Corporate America M&A Awards 2015

M&Aawards The CorporateAmerica

twentyfifteen

Friedman, Rosenwasser & Goldbaum, P.A. Best for Franchise Services - Florida & Recognized Leader in Business Acquisitions – Florida

Adli Law Group, PC Best for Business Litigation - California

Stoll Keenon Ogden Best M&A Practice - Kentucky & Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Kentucky

Best Expert Witness Search Firm

www.corporateamerica-news.com

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

Welcome to...

CorporateAmerica’s

2015 M&A Awards The M&A industry has historically been one of the corporate arena’s strongest performers and these awards celebrate the tireless efforts and stunning achievements of all those involved in making it so and seeing through to completion the key deals that have a huge part to play in shaping businesses, local economies and even entire countries.

Today, firms and individuals need all the help they can get if they are to achieve their goals and these awards recognize the dedicated and experienced investors, advisers, and providers who have been nominated by their clients and peers thanks to their expertise in their specialized field.

The vital nature of this vibrant and dynamic industry is the reason the Corporate America M&A Awards have been launched, and we have worked tirelessly to identify and commemorate the successes, spectacular results and class-leading client service of some of the M&A world’s key players.

Within this dedicated awards supplement we have collated the industry leaders across the corporate spectrum and provided them with a unique opportunity to share their expertise and shed light on the secrets behind their deserving success.

2 • www.corporateamerica-news.com

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

Contents Friedman, Rosenwasser, and Goldbaum - Best for Franchise Services - Florida & Recognized Leader in Business Acquisitions - Florida Page 4 ADLI Law Group P.C. - Best for Business Litigation - California Page 10 Stoll Keenon Ogden - Best M&A Practice - Kentucky & Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Kentucky Page 12 Mickes Goldman O’Toole LLC - Best Education Attorney - Missouri Page 14 Webster & Associates Co - Best for Appeals - Ohio Page 16 Boston Private Wealth LLC - Best Wealth Management Firm - Massachusetts Page 18 Burr & Forman LLP - Best for Corporate Law - Alabama Page 20 Clark Lau LLC - Best in Immigration Law - Massachusetts Page 22 Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC - Best M&A Support Practice - Michigan Page 24 Sandberg Phoenix & Von Gontard - Best in Medical Device Malpractice - Missouri Page 26

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 3

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

Friedman, Rosenwasser, and Goldbaum

Company: Friedman, Rosenwasser & Goldbaum, P.A. Name: Ronald N. Rosenwasser Email: RRosenwasser@FRGLaw.com Web Address: www.frglaw.com or www.franchiselaw.com Address: 5355 Town Center Road, Suite 801, Boca Raton, FL 33486 Telephone: +1 877 558 7707

Established in 1976, Friedman, Rosenwasser & Goldbaum, P.A. (“FRG”) is a “boutique” law firm with offices in Florida, Massachusetts, and Kentucky. It devotes a large percentage of its practice to representing franchise companies in their national and international expansion. Its litigation department supports its franchised other business law practice in dispute resolution, including mediation, arbitration, and litigation of franchise disputes.

4 • www.corporateamerica-news.com

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

Best for Franchise Services - Florida & Recognized Leader in Business Acquisitions - Florida

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 5

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

6 • www.corporateamerica-news.com

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

As part of its franchise, corporate and intellectual property law practices, it advises and represents businesses and entrepreneurs in all phases of their business existence, including entity selection, financing, contract drafting and negotiation, business expansion (including licensing, franchising, and sale of business opportunity law), mergers and acquisitions, partnerships and strategic alliances.

Representing franchise companies The company represents startup and established franchise systems in all industries. It helps clients select growth strategies, which include franchising and its alternatives. It also helps with every legal issue from creating the franchise system, to negotiating franchise deals, creating multiunit agreements, state registrations, international expansion, trademark protection, and acquisitions.

One of its goals is to help its clients avoid litigation. However, when there is no other alternative, their dispute resolution department is there to represent their clients in adversary proceedings, including mediation, arbitration and litigation.

The company’s managing partner, Ron Rosenwasser, is a founder of Florida’s Franchise Law Committee. He’s its former chairperson.

Ron has written and spoken on franchising and its alternatives before lawyers and business people. He has developed or co-developed a franchise program for accountants and professional legal education programs for lawyers. He’s a former certified public accountant and known as a lawyer’s lawyer.

When asked how does it feel to have won this award, the firm’s managing partner, Ronald N. Rosenwasser, explains “we appreciate being singled out for our expertise. Our expertise arises from concentrating in a few practice areas for our business clients: They are acquisitions, business contracting, franchising, licensing, technology, and trademark protection. We view awards as another way to show we stand out from other firms.”

“Our clients stay with us year after year. They trust us. We attribute our success to many factors. We have honed our expertise in our practice areas for decades. We stay small to keep service personal and more economical. We are good listeners, and very skilled at providing suggestions and solutions. That’s why we’ve represented some of the top companies in their respective industries. It’s also why other law firms and lawyers regularly call on us for help in our practice areas” he adds.

