Fredrikson Shareholders Among Minnesota Lawyer’s POWER 30 in Mergers & Acquisitions

Fredrikson attorneys Frank B. Bennett, Ryan C. Brauer, Christopher J. Dolan and Sean P. Kearney have been selected by Minnesota Lawyer as POWER 30 Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) attorneys in 2024. Honorees demonstrate tangible results in M&A law for business owners across the state.

Bennett has closed hundreds of transactions and has acted as outside general counsel to countless businesses for more than 35 years. He advises private equity sponsors, as well public and private clients on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, corporate finance, venture finance and general corporate law. Bennett represents a variety of U.S. and international private equity groups as well as strategic buyers, sellers, investors, financial advisors, management, and minority shareholders in leveraged and management buyouts, corporate restructurings and related transactions. Among the industries covered in these transactions are software and technology, nutraceutical and supplements, food processing and production, plastics and packaging, manufacturing, printing, investment banking, transportation, retail, insurance, distribution and sales and financial services.

Brauer is co-chair of Fredrikson’s 60+ lawyer M&A Department, which was recently ranked in the Top 20 among U.S. law firms in Pitchbook’s 2021 Annual Global League Tables, based on 2021 deal volume. He has more than 20 years of experience at Fredrikson helping his clients complete a wide range of M&A and other corporate finance transactions. Brauer has a diverse M&A practice that spans large strategic buy-side, private equity and sell-side deals, and he leads our ESOP M&A team. Brauer also frequently represents public companies and investment banks on securities financing transactions, emerging companies on growth equity financings, and serves as outside general corporate counsel to many of his clients. He has deep industry experience from these transactions across life science/med-tech, bio-tech, financial services and fin-tech, media and advertising, energy, restaurant/hospitality, and software/SaaS. Brauer is one of the few Minnesota lawyers ranked in Chambers for both corporate/M&A and capital markets.

Dolan’s practice primarily focuses on the leasing, acquisition, development, construction and financing of commercial property. Dolan is a results-driven lawyer who strives to find creative ways to resolve issues. Dolan regularly represents clients in the acquisition and leasing of office and retail developments. He has substantial experience in drafting and negotiating office, retail and medical leases for local and national companies throughout the United States. Dolan also works extensively with the M&A Group on real estate components of corporate transactions, including sale/leaseback transactions. Dolan is a frequent lecturer at real estate seminars and is a certified Minnesota Real Property Specialist.

Kearney has served as lead counsel on hundreds of merger and acquisition transactions in a wide variety of industries. His practice primarily focuses on representing private equity funds, strategic buyers, entrepreneurial sellers, and management teams on mergers and acquisitions transactions. He currently serves as Chairman of the Firm and as co-chair of the firm’s Private Equity Group. In addition to his M&A practice, Kearney often serves as outside general counsel to privately held entities and provides advice over their life cycle from formation to capital raising, to joint ventures and exit. Kearney is consistently recognized as a market leading M&A lawyer in Minnesota with a top ranking in Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and other similar recognition by BTI Client Service All-Stars, Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America.

Fredrikson & Byron is a leading Midwest law firm working collaboratively to help businesses achieve their goals regionally, nationally and globally. With a reputation as the firm “where law and business meet,” our attorneys bring business acumen and entrepreneurial thinking to work with clients and operate as business advisors and strategic partners as well as legal counselors. The firm’s 375+ attorneys are based in Minneapolis, with offices in Ames, Bismarck, Des Moines, Fargo, Madison, Mankato, St. Paul, Saltillo, Mexico, and Shanghai, China. Learn more at fredlaw.com, LinkedIn or @FredriksonLaw.