Preparing for a deal, especially your own exit, is a sport.  Mark Gaeto, a partner with Falcon Capital Partners, a leading investment bank in the Philadelphia region, joins us for today’s conversation.  Mark will tell you, this may be your Superbowl. Getting to the biggest game of your life takes preparation and requires that you work-the-plan.

As an experienced investment banker and advisor, Mark leads the Technology practice and co-leads the Commercial and Industrial practice at Falcon Capital, responsible for ensuring the success of their client relationships and maximizing outcomes for clients. He is recognized for creating high-performing teams and structuring competitive sell-side processes that drive superior results for clients.He is a stanch advocate for private middle-market business owners and works closely with them on establishing exit plans, facilitating mergers and acquisitions, and arranging capital financing. He is frequently invited to share his perspectives as a speaker, panelist and thought leader for industry groups, executive forums and university events. He received his B.B.A. and M.B.A. from Temple University. Prior to joining Falcon Capital Partners, he was a management consultant at PRTM (now part of PwC) and a top-performing software sales executive with firms such as SAP, Legent and Pansophic. He started his career at Electronic Data Systems (EDS) where he completed their Systems Engineering Development program. He invested in and operated Integration Software Consultants (ISC) and implemented an aggressive growth initiative that resulted in the doubling of the business within 18 months. He then orchestrated a highly successful sale of ISC to a NYSE listed firm. He also co-founded and exited the Alesco Group, a firm that developed strategic growth strategies and plans for CEOs and CROs.

Our guest for this episode of How the Deal was Done is Joe Feldman, President of Joseph Feldman Associates an acquisitions and strategic consulting firm near Chicago.    

When was the last time you engaged in role playing as part of the deal-making process?  In this episode, Joe shares how asking the question, “What if…?” and adopting the perspectives of each party to a transaction can positively inform your approach to deal-making.  His story illustrates the importance of clarifying language, asking the right questions, looking at things from another’s vantage point, and effectively communicating at every stage of a deal.     

If you like what you hear, please share this episode with others.  Like and follow us on this channel and our social media outlets including LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.  If you’re curious about us, we can be found at 29Bison.com, that’s 29BISON.com.

Thank you again for being with us.  Find a quiet corner, turn up the volume, sit back, and enjoy.

In this episode, our guest is Meryl Unger, partner and head of the corporate and business law department of Katsky Korins LLP, a boutique full service New York law firm.

From ownership and management to succession planning and mergers and acquisitions, Meryl is adept at developing creative solutions to a wide range of complex business issues for her clients. She principally represents mid-sized, privately-held companies, high net worth entrepreneurs, and senior executives, advising them in all aspects of their business and commercial transactions. Meryl frequently represents private companies in the sale of their businesses, and in purchases and investments in other companies and assets. Her clients look to Meryl and her team for help in every aspect of a transaction, including structuring deals and developing tax strategies to reduce risks and maximize financial return. Meryl’s clients reach over all industry groups, including architecture, design, education, home furnishing, luxury product, fashion, environmental, engineering, real estate development, media, staffing, travel, security, marketing, strategic research, professional firms and consulting companies, as well as non-profit organizations and associations.

Meryl’s practice includes advising governing boards and management of for profit and non-profit organizations in connection with executive employment, separation, compensation and governance matters. Meryl also represents C-suite executives in negotiating employment and severance arrangements. Her clients have ranged from presidents and CEOs of leading arts and cultural institutions, to senior executives of publicly and privately held companies in fashion, media and finance. Her executive employment clients also include CEOs of portfolio companies of private equity firms.

Meryl serves as counsel to the Women Presidents’ Organization, a global membership organization for women presidents and CEOs, and the Paradigm for Parity coalition, a group of Fortune 500 and other business leaders supporting gender equity in top management positions to drive positive social and long-term business and economic value. Meryl has also served on the Advisory Board of the MIT Enterprise Forum of New York, an organization which supports technology-related entrepreneurs in creating and growing innovative businesses.

A recipient of numerous awards and commendations, Meryl most recently was awarded by her peers in New York as a 2018 New York Metro Super Lawyer and Top Women Super Lawyer® in the category of business and corporate law. She lives with her husband, media lawyer Henry R. Kaufman, in New York City.

Katsky Korins LLP

605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158

T: 212-716-3217

In this episode, our guest is Joanne Murray, Partner at the law firm Antheil Maslow & MacMinn in Doylestown, PA.

Joanne is committed to helping small business owners achieve their goals. From inception to business maturity, Joanneserves as an experienced and insightful counselor to business owners as they face the financial, legal and operationalchallenges that are an inevitable part of the life cycle of a business.

Sometimes the ghosts of owners past and present make an appearance at inopportune moments.  We invite you to join us as Joanne shares how a ghost at the closing table almost scared away a deal!

Antheil Maslow & MacMinn

215-230-7500, ext. 115

In this episode, our guest is Thomas Lindberg, Partner at Upstream Capital in Philadelphia, PA.

Prior to starting Upstream Capital, Thomas was at Evergreen Advisors, a Baltimore-based investment banking firm, where he advised clients on mergers, acquisitions, and corporate finance. At Evergreen, his clients included companies in healthcare services, business service and BPO, consumer products, and niche healthcare product manufacturing.

Thomas shares insight and advice, and recounts his first, and to-date, longest deal making experience with Upstream.  A deal with more lives than a cat!  Thomas demonstrates how sometimes perseverance and strong relationships are the keys to ‘getting the deal done’.

Upstream Capital

[email protected](610) 308-0711

In this episode we will discuss “How to avoid spitting and panic attacks at the closing table?” with Mark Thielmann, Managing Director - Corporate Advisory at KB Financial in Princeton, NJ.

Mark leads KB Financials’ Corporate Advisory Group focusing on direct investment, debt and equity financing, merger and acquisition services, capital structure development, and strategic advisory for the firm’s clients.

Our discussion highlights the value of working capital adjustments, pre-transaction planning, and being mindful of time throughout the deal-making process.  And why demonstrating respect for the business is essential for great deal outcomes. 

KB Financial 300 Carnegie CenterSuite 240Princeton, NJ  08540Phone: (609) 924-7250