Smart Business Dealmakers: The Middle-Market M&A Podcast

Entrepreneurs and CEOs trying to get deals done in 2020 face numerous hurdles — many of them new legal issues. Steven Laabs, a partner with Husch Blackwell, discusses what to expect, why the deal market is evolving and how to navigate through these challenging times.

What's next for corporations willing to try new things during challenging times? Lynn Banaszak, executive director of the Digital Transformation and Innovation Center at Carnegie Mellon University, discusses the power of digitization and innovation in the age of COVID-19.

It's a strange, new business climate for employers looking to restart operations and navigate their way through the remainder of 2020 and beyond. Neil Cooper, executive partner at the law firm RCCB, shares what he's seeing, including how CEOs are taking a closer look at contracts, deal terms and cash positions as they forge ahead toward a post-COVID-19-crisis world.

Communicate, communicate, communicate. In times of crisis, you can't share information enough. Ilya Bodner, founder and CEO of insuretech company Bold Penguin, explains the importance of over-communication with your employees, investors and clients in challenging times, as well as how he went from peacetime leader to war-time general.

As employers look to technology to better connect their teams in this new normal, how your business operations — and people — are connected matters now more than ever. EOX Vantage CEO Sudhir Achar discusses how he and his 300-plus team members have mobilized to address digital back-office client needs while transforming their operations into a more virtually workplace friendly operation.

The M&A market for manufacturing firms looks like it is poised for growth as companies pivot operations to meet the demands of PPEs and other critical goods and services. AJ Byrd, managing director at TVV Capital, discusses how the PE firm quickly focused its portfolio companies on balance sheet management, ensuring access to capital, understanding client needs, and streamlining their supply chains in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

Chris Haas, president and CEO of All Pro Freight, discusses how his transportation and logistics firm is doing its part to keep PPEs, groceries, hand sanitizer and other supplies moving from manufacturers to warehouses to those who need them. He also shares how he uses economic downturns to his advantage in the commercial real estate deal market.

When it comes to balance sheet management, there's little doubt that cash is king. But in the age of COVID-19, liquidity and financial flexibility have taken on additional importance. Sidney Glick, a principal at Cherry Bekaert and member of the accounting firm's Transaction Advisory Services practice, talks about the key factors CEOs of middle-market companies should be focused on as they settle back into their offices and look ahead to next year.

Investment banks are split between holding patterns for some clients and getting sell-side deals done for others. Kevin Short, managing director of Clayton Capital Partners, talks about what it's requiring to close those deals.

Entrepreneurs don't let tough times keep them from thinking differently about their companies. Investors don't take a crisis off either. Serial entrepreneur Hugh Cathey talks about why entrepreneurs are poised to reinvent their companies, identify new opportunities and continue M&A activity during — and after — the COVID-19 crisis.