Recent projects or clients The company has numerous examples of recent projects or clients they have been involved with. For example they began a franchise program for a client, that helped it grow rapidly. Rosenwasser goes on to explain, “It awarded franchise rights to a household name public company. The public company liked our client so much it bought our client’s entire business. We represented our client in the acquisition.”

“Another example is our client who developed new technologies for public safety. We represented it throughout its growth. Our work included agreements among founders and owners, consulting and employment agreements, confidentiality and noncompete agreements, and technology and licensing agreements. When our client was ready to sell we negotiated the deal with one of the country’s largest law firms and helped our client merge into another. As that client’s founder moved to develop a new company, he sought us out to continue representing him in the new company’s growth.

“Currently, it has received three rounds of private financing to fuel its growth, each larger than the last, and each with investors more prominent than the last. As its general counsel, we’ve helped it in every legal area important to its operations and growth.

“Also, our partners have helped clients in many industries. They include restaurant and food service, public safety, accounting and business services, health care, personal security, pest control, mixed martial arts, cleaning services, jewellery and watch repair, technology, plant care, nutrition and travel.

“We’re seeing private equity put a lot of money into established franchise systems. We’ve been called on to do the due diligence for franchise system acquisition work, because of our expertise in franchising.”

Business in the Florida region and beyond Does the region the company is based in provide any specific challenges and unique opportunities? “Our main office, in Florida, experiences a lot of business due to the growth of Florida itself.

Florida’s growth means more business opportunities and more customers to support business. Florida is one of the most popular states for starting franchise systems in the United States” Rosenwasser explains.

But when they are representing companies in both national and international expansion “regulations can stifle some growth” Rosenwasser reveals. Developing this point, he explains, “because of our expertise, we find creative solutions when practicable to reduce their burdens. Sometimes clients try expanding too quickly. We then deal with disputes or operational problems to help generate positive outcomes. International expansion has special challenges.

We have excellent working relationships with counsel in the countries in which our clients expand. But our clients must be patient in dealing with the complexities of additional regulations, supply chain issues, language differences, and developing good brand recognition. Working with a team that has international experience will help deal with these challenges.”

Staying at the forefront When working in an industry that is constantly evolving, what measures does the company Friedman, Rosenwasser & Goldbaum take to ensure that it is at the forefront of any emerging developments. “Right now employment classification issues are hot. Distinguishing between employees and independent contractors has risen as one of the top challenges facing our franchise and other business clients” explains Rosenwasser.

“We stay on top of these and other legal issues by attending specialized legal seminars, subscribing to specialized business/ law periodicals, and watching for important cases and legislation affecting our clients,” he adds.

Staffs and clients When choosing both staff and clients, the company “selects extraordinarily committed and capable people. Their longevity evidences the care we take selecting good people”. Indeed, most of the company’s staff members have been with us themat least 10 years.

Some have been with them for more than 20 years.

On clients, “clients generally choose us” Rosenwasser reveals. “We will turn down a client if we don’t believe we have the expertise to help. In those cases we are happy to provide them with other recommendations. We want anyone that may want to hire us, to know they can trust us to look after their best interests” he adds. www.corporateamerica-news.com • 7

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

8 • www.corporateamerica-news.com

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

What makes the company unique When considering what separates Friedman, Rosenwasser & Goldbaum from its competitors and marks it out as the best option for their clients it is worth noting that they have big law firm experience, and have brought into a boutique law firm. “We concentrate in core areas. That make us experts in them. We can compete with the best firms in the country in those core areas. Yet we are small enough to provide economical and more personalized services” Rosenwasser details.

“Our core areas include acquisitions, franchising, licensing and technology. After more than 30 years of experience for each of our partners, and staff of other highly experienced professionals, all dedicated to our core areas, we offer expert, cost-effective, and creative legal services to clients large and small, who need legal help establishing, operating, growing and acquiring businesses” he adds.

He has also written and lectured extensively on franchising and licensing, as well as other business expansion strategies. His presentations and articles include “Understanding the Legal Environment for Franchising,” “International Franchising and Distribution,” “Federal Franchise Law - What Is A Franchise and How Is It Regulated,” “How to Franchise Your Business,” “Franchise Litigation: Causes of Action, Procedural Issues, Strategies and Ethical Considerations,” “Structuring Growth Via Distributorships/Dealerships, Company-Owned Outlets, Licensing Arrangements and Other Non-Franchise Alternatives,” and “Twilight Zone: Regulated v. Unregulated Licensing, Dealership and other Business Expansion Methods.”

Mr. Rosenwasser is licensed to practice law in Florida and Massachusetts.

Plans for 2016 and beyond “We have grown offices into 3 states. We are committed to keeping each office small enough to offer clients the personal and cost-effective service they’re used to from working directly with partners with a high level of expertise” Rosenwasser reveals concerning the firm’s plans for the future.

“We have an AV rating from Martindale Hubbel. This is the highest legal rating available from a peer-reviewed international publication. We strive to stand out from the field of many other fine firms.

