This is Part 2 of our 3-part series The Exit Blueprint: M&A Strategy for HVAC Leaders.

You think your business is sale-ready because the P&L looks clean? Think again.

In this episode, Ashlei Rolloff sits down with Mary Ellen Reihsen, Partner at Hellmuth & Johnson, to reveal the legal traps that kill HVAC M&A deals during due diligence—and the people-first legal strategies that actually protect your valuation.

They discuss:

• Why employment shortcuts resurface (and cost millions) during M&A due diligence
• What “instant unemployment” means when your company sells—and how to structure retention
• The real math behind turnover vs. retention during private equity deals
• How to legally protect institutional knowledge ("The Bob Problem")
• What goes in a well-drafted employment agreement in today’s post non-compete world

Mary Ellen brings both legal insight and grounded perspective to the process—and breaks down exactly how HVAC business owners can prepare for a clean, confident exit.

Referenced Links:

Mary Ellen Reihsen – Hellmuth & Johnson

Email Mary Ellen Reihsen: [email protected]

Women in HVACR: https://www.womeninhvacr.org

Quote to Remember: "

Everybody is unemployed for that instant. It feels jarring, but it’s a legal reset—and you have to prepare for it."

– Mary Ellen Reihsen