Laura DiFrancesco
Founder | Corporate & M&A Attorney, Attorney at Dean Street Law
About
Laura DiFrancesco, Founder and Managing Attorney of Dean Street Law, represents buyers, sellers, and acquisition entrepreneurs in mergers and acquisitions, and over eight years she has negotiated hundreds of transactions for clients ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. Founders, owners, and investors bring her in to structure asset and stock purchases, run due diligence, and design the capital stack. She negotiates earnouts, seller financing, and indemnification, and stays on through post-closing governance. She earned her J.D. and M.B.A. from Villanova University and her B.A. from the University of South Carolina, finishing in three years as the school's first triple major. She practiced for eight years in Big Law before founding Dean Street Law. She wrote Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition: A Legal Guide to Buying a Small Business, hosts Dealmaking with Laura DiFrancesco, and created Acquisition Insights, a course of more than 80 lessons on the legal side of buying a business.
Who is a good fit for Laura DiFrancesco
- Acquisition entrepreneurs buying a small business who need counsel on the ETA process.
- Sellers who need earnouts, seller financing, and indemnification negotiated in a sale.
- Buyers negotiating an asset or stock purchase who want the deal structured and documented.
- Founders and investors who need due diligence and capital structuring on a deal.
Education and admissions
- Education
- University of South Carolina, B.A.
- Villanova University, J.D.
- Villanova University, M.B.A.
- Bar admissions
- Pennsylvania, Delaware
Recognition
- THE HERMAN-MITCHELL SCHWARTZ AWARD
- DOROTHY DAY SERVICE AWARD
- EMERGING LEADER AWARD
- DEAN’S AWARD FOR UNDERGRADUATE ACHIEVEMENT
- ACG UNIVERSITY GRADUATE
- LEADERSHIP MAINLINE GRADUATE
Specialties
Representative matters
As described on the firm’s website.
- Led negotiations on multimillion- and multibillion-dollar transactions for small businesses and Fortune 500 companies
- Represented both buyers and sellers in complex mergers and acquisitions
- Structured and negotiated acquisition agreements, including asset and stock purchase agreements
- Advised searchers and acquisition entrepreneurs on building and structuring their capital stacks
- Negotiated seller notes, mezzanine financing arrangements, and equity partnerships
- Counseled business owners on corporate governance, restructuring, and long-term strategic growth
Deal profile
- Typical deal size
- Any deal size
- Remote work
- In-person / regional