Deal by Deal: A Private Equity Podcast

According to a recent study from UNC’s Institute for Private Capital, independent sponsor deals delivered a 23.8% median equity IRR net of sponsor economics compared with an 18.5% benchmark for other private equity deals. Peter Jasaitis, principal at RCP Advisors, joins host Greg Hawver to unpack those numbers alongside RCP’s own proprietary data. As he explains, rising sponsor quality has eroded the old “fundless” stigma, with two in three independent sponsors now having two-plus partners. Yet RCP’s numbers tell a more cautious story: deals under $50 million in enterprise value have historically generated the highest returns, but 30% ended in impairment. Tune in to learn where outperformance lives in the lower middle market.

☑️ Peter Jasaitis | LinkedIn

☑️ RCP Advisors | LinkedIn

☑️ Greg Hawver | LinkedIn

☑️ McGuireWoods | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X

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This podcast was recorded and is being made available by McGuireWoods for informational purposes only. By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that McGuireWoods makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in the podcast. The views, information, or opinions expressed during this podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect those of McGuireWoods. This podcast should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state and should not be construed as an offer to make or consider any investment or course of action.

The biggest AI opportunities may be hiding where ChatGPT and Claude reach their limits. Parag Vaish, cofounder of NextNow, joins host Greg Hawver to explain how private equity firms can move beyond off-the-shelf AI and build custom capabilities that create a real competitive edge. Drawing on a career spanning Tesla, Google, and Evolv Technology, Parag shares how NextNow approaches AI through first-principles problem-solving and a focus on measurable business outcomes. One example: a playground equipment portfolio company multiplied its leads more than tenfold from an unlikely data source. He also makes the case for why opportunity creation should come before job replacement. Tune in for a practical playbook on turning AI into real EBITDA gains.

☑️ Parag Vaish | LinkedIn

☑️ NextNow | LinkedIn | Instagram

☑️ Greg Hawver | LinkedIn

☑️ McGuireWoods | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X

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This podcast was recorded and is being made available by McGuireWoods for informational purposes only. By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that McGuireWoods makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in the podcast. The views, information, or opinions expressed during this podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect those of McGuireWoods. This podcast should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state and should not be construed as an offer to make or consider any investment or course of action.

What happens when a consulting firm decides to start leading M&A transactions and, separately, writing checks into the very deals it consults on? Clint Simkins of DPO&Co joins host Greg Hawver to answer that question, tracing the firm's evolution from a strategy consulting shop into a fully integrated platform spanning consulting, QoE and transaction advisory services, principal investing, and a $100 million fund raise. Clint explains how scrutinizing value creation plans — including spotting internal contradictions that other LPs never get to — is the first place DPO looks when evaluating a deal. He also details how DPO's commercial HVAC roll-up has completed 20 transactions in just 22 months. Tune in for a rare look inside a firm that has built a compounding edge across every stage of the independent sponsor ecosystem.

☑️ Clint Simkins | LinkedIn

☑️ DPO&CO | LinkedIn

☑️ McGuireWoods | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X

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This podcast was recorded and is being made available by McGuireWoods for informational purposes only. By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that McGuireWoods makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in the podcast. The views, information, or opinions expressed during this podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect those of McGuireWoods. This podcast should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state and should not be construed as an offer to make or consider any investment or course of action.

The deal closes, the M&A lawyers step away, and the real work begins. That’s when recently acquired companies turn to e2E to professionalize their finance and HR functions. In this conversation with host Greg Hawver, e2E founder and CEO Nancy McCullough pulls back the curtain on the first 100 days after acquisition. From “opportunities” that e2E often finds when it walks in the door to recommended tools that drive efficiency, Nancy reflects on 13 years at the helm. With e2E itself acquired just one year ago, she also provides the perspective of an entrepreneur’s “journey to enterprise.” “It was fun going through due diligence, having done that many times for other companies,” she says.

☑️ Nancy McCullough | LinkedIn

☑️ e2E | LinkedIn

☑️ McGuireWoods | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram |  X

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This podcast was recorded and is being made available by McGuireWoods for informational purposes only. By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that McGuireWoods makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in the podcast. The views, information, or opinions expressed during this podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect those of McGuireWoods. This podcast should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state and should not be construed as an offer to make or consider any investment or course of action.

When’s the best time to engage a debt advisor? “Earlier is better,” says Parm Atwal, managing director at Configure Partners, a credit-oriented investment bank. In this conversation with host Greg Hawver, Parm breaks down the life cycle of debt financing based on a hypothetical independent sponsor or private equity fund under LOI with a manufacturing company. Tune in as he shares how Configure strategizes with its clients and what his “crystal ball” reveals about the market landscape. 

