Earnout Structures.
Deferred purchase price contingent on post-close performance, used to bridge buyer-seller valuation gaps.
How Earnout Structures actually gets done.
Tie the earnout to gross profit or contribution margin, not revenue, to avoid sandbagging.
Cap the earnout window at 24 months. Anything longer is a litigation risk.
Build acceleration on a change of control or buyer-driven operational change.
Name an arbitrator and the accounting standard in the agreement.
Drafting the earnout in three paragraphs. Earnouts are the second-most-litigated provision in M&A.
"If the earnout could be measured by a teenager with a spreadsheet, you wrote it well."Jason Powell · Earnout Structures
25 industries with Earnout Structures pages.
Healthcare Services
roll-up of physician practices and ancillary service lines
Home Services
regional roll-ups of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical operators
Precision Manufacturing
platform plus tuck-in machine shops or aerospace-qualified shops
Vertical SaaS
platform plus adjacent module acquisitions inside a single end-market
B2B Services
recurring revenue service platform with bolt-on operators
Logistics & Distribution
regional acquisitions of brokerages, 3PLs, and last-mile operators
Specialty Distribution
vertical buy-up of niche product distributors
Food & Beverage
CPG roll-up or co-packing platform with regional bolt-ons
Multi-Unit Restaurants
franchisee roll-up or regional concept acquisition
Auto Aftermarket
service-center or specialty-shop regional roll-ups
Aerospace & Defense
tier-two or tier-three supplier consolidation with certifications as moat
Industrial Services
regional consolidation of plant maintenance, specialty contracting, or rentals
Building Products
regional manufacturer or specialty distributor consolidation
Specialty Construction
trade-specific buy-ups (roofing, mechanical, electrical, fire protection)
Insurance Brokerage
regional retail agency roll-ups
Wealth Advisors & RIAs
RIA aggregation or wealth platform roll-up
Veterinary Services
general or specialty practice roll-up under an MSO
Dental Practice Management
DSO buy-up under an MSO
Education & Training
private school, training academy, or B2B training platform consolidation
Marketing Agencies
specialty agency or holdco platform with bolt-ons
IT Services & MSPs
MSP platform with regional or vertical-specific bolt-ons
Cybersecurity Services
MSSP or specialty consulting platform
Energy Services
regional oilfield service or renewable services consolidation
Waste & Recycling
regional hauler or transfer station consolidation
Specialty Chemicals
niche formulator or contract manufacturing buy-up
Talk to Jason about Earnout Structures.
Twenty minutes of practitioner-grade input from a securities attorney built for the independent sponsor model.