We offer in-house training programs in a variety of compliance areas, for the benefit of both in-house counsel and other personnel responsible for legal compliance. We do not charge for initial consultations. We have many helpful charts, tables and memos we provide to clients needing help in our practice areas, all at no charge” Rosenwasser concludes.

About the author Ronald N. Rosenwasser graduated from the University of Florida School of Law, with Honors, and the University of Florida School of Accounting, with Honors. Mr. Rosenwasser concentrates his practice in developing new franchise systems and serving existing franchise systems and other business clients in all aspects of their business, including legal compliance, franchisor-franchisee negotiations and relationship management, state franchise registration and renewals, trademark matters, technology, and corporate issues.

Rosenwasser founded and served as the Chairman of The Florida Bar’s Franchise Law Committee. He is an editor of The Florida Bar’s Franchise Law and Practice. He also served for many years as the International Franchise Association’s Director of Franchise Business Network Programs for South Florida. He has also served on the Executive Council of The Florida Bar’s Business Law Section. Mr. Rosenwasser’s many other affiliations include the International Trademark Association, the International Franchise Association’s Council of Franchise Suppliers, Committee X (International Franchising) of the International Bar Association, and the ABA Forum on Franchise.

He is a former certified public accountant and developed a continuing education program for the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants entitled “Franchising - Business, Tax, Financial Statements, Earnings Claims and Other Essential Issues.”

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 9

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

ADLI Law Group P.C. Best for Business Litigation - California Company: ADLI Law Group P.C. Name: Dr. Dariush Adli Email: adli@adlilaw.com Web Address: www.adlilaw.com Address: 444 South Flower Street Suite 1750, Los Angeles, CA 90071 Telephone: + 1 213 623 6546

10 • www.corporateamerica-news.com

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

ADLI Law Group, P.C. is a full service law firm specializing in Intellectual Property, Business, Entertainment, Real Estate, Products Liability, Labor and Employment Law, Family Law, Tax Law and Construction Law. They are located in the heart of the business district in Downtown Los Angeles, and they have satellite offices in Dallas, London, Tokyo, and Taipei.

The cornerstone of their philosophy is high quality services along with personal attention at affordable rates.

They bring the high quality practice of big law firms into the more congenial, value based, and client focused atmosphere of a boutique law firm.

Such awards like this are important in “motivating and encouraging law firms of all sizes, including full service boutique firms like ADLI Law, as well as larger sized firms, to keep their eye on the ball and seek to excel in serving their clients” Adli adds. “Too often law firms take clients for granted and don’t pay them the attention and respect they deserve. Many big law firms have large overheads, which has nothing to do with legal services they provide. This, and the very high fees they demand, has contributed to the widespread perception among corporations and businesses, big and small, that they are not receiving value for their money” he continues.

ADLI Law is a Full Service Firm with a specialist for each department. Their practice currently includes Intellectual Property, Business, Entertainment, Real Estate, Mergers and Acquisitions, Products Liability, Labor and Employment Law, Family Law, Tax Law and Construction Law. Their clients need for a one-stop-shop in a boutique environment which provides them with personal attention for their legal services at affordable rates, which motivated the firm to provide all the needed specialties one would need all under one roof.

Business model The firm’s approach to people when it comes to choosing both staff and clients is revealed by Adli who stresses that, “our business model provides support for our attorneys in a manner that allows them to be directly available at all necessary times for our clients. We choose people who have high level communication skills but also the ability to be personable and patient and engage directly with entrepreneurial clients during complicated closings and reorganizations.”

The firm is based in Los Angeles, “a main Bastion of the true entrepreneur spirit. Evidenced by the fact that we are required to be competent in a massive array in industry sectors and investment models” Adli highlights.

Unique selling points “Our experience has been that entrepreneurs and principals are frequently frustrated by the inability to be in contact with Senior Counsel at important deciding moments” Adli says when asked what makes his company unique. Expanding on this point, he adds “we feel we have successfully overcome the institutional resistance to direct communication in the traditional law firm business model while still providing the same quality of work and administrative and organizational support to our Senior M&A Counsel. The result is an environment where the experienced deal making lawyers are directly available to our clients at any time needed.”

Celebrating achievement ADLI Law Group “are humbled and delighted with the award” to have won this award explains the firm’s Dr. Dariush Adli who goes on to say, “I feel that we owe this award to our clients who have always the main focus of our efforts and the source of our inspiration to do even better for them; they are the real winners here. While we celebrate this achievement, we are not taking this accomplishment for granted. Rather, we continue to seek to improve and excel in our number one task, which is to exceed clients’ expectations at every level through the consistent application of innovative and dependable services at affordable costs.”

Recent projects ADLI Law Group says they have represented clients in four trials over the past year, “including a high stakes dispute against a major manufacturer of smart phone cases with battery chargers, where we successfully invalided their patent asserted against our client” Adli reveals.

“In another trial we represented a corporation in a business dispute and, in addition to winning the case, were successful in recovering our clients’ attorneys’ fees. On the transaction side we have represented a client in several Mergers and reorganization in Cosmetics, Digital Advertising and Medical Equipment Manufacturing and have managed multiple acquisitions and sales of Licensed Healthcare Facilities” he continues.