☑️ Parm Atwal | LinkedIn

☑️ Configure Partners | LinkedIn

☑️ McGuireWoods | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram |  X

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This podcast was recorded and is being made available by McGuireWoods for informational purposes only. By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that McGuireWoods makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in the podcast. The views, information, or opinions expressed during this podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect those of McGuireWoods. This podcast should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state and should not be construed as an offer to make or consider any investment or course of action.

The scenario is this: an independent sponsor is acquiring a manufacturing company for $50 million. Andrew Skowronski, an executive compensation partner at McGuireWoods, outlines the lifecycle of this hypothetical transaction with host Greg Hawver. Guided by assumptions such as a meaningful rollover and a CEO that the buyer likes, Andrew covers practical negotiation strategies, structural considerations between C-corps and LLCs, and emerging trends in severance arrangements that scale with tenure. 

☑️ Andrew Skowronski | LinkedIn

☑️ McGuireWoods | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram |  X

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This podcast was recorded and is being made available by McGuireWoods for informational purposes only. By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that McGuireWoods makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in the podcast. The views, information, or opinions expressed during this podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect those of McGuireWoods. This podcast should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state and should not be construed as an offer to make or consider any investment or course of action.

If compound interest is the Eighth Wonder of the World (according to Warren Buffet), then multiple re-rating is the Ninth, according to the folks at Altaline Capital Management. Rafael Telahun, managing director of the private equity firm’s technology sector, breaks down how Altaline helps service companies transform themselves into technology-enabled assets, capturing multiple re-rating along the way. In this conversation with hosts Trey Andrews and Jason Griffith, Rafael describes the right targets for transformation: vertical-focused businesses that can transition from transactional to subscription models. Tune in for his insights about how he guides clients, from changing the way they do business to recognizing the implementation costs of transformation.

☑️ Rafael Telahun | LinkedIn

☑️ Altaline Capital Management | | LinkedIn | X | Instagram

☑️ Jason Griffith | LinkedIn

☑️ Trey Andrews | LinkedIn

☑️ McGuireWoods | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram |  X

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This podcast was recorded and is being made available by McGuireWoods for informational purposes only. By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that McGuireWoods makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in the podcast. The views, information, or opinions expressed during this podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect those of McGuireWoods. This podcast should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state and should not be construed as an offer to make or consider any investment or course of action.

Eight years after Ariez Dustoor and his partner launched the investment firm NB Group, Ariez has observed a growing sophistication among independent sponsors. With host Greg Hawver, Ariez discusses why the independent sponsor model offers superior flexibility and opportunity in the ever-changing M&A landscape, including some observations on future use cases for AI applications for market research.

☑️ Ariez Dustoor | LinkedIn

☑️ NB Group | LinkedIn

☑️ McGuireWoods | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram |  X

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This podcast was recorded and is being made available by McGuireWoods for informational purposes only. By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that McGuireWoods makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in the podcast. The views, information, or opinions expressed during this podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect those of McGuireWoods. This podcast should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state and should not be construed as an offer to make or consider any investment or course of action.

"When you're doing a sale leaseback transaction, you're not really selling the bricks and the sticks. You're selling a cashflow stream that's backed by a good company," explains Luke Timmis of Signature Associates in this discussion with host Greg Hawver and his McGuireWoods’ colleague Phil Coover. Luke shares how sale leasebacks typically generate a 25-50% premium above appraised property value—unlocking significant capital for private equity firms. The panelists explore lease structures, term lengths, and creative solutions like substitution clauses that allow businesses to relocate while maintaining investor relationships.

☑️ Luke Timmis | LinkedIn

☑️ Signature Associates | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube | TikTok

☑️ Phil Coover | LinkedIn

☑️ McGuireWoods | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | X

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This podcast was recorded and is being made available by McGuireWoods for informational purposes only. By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that McGuireWoods makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in the podcast. The views, information, or opinions expressed during this podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect those of McGuireWoods. This podcast should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state and should not be construed as an offer to make or consider any investment or course of action.

“In terms of the big three numbers – employment, inflation, and GDP growth – our baseline forecast is optimistic,” says Matt Wolf of RSM in this economic outlook discussion with host Greg Hawver. Matt points to a 4.2% unemployment rate, two-and-a-half point inflation, and 2.5% GDP growth. But he also observes that the uncertainty of tariffs is creating “paralysis” among operators and some investors. “There's just too many variables right now to try to game out any sort of meaningful investment,” he suggests.

☑️ Matt Wolf | LinkedIn

☑️ RSM | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram |  X |  YouTube

☑️ McGuireWoods | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram |  X

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This podcast was recorded and is being made available by McGuireWoods for informational purposes only. By accessing this podcast, you acknowledge that McGuireWoods makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in the podcast. The views, information, or opinions expressed during this podcast series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect those of McGuireWoods. This podcast should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed professional attorney in your state and should not be construed as an offer to make or consider any investment or course of action.