What Should You Look for in an M&A Lawyer? | Joe Prencipe, Prencipe International
Most buyers and sellers never see what their deal lawyer is actually doing for them. Joe Prencipe explains what to look for before you hire one.
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Castro What should you look for in an M&A lawyer for a lower middle market deal? Joe Prencipe, Managing Partner at Prencipe International, explains why big-firm transaction experience and an operator's perspective change what your deal counsel actually does for you.
About Joe Prencipe: Joe is an M&A attorney who began his career at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and clerked at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He advises private equity groups, family offices, and strategic acquirers on lower middle market transactions.
Connect with Joe Prencipe:
Website: https://www.prencipe.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeprencipe/
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/
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The PE Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed is investment, legal, tax, or financial advice, or an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security or fund interest.
Disclaimer: Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker (BK3038350) and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The PE Podcast is produced by One Iron Network LLC for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing discussed constitutes investment advice, legal or tax advice, a solicitation, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security or to pursue or avoid any transaction. All views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the positions of One Iron Network LLC, Smooth Stone Capital, any regulatory agency, or any employer. Any performance figures, valuations, or transaction terms discussed are historical, specific to the circumstances described, and are not indicative of future results. Listeners should consult their own legal, financial, and tax professionals before making any business, financial, or transaction decision.
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Joshua Wilson:
All right, Joe, why don't you tell us a little bit about your firm and some of the deals you guys do?
Joe Prencipe:
Yeah, absolutely. So my name's Joe Prencipe. I run Prencipe International. We're a boutique law firm that specializes in mergers and acquisitions in the lower middle market. So who we love to work with are private equity groups, family offices, strategic acquirers who are acquiring businesses 10, 20, 30, up to 50 million in a bit, and then of course the range around there. Our firm is only staffed, and I myself as well, only worked at top-tier international law firms. And that's really important because we provide so much more added value over a typical mid-tier law firm that people, you know, you usually just don't know what's in the black box in terms of what's my lawyer actually doing for me? What would a top 10 law firm lawyer do for me differently? You just don't know. It's a peril so many people in the space face. And so for example, I worked at, you know, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. They're known as the leader of the Magic Circle of international law firms. I clerked at the Securities and Exchange Commission. I also worked at two other top international law firms, and I sold my own businesses as well. So I have this unique operator insider perspective that you're, you know, that your average attorney usually doesn't have, who's just gone to law school and pushed paper for twenty years.
Managing Partner, Prencipe International
Joe Prencipe is a top-ranked international attorney and the Managing Partner at Prencipe International. He started his career in Tokyo practicing M&A, litigation, and business law at the leader of the Magic Circle of top international law firms in the world, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. He also practiced at one of the top-5 largest law firms in the world, Baker McKenzie LLP. Joe summered at Morgan Lewis Bockius LLP, clerked at the U.S. S.E.C. Division of Enforcement, and worked at the Seattle City Attorney's Office.
Joe worked as in-house counsel at several technology businesses, and sold two of them. One of those businesses is the Elon Musk ideated business associated with Richard Branson: Virgin Hyperloop One. Joe and his colleagues, John McLear and Chris Leach, founded the first advanced wearables company (exc. step trackers) - before Apple and Samsung. They sold part of this business to a listed Japanese company ($600m market cap). Joe also co-founded and built the ghost kitchen business Sizzle, which they sold to major ecommerce player GoPuff ($15b valuation).