Major deals in M&A Specifically in M&A, the firm have been involved in Multiple Mergers and reorganization for existing clients in Cosmetics, Digital Advertising and Medical Equipment Manufacturing. They also have managed multiple acquisitions and sales of Licensed Healthcare Facilities. A specific sectors experiencing a large volume of transactions is currently Healthcare because it “is all the rage” Adli reveals.

The future for ADLI Law Group is “to continue to grow intelligently by taking on clients who appreciate the value and effectiveness of our non-traditional practice model” Adli concludes.

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 11

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

Stoll Keenon Ogden Best M&A Practice - Kentucky & Litigation Law Firm of the Year - Kentucky Company: Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC Website: www.skofirm.com Address: 500 West Jefferson Street, 2000 PNC Plaza, Louisville, KY 40202 USA Telephone: 502-333-6000

Founded in 1897, Stoll Keenon Ogden is the Kentucky firm of choice for dynamic and forward-thinking attorneys who operate at the highest levels of their profession.

12 • www.corporateamerica-news.com

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

SKO provides tailored legal solutions for the most complex problems and challenges. Today’s world demands change and adaptation; innovation and creativity are not optional – they are essential to success in any field. A viable firm for tomorrow cannot rest on its past. Through creative engagement, interpretation, and application of knowledge, SKO wins for its clients.

From the support team to attorneys, SKO recruits individuals who are committed to achieving the highest levels of excellence in their work, and who are dedicated to providing a customer experience that exceeds expectations. The firm also supports a workplace culture based on continuous personal and professional growth.

SKO’s business is helping its clients succeed in their businesses.

To achieve this goal, SKO attorneys make it their business to know what’s next in the industries they serve. The firm helps by providing a range of educational offerings onsite, building relationships with trade organizations and encouraging attorneys to attend industry-specific conferences and seminars. Current industry-specific news and emerging trends are shared on the firm’s intranet. SKO attorneys also are recognized for their industry-specific knowledge, as well as the law, and are prolific authors of widely published articles as well as sought-after speakers at local, regional and national industry conferences.

SKO’s spirit of collaboration offers current and prospective clients a holistic approach to their often-complex legal needs. Attorneys in each of the firm’s practices are committed to not only solving a client’s immediate issue, but also to helping them build a stronger organization that is adverse to future risk in all areas of operation.

Geographic locations do not limit SKO’s ability to serve clients around the world. For example, the firm’s equine practice works with clients in South America, the Middle East, Asia, and multiple states in the U.S. SKO’s experience with and contacts in Kentucky’s signature Thoroughbred industry have been the starting Ernest W Williams

point for many lasting client relationships that have grown due in large part to the firm’s attorneys who are skilled in other practices, including corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, immigration, dispute resolution and workplace law.

SKO leverages the ability to cross-market practices to energy and environmental clients, who initially sought the firm’s counsel due to experience and prime location in the U.S. coal, oil and natural gas fields. Recent transactions include: • Represented a major corporation in its purchase of the shares of a multi-national tobacco supplier headquartered in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The supplier and its subsidiaries are major suppliers of tobacco to the cigar and smokeless products industry. The transaction involved operations located in Brazil, Cameroon, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Paraguay and The Philippines, with subsidiaries located in those and other jurisdictions.

• Represented a holding company in its acquisition of a business that designs, fabricates, installs and maintains aggregate processing and handling equipment.

• Represented five hotel property owners in the simultaneous sale of hotel assets and real estate in multiple states. As counsel to the hotel property owners and others within the firm, negotiated and documented complex sales documents, served as title agent for certain hotel properties, closed two separate defeasance transactions prior to the closing of the asset sale, and ensured a smooth transition of the management of assets from the former owners to the purchasing entities.

Being recognized by its clients and peers is a rewarding testament to SKO’s sharp focus on helping clients succeed. An award presented by an unbiased third party, such as Corporate America magazine, is a significant endorsement of the firm’s attorneys, practices and record of success. Earning these honors help set SKO apart from other law practices that may appear to offer the same services, but do not have the legacy of client service that has kept SKO relevant since 1897.

Jamie Brodsky

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 13

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

Mickes Goldman O’Toole LLC Best Education Attorney - Missouri Company: Mickes Goldman O’Toole LLC Website: www.mickesgoldman.com Address: 555 Maryville University Drive • Suite 240 St. Louis, Missouri 63141 Tel: 314.878.5600

The mission of Mickes Goldman O’Toole, LLC (MGO) is to provide comprehensive, expert legal analysis and counsel to governmental and private sector entities including public school districts, colleges, corporations and small businesses clients.

14 • www.corporateamerica-news.com

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

In order to achieve this mission MGO dedicates its expertise, experience and talent to furnishing innovative solutions to each client’s unique needs and challenges.

MGO’s mission and style of business place an emphasis on education and training, generating personal interaction with stakeholders and developing an understanding of the client’s needs.

Additionally the attorneys in MGO’s highly respected and recognized Education Law Practice Group specialize in serving the legal needs of a variety of education clients including public school districts, special education, and higher education as well as charter and private schools.

