Pre-close · Food & Beverage

Food & Beverage Deals: Cross-Border Structuring Done Right

When the deal is food and beverage and the question is Cross-Border Structuring, the structure decisions in the first 30 days outlast the next five years. This is where Jason Powell works.

EV range $10M to $120M EV EBITDA $2M to $20M Audience Buy & Sell-side
The deal context

An independent sponsor closing food and beverage transactions in the $10M to $120M EV range has a defined set of moves at the Cross-Border Structuring stage. Most of them are not in a generic M&A textbook.

The typical food and beverage platform sits at $10M to $120M EV with EBITDA in the $2M to $20M range. The thesis runs on CPG roll-up or co-packing platform with regional bolt-ons. Treat trade spend like a working capital item, not a marketing line. The valuation moves accordingly.

The moves

How Cross-Border Structuring actually gets structured.

  1. Map jurisdictional tax exposure with US and foreign counsel before the LOI.

  2. Plan repatriation mechanics if cash is generated offshore.

  3. Address CFIUS review where foreign capital is in the LP base.

  4. Structure for treaty benefits where the operating geographies allow.

  5. In food and beverage, layer in co-