Deal Lawyer, Young Lawyers Division Newsletter, Illinois State Bar Association and The Practical Lawyer, American Bar Association, October 2006
• All in the Family: Corporate Governance Issues Facing Family-Owned Businesses, The Practical Lawyer (American Bar Association), March 2002
• Venture Capital Financing, West Publishing, Fall 2001
• Restricted Stock and Stock Options: Tax and Other Consequences to the Family Business, Family Business Journal, Summer 2001
• It's Time to Talk Turkey: Seller Strategies to Prevent a Buyer from Wriggling Away, Business Law Today, January 2001
• All Dressed Up With Somewhere to Go: How to Succeed in Selling Your Business Without Really Trying (Too Hard), The Practical Lawyer (American Bar Association), December 2000
• Do You Really Want a Partner? Suggestions to Avoid Litigation and Improve Inter-Owner Harmony Upon Selling Minority Interests in a Business, The Practical Lawyer (American Bar Association), March 1, 2000
• Slicing it Up: Should a Majority Owner Sell a Piece of the Pie, Business Law Today, November 1999
• What Every Business Lawyer and Business Owner Should Know About Buy-Sell Agreements, The Practical Lawyer (American Bar Association), November 1999
• Major Battlegrounds in Venture Capital Transactions, The Practical Lawyer (American Bar Association), March 1999
• Going with the Cash Flow: Get to Know this Crucial Factor in Communications Deals, Businss Law Today, November 1998
• International Contracts: Practical Considerations to Maximize Efficiency, The Practical Lawyer (American Bar Association), October 1998
• The Twelve Most Important Questions to Ask in a Franchisor-Franchisee Relationship, The Practical Lawyer (American Bar Association), September 1990

News

• Lava Lamp Sold to Private Equity Firm
• Fred Tannenbaum Spoke at the Recent LawExchange Conference in Shanghai
• Fred Tannenbaum Spoke on Financing Theatrical Productions for the Chicago Bar Association
• Fred Tannenbaum Spoke on US M&A and Venture Capital Activity at LawExchange International Conference
• Gould & Ratner Hosts Seminar on Doing Business with China: Guidelines for U.S. Companies and Entrepreneurs
• Fred Tannenbaum Spoke on Governance and Family Business Issues
• Fred Tannenbaum to Speak in Germany on Contingent Sale Prices