These experienced attorneys serve the legal needs of business owners and individuals on a plethora of matters ranging from real estate to estate planning to employment issues to mergers/acquisitions.

Mickes Goldman O’Toole, LLC values the trust placed in us by our clients. To earn this trust, the firm offer their clients expertise and experience, combined with personalized service, accountability and a can-do attitude. Therefore their team of professionals welcomes the opportunity to serve all clients’ needs and do so with the utmost professionalism and integrity.

St Louis Gateway Arch

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 15

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

Webster & Associates Co Best for Appeals - Ohio Company: Webster & Associates Co., LPA Name: Geoffrey E. Webster Email: gewebster@gewebster.com Address: 17 South High Street, Suite 770, Columbus, Ohio 43215 Telephone: 001 614 461 1156

Webster & Associates Co., LPA is a boutique firm specializing in legal services to health care professionals and health care business entities. The firm is “proud our hard, diligent work has been recognized” says Geoffrey E. Webster.

“As with any business, peer recognition is a valuable commodity” he adds.

16 • www.corporateamerica-news.com

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

Over the past two years the company have served clients in the development of health care services facilities in Ohio with a cost of well over $100M, and have “been involved in defense of health providers in audits, operating compliance and the sale and purchase of health care businesses” Webster explains. Specifically in M&A, “we see significant activity in acquisitions of long term care facilities and businesses in Ohio and have represented multiple buyers and sellers in deals across the state” he says.

Giving an insight into the firm’s work with appealing decisions and how they support clients through this process, Webster explains that “we have a reputation as aggressive advocates and approach every case as if we will lose and have to appeal, planning for the worst helps create success that might otherwise be elusive.”

The biggest challenge in the firm’s region “is an increasingly overbearing government that dominates health care and always fall back on its authority to change the law to get around peoples’ rights and often plain common sense.” To stay at the forefront of any emerging developments “study, read, attend courses. Strive always to be aware” is the advice Webster imparts.

When choosing both staff and clients, “I look for people who care about others and are willing to subordinate their personal interests to make things better for others” is the response Webster gives.

“The biggest difference from other lawyers is I have had and do now have active ownership of non-law related businesses, giving a perspective that other lawyers do not have”; this is what makes this company unique and separates it from their competitors.

On their hopes for the future, they “plan to hold the line and do the best service delivery we are capable of to all our clients” Webster concludes.

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 17

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

Boston Private Wealth LLC Best Wealth Management Firm - Massachusetts Company: Boston Private Wealth LLC Address: One Federal Street, 30th Floor Boston, MA 02110 Website: www.bostonprivatewm.com

Boston Private Wealth LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser offering a variety of wealth management services. We invited Corey Griffin to speak to us about the firm’s work and its acquisition of Banyan Partners.

18 • www.corporateamerica-news.com

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

Boston Private Wealth is a fully integrated provider of wealth management services including investment management and consulting, wealth advisory and planning, and family office services. We also offer private banking and trust services through our parent company, Boston Private Bank & Trust Company.

Ultimately, our firm is dedicated to serving our clients.

We measure success constantly in terms of the value we provide to our clients. Ours is a team sport in which everyone plays an important role. If everyone is doing their job, our clients succeed.

When our clients succeed, we succeed.

In early 2014, I was part of the team that developed our growth strategy to expand our footprint and standing as a premier national wealth management firm. Out of this strategy came a profile of the firm we would like to acquire and integrate into our current wealth management platform. Based on this profile, we identified Banyan Partners as a company that shared our core beliefs about wealth management, client protection and client service, while adding tremendous technical depth to our existing team of professionals and we completed that acquisition in October 2014.

We stand out with our ability to offer a full suite of investment management, wealth planning and family office services as well as trust and private banking services through our parent company, Boston Private Bank & Trust, delivering high-touch, customized solutions for the complex personal and business needs of sophisticated investors. However, awards such as this can certainly help with credibility and trust, and we are honored to have received this prestigious accolade.

Acquiring Banyan has helped us in our goal to redefine wealth management as part of a larger organization with broad geographic reach, expanded capabilities and resources, plus access to a full suite of private banking and trust services.

There are very few competitors in our market that can provide these capabilities to clients in a way that is both customizable and scalable.

Currently, we are very comfortable with the corporate strategy that got us to this point, and we seek to build upon that as we move into 2016. As such, we are looking to strengthen our position in the market as a premier wealth management firm with a national presence, focusing on the key geographies where Boston Private Wealth has a footprint.

This promotional material was paid for by Boston Private.

We offer our clients the best of both worlds by providing a wide range of wealth management services and private banking, and being a registered investment adviser. With that integrated and focused approach, we find our services enable us to be in a great space between the larger Wall Street firms and the smaller companies, putting us in a unique position to serve our clients.

Offering such a wide range of services exposes us to a variety of clients, including affluent individuals, business owners, entrepreneurs, private partnerships, non-profits, family offices and professionals in all types of industries. It is our mission to apply our unbiased advice and comprehensive wealth management services to each client’s unique circumstances and to chart a customized course to guide them along the path to financial success. What all of our clients have in common is that they are dynamic people who are constantly innovating.

