Minnesota Lawyer
Ryan Brauer’s dynamic M&A practice is driven by its relationship with businesses like investment banks and accounting firms, and not just in Minneapolis. Fredrikson & Byron’s clients include lots of sellers, whom they share with the banks and accountants, he said.
His diverse practice also includes buyers of biotech companies, some of whom want to bring the new company into the buyer’s fold, and some of whom intend to resell at a suitable time. He also represents companies that are owned by employee stock ownership plans. Those companies have a federal income tax exemption which affects their tax bill, freeing up money for debt service or acquisition, while hanging on to equity.
Brauer is co-chair of the Mergers & Acquisitions Department at Fredrikson & Byron, and also leads the ESOP M&A team. He often serves as outside general counsel to many of his clients.
Brauer previously co-chaired Fredrikson’s Corporate and Securities Department and continues to represent publicly-traded companies and their boards on SEC reporting and compliance, corporate governance, strategic transactions and financings.
The M&A practice has benefitted significantly from the growth in private equity money that is available right now, with the assistance of private equity lawyers at Fredrikson, Brauer said. “They are responsible for growth in private equity which has benefited our M&A practice,” he said.
“The volume of deals this past year has just been incredible. In 2020 and 2021 there was access to capital, interest rates were good. Everything vanished for two months, people then adjusted. We had the busiest year we’ve ever had in 2021, we couldn’t hire people fast enough,” Brauer said.
