About
Benjamin O. Williams negotiates and closes mergers and acquisitions for private equity sponsors, founders and business owners, family offices, and healthcare professionals, and his clients also include corporate acquirers and real estate sponsors. His deal work runs from auctions and divestitures to sales under section 363 and assignments for the benefit of creditors, along with buy-outs, recapitalizations, minority stakes, joint ventures, and venture capital rounds. For startup and middle-market clients he also acts as outside general counsel on commercial contracts and capital formation, work that often leads into their acquisitions and sales. He earned his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 2009. He also earned an M.B.A. in 2009 and a B.S. in 2001, both from Northwestern University. He uses the M.B.A. and earlier consulting work when he advises a client on a buy-out or a recapitalization.
Who is a good fit for Benjamin O. Williams
- Private equity sponsors negotiating a buy-out, a recapitalization, or a minority investment.
- Founders and business owners selling a company or buying another business.
- Family offices entering a joint venture or a venture capital transaction.
- Companies selling assets through a 363 sale, an ABC sale, or a divestiture.
Education and admissions
- Education
- Northwestern University School of Law, J.D., 2009
- Northwestern University, M.B.A., 2009
- Northwestern University, B.S., 2001
- Bar admissions
- Illinois
Recognition
- Crain’s Chicago Business - Notable Black Leaders and Executives (2022)
- The Legal 500 US - M&A: Middle-Market (Sub $500M), Leading Lawyer (2023-2026)
Specialties
Representative matters
As described on the firm’s website.
- Represented private equity sponsored buyers in platform and add-on acquisitions for HVAC companies (including those in the commercial and residential space, with enterprise values ranging from $8 million to $60 million) and represented the private equity firms in their successful, multi-million-dollar sale of the platforms.
- Represented a founder in the sale of a software company to a private equity buyer for $150 million. ($150,000,000)
- Advised a manufacturer client, that struggled for years to expand its manufacturing operations in the U.S., on multiple strategic acquisitions that expanded its business from under $50 million in revenue to $300 million, positioning it as a sector leader.
- Represented several medical practices in various acquisitions and dispositions of pediatric, behavioral health, allergy, family/internal medicine practices.
- Represented a sleep medical practice (including its durable medical equipment (DME) business) in its platform sale to a private equity sponsored buyer’s management service organization (MSO).
- Represented founders of an international cargo business in its sale with an enterprise value of $96 million. ($96,000,000)
- Represented a private equity firm through multiple acquisitions (with rollover components and earnouts) of companies in the aviation/aerospace sector.
- Represented a private equity sponsored buyer in a 363 acquisition of a restaurant franchise. (buyer side)
- Represented other private equity and strategic clients across multiple industries in various acquisitions and dispositions ranging from $20 million to $1 billion in enterprise value.
Deal profile
- Typical deal size
- Any deal size
- Remote work
- In-person / regional