Innovation is an important aspect of our work, as it helps us stay ahead of emerging trends in the market. Technology is constantly encroaching on our work as firms bring in technologies to replace advisors, and, as such, we have to ensure that we offer a superior service to stay at the top of our industry. As a company, we work hard to be nimble and invest ahead of the curve. While no firm is ever truly ahead of such a fast-paced industry, we recognize that change is a natural aspect of our work and try to be structured in such a way that change motivates us.

Overall, we are extremely focused on the quality of our service to our clients, so we have challenged ourselves to be constantly improving. Having a wide range of clients is a real advantage, but ultimately, it is our execution that is paramount to ensuring that clients receive the best possible service from our firm.

As a company, we are defined by our people, which includes employees as well as clients. Our clients appreciate our strong level of personalized service, which revolves around our employees being dependable, responsive and engaging.

We are constantly seeking the best talent in the industry, looking for people who are competitive, great listeners and with an insatiable appetite for new challenges.

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 19

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

Burr & Forman LLP Best for Corporate Law - Alabama Company: Burr & Forman LLP Name: George Taylor Email: gtaylor@burr.com Web Address: www.burr.com Address: 420 North 20th Street, Suite 3400, Birmingham, AL 35203 Telephone: +1 205 458 5254

Burr & Forman LLP is a century old full-service law firm with a forward-thinking approach to providing legal solutions. They have nearly 300 attorneys and offices in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Burr & Forman offers a wide range of business and litigation services to diverse clients with local, national and international interests.

20 • www.corporateamerica-news.com

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

Their attorneys are dedicated to producing results for their clients and communities. The firm has nearly 300 attorneys and offices in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee.

The company’s business covers a wide range of areas including: • Alternative & Renewable Energy; • Avoidance Actions; • Business Formation; • Business & Succession Planning; • Commercial & Corporate Finance; • Corporate Law; • Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Protection; • Debtor in Possession Financing; • Distressed Mergers & Acquisitions; • Economic Development; • Environmental, Land Use, Planning & Zoning; • Financial Institution Regulation; • Franchise & Distribution; • Health Care; • Insurance Regulation; • Intellectual Property; • Labor & Employment; • Mergers & Acquisitions; • Non-Compete & Trade Secrets; • Private Equity & Venture Capital; • Public Finance; • Real Estate; • Receiverships; • Securities Regulation; • Sports Law; • Tax Law; • Telecommunications & Media; • Trusts & Estates and; • Workouts & Restructurings.

Health Care Focussing on one of these areas, while Health Care is one of the driving economic forces in the South and in the country, it is also an essential focus of the firm.

In such a highly complex and regulated environment, they practice preventative law, by not only assisting clients with achieving their goals, but also avoiding unnecessary legal issues. Their attorneys represent numerous health care organizations, including hospitals, senior living facilities, surgery centers, pharmacies, pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors, hospice and home health agencies, physician practices, and diagnostic centers, as well as medical device, biotech, and information technology companies. From a corporate standpoint, the firm’s representation ranges from regulatory compliance issues, to acquisition, expansion, and formation projects, to medical staff concerns.

When it comes to understanding the intricacies of health care corporate law, thriving businesses turn to the Burr & Forman Health Care team.

• • •

Analyzing and forming joint ventures involving health care providers Analyzing and organizing accountable care organizations (“ACOs”) and other types of integrated health care delivery systems Providing guidance on employee compensation and benefit matters

Regulatory They have immense experience assisting health care providers in any and all types of regulatory issues they may face, including the following: • Preparing state licensure filings for both individual and facility providers • Preparing and filing change of ownership documents with the appropriate state and federal agencies • Advising on state and federal fraud and abuse issues • Assisting with third-party payor enrollment, billing, and compliance • Providing guidance on HIPAA and HITECH compliance and preparing HIPAA compliance plans and related forms • Analyzing hospital and physician relationships and drafting related agreements • Handling various labor and employment regulatory issues • Assisting with intellectual property filings and compliance issues Diversity Burr & Forman LLP is committed to recruiting, hiring, developing, and promoting lawyers and staff without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, military and protected veteran status, sexual orientation or disability.

At Burr & Forman, diversity is an important issue for one simple reason: a variety of opinions make their firm better; it helps them serve their clients more effectively. If their opinions are formed by their experiences, then they logically get a broader perspective, and a greater range of views when they add people from differing backgrounds.

The firm recognize that their ability to serve their clients is strengthened by establishing a diverse workforce in which differences are accepted and valued on an inclusive basis.

In the community Burr & Forman participates in numerous events and organizations that benefit the communities in which they reside. The firm’s attorneys and staff donate their personal time, funds and talents for the greater good of the community. These activities include providing legal assistance to individuals in financial need, raising money for organizations devoted to cancer research, collecting food to battle hunger and mentoring youth in the community.

