Fredrikson Shareholders Among Minnesota Lawyer’s 2025 POWER 30 in Mergers & Acquisitions

Fredrikson attorneys Frank B. Bennett, Ryan C. Brauer, Harleigh Brown, Sean P. Kearney and Brian W. Kensicki have been selected by Minnesota Lawyer as POWER 30 Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) attorneys in 2025. 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 M&A, 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. Bennett regularly works with corporate officers, directors and senior management, providing general corporate advice on contracts, finance, licensing, employment, tax, corporate governance and other matters.

Brauer is co-chair of Fredrikson’s 60+ lawyer M&A Department, which was recently ranked in the Top 15 among most active law firm for M&A deals in Pitchbook’s 2023 Annual Global League Tables. 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.

Brown represents clients based in and outside of the United States in M&A, divestitures, entity formation, contract negotiations and a broad assortment of other transactional matters. He serves as outside general counsel to many of his clients and enjoys working closely with them to proactively avoid issues and find practical and cost-effective solutions to legal issues that arise. Brown has extensive experience working with both private equity funds and their portfolio companies as well as strategic investors. He has experience working with clients in a wide range of industries including manufacturing, automotive, oil and gas, health and professional services. He is the co-chair of Fredrikson’s Cross-Border M&A Group and is a shareholder in the firm’s M&A, International and Corporate & Securities groups.

Kearney is Chairman of the Firm and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Private Equity Group. He has served as lead counsel on hundreds of M&A transactions in a wide variety of industries. His practice primarily focuses on representing private equity funds, including both national and regional sponsors. He also represents strategic buyers, entrepreneurial sellers, and management teams on mergers and acquisitions transactions. Kearney is the past Co-Chair of the M&A Group. In addition, 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.

Kensicki represents private equity firms and closely held family businesses in connection with stock and asset acquisitions and divestitures, mergers, recapitalizations, joint ventures, capital formation transactions and other equity investments. Whether he is representing a private equity firm or closely held family business in an M&A transaction, Kensicki helps his client navigate a significant business or life event confidently and thoughtfully. Recognizing the importance of the transaction, Kensicki’s job is to review, negotiate, and advise his clients on all facets in a detailed, efficient way conveyed in an organized and logical manner. He understands the importance of relationships and personal dynamics and how they may impact a transaction.

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 400+ 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 or LinkedIn.