Corporate Formation, Governance, and Transactional Burr & Forman LLP routinely assist health care providers with corporate formation, governance, mergers, acquisitions, and other transactional issues, including the following: • Forming physician practices and other health care entities • Drafting and negotiating employment, independent contractor, recruitment, and other health care-related agreements • Drafting medical staff bylaws and policies • Mergers, acquisitions, and consolidations of health care entities

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 21

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

Clark Lau LLC Best in Immigration Law - Massachusetts Company: Clark Lau LLC Name: Vincent W. Lau Email:vlau@clarklau.com Web Address: www.clarklau.com Address: 1 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA Telephone: 617-299-4200

Clark Lau LLC is an immigration law firm that takes pride in partnering with its global clients to develop effective and creative legal solutions. We invited Vincent W. Lau to provide us with an insight into the firm and the market in which it operates.

22 • www.corporateamerica-news.com

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

The U.S. immigration system requires all individuals to have permission to be in the United States related to a specific purpose – whether it is for tourism, school, business, employment, investment, research, or family visits.

As such Clark Lau LLC focuses on assisting employers to remain compliant with U.S. immigration laws and counselling professionals and investors with seeking the proper immigration authorization to engage in employment and conduct their businesses in the United States.

Our client base is varied and includes well-established corporations, start-ups, colleges/universities, and non-profit organizations. We also represent accomplished individuals seeking permission to remain in the U.S. and to pursue their expertise in a variety of areas including scientific research, health care innovations, shoe design, music, interior design, and even events planning.

Currently the U.S. immigration service issues limited numbers of non-immigrant visas and immigrant visas, so once all the visas all been issued, an employer and/or individual must wait for a long time for more to be available.

Therefore planning ahead is one of the most crucial factors in achieving success when working in corporate immigration law, as is staying at the forefront of emerging developments in our industry. The American immigration system is complex and unforgiving, and as such hiring counsel that knows the subject material and offers responsive and effective service is the best approach.

Therefore we always endeavour to be ahead of industry trends so that we can offer the best possible support to clients.

One of the best sources of information for U.S. immigration is the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), which consists of 14,000 members worldwide. In addition to daily updates, AILA has subject matter and government liaison committees. I was honoured to have been selected to serve on the U.S. Department of Labor liaison committee and I meet with the U.S. Department of Labor four times a year to engage in discussions about their laws and practices that impact our practices.

Having this level of access and information is extremely helpful to our firm and ensures that we are ahead of our competitors and able to provide our clients with the best possible level of service.

Alongside this, having a global reach is more relevant than ever as we are living in a global environment where businesses are no longer geographically limited and defined. I recently contributed to a conference in London on U.S. immigration options and the audience benefited from the information that I provided in order to plan their global transfers into the U.S. It is this dedication to our market, combined with our level of responsiveness and accessibility that really makes our firm stand out from our competitors. It is rare that a client does not hear back from any of the lawyers in our office within the same day. We understand that the U.S. immigration process can generate a lot of anxiety in people and we try to alleviate that anxiety as much as we can by providing individuals with regular updates and detailed responses to their phone calls and emails as quickly as possible.

In addition, each matter is covered not only by an attorney and paralegal, but the managing partner is kept abreast of each case at the same time. This ensures that three levels of service are provided to each client, all for the same price.

Moving forward we will continue to offer our high standard services by maintaining our regular in-house and off-site training program to ensure that our level of subject matter knowledge at all levels is advanced.

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 23

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC Best M&A Support Practice - Michigan Company: Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC Name: Henry P. Lee Email: Hlee@HowardandHoward.com Web Address: http://howardandhoward.com/ Address: 2950 S State St #360, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Telephone: 001 734 222 1483

More than one third of Howard & Howard’s lawyers had business careers before choosing to become lawyers, which means they have more lawyers with first-hand business experience than other firms their size. In fact, they operate their firm as a business. That perspective is valuable to their clients — coming from business makes working for business second nature to them.

24 • www.corporateamerica-news.com

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

They focus on providing value and core legal specialties to their clients that are crucial to modern business success. In turn, their growth and client attraction has come from their reputation for creativity, practicality and providing solutions in a cost-conscious environment. They are innovative in the fee arrangements and flexible billing structures they offer. They understand the relationship between fees and objectives, measuring their success by how much they improve a client’s bottom line.

The firm are pleased to be the law firm of choice for sophisticated purchasers of legal services in business and industry. Businesses count on Howard & Howard to solve their legal problems with independent thinking and trusted insight.

Howard & Howard’s business is business. As a dedicated, results-oriented business law firm, Howard & Howard offers specialists skilled at solving the many legal challenges that confront the modern enterprise. They provide their clients with solid experience and creative innovation.

Since their founding above a blacksmith shop in 1869, they’ve grown to include more than 130 attorneys, serving clients from offices in Michigan, Illinois, and Nevada. Their services are local, national and international in scope, often with interdisciplinary teams who can provide complex problem analysis.

the firm with a solid understanding of the industries they serve, and their results-oriented approach to practicing law is a beacon for business owners in search of intelligent counsel that aligns with their business goals.

More than 30% of their attorneys were in the business world before they went to law school—engineers, business owners, managers, accountants, financial officers, environmental consultants, and even salespeople. Several of their attorneys have also served as in-house counsel. This is what sets Howard & Howard apart from a generalist law firm, and what elevates them to the level of trusted legal and business advisor for each client. They understand what you need for your business: responsive, results-oriented advisors.

Howard & Howard is organized like a business and run like a business, and they instill in themselves a culture based on business principles. They think with a business mindset. This directly affects the way they approach and handle client matters.

They always strive to understand their clients’ business; that’s the key to effective legal services. They employ this fundamental approach when they strategize and handle any matter. Only by doing so can they achieve the best overall results at the lowest cost for the client.

Clients stay with Howard & Howard for the long term, relying on them for trusted advice and winning solutions. They earn that trust by always keeping one eye on the finish line—and the other on the bottom line.

Strongly Held Beliefs They focus on providing value and core legal specialties to They clients that are crucial to modern business success.

• Howard & Howard’s primary goal is to help their clients succeed; • They are a team and everyone makes a vital contribution to their success; • The firm provide high quality and timely legal services, at a reasonable price; • Their clients are Firm clients; • Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC honor their responsibilities to their clients, their community and each other; • They will not compromise their honesty, integrity or reputation; • Diversity in their team is encouraged and from it they prosper; • They have a duty to foster each other’s professional growth; • The firm recognize the importance of balance between their personal and professional lives; • They applaud each other’s successes and; • They are proud of their history and culture; they are confident of their future.

Practice Areas Howard & Howard offers a diversified practice with skilled specialists in nearly every area of business law. All of the firm’s attorneys were brought on for their solution-oriented expertise.

When your needs exceed the scope of a single attorney’s expertise, Howard & Howard can provide the right cross-disciplinary team whose members are prepared to offer sound advice from a more comprehensive viewpoint. Their focused expertise provides

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 25

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

Sandberg Phoenix & Von Gontard Best in Medical Device Malpractice - Missouri Company: Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard P.C. Name: Teresa D. Bartosiak Email: tbartosiak@sandbergphoenix.com Web Address: www.sandbergphoenix.com Address: 600 Washington Ave., 15th Floor, St. Louis, MO 63101 Telephone: (314) 231-3332

Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard is a legal firm specialising in providing the highest level of client service and adapting to any situation. We speak to Teresa D. Bartosiak about how this diverse and dedicated firm has achieved the success of winning this coveted award.

26 • www.corporateamerica-news.com

CorporateAmerica • The M&A Awards 2015

At our core, Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard P.C. is a group of attorneys with diverse skills committed to providing our clients with superior client service.

We were one of the very first firms in the entire nation who believed so strongly in our ability to properly and successfully serve our clients that we thought it only made sense to offer our clients a Client Service Guarantee. When we began offering our client service guarantee over 20 years ago, such a guarantee was virtually unheard of. We guarantee you will receive timely, responsive and cost-effective legal services. We promise to be prompt, professional and passionate in our representation. Although we cannot guarantee results, we can guarantee your satisfaction with how we provide these services. Simply inform us promptly of any service-related issue and we will resolve it to your reasonable satisfaction, even if it means reducing our fees.

With a team of more than 100 attorneys possessing a wide range of experiences and backgrounds, we have the legal expertise to assist in nearly any situation. Whether you’re an individual, small business owner or counsel of an international corporation, we will apply our knowledge to help you to achieve the best possible result.

Our high level of client service extends to our talented paralegal and administrative staff in delivering that service. Two of our firm’s values are “Deliver Value and Excellence to the Client” and Delivering Amazing Client Service.” As such members of our firm have successfully tried several cases throughout the year, handled large corporate transactions and provided full support to our clients.

Numerous manufacturers and distributors of medical devices—including artificial hips, artificial knees, other orthopedic devices, catheters, heart valves, pacemakers, endoscopy equipment, insulin pumps, spinal rods, allograft tissue, and wheelchairs—look to our expertise and understanding of their needs to litigate, arbitrate, mediate, and appeal product liability disputes and to provide counselling and guidance in everyday regulatory affairs and risk management.

Our consistent outcomes reflect the quality of the relationships we have developed with our clients over the years and recognition has followed. Consistently rated one of the St. Louis area’s top law firms, Sandberg Phoenix was recently ranked a Top-Tier 1 law firm in the categories of Health Care Law, Medical Malpractice and Professional Malpractice by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Firms.

From just nine core attorneys in 1979, our client-centric approach has generated tremendous growth. Serving clients primarily in the areas of Business, Business Litigation, Health Law and Products Liability, Transportation and General Casualty Litigation work, we have expanded to seven offices in Kansas, Missouri and Illinois to better meet the needs of clients in the midwest, across nearly all 50 states and worldwide.

Looking to the future, we are keen to grow as a company and in order to achieve further success, we recently implemented a comprehensive strategic plan to focus on firm growth and geographical expansion in order to achieve this goal. Ultimately we believe our level of experience, client service, focus on firm values and high level of skill development of our team sets us apart from others, and we will continue to offer this high level of service as we move into 2016 and beyond.

www.corporateamerica-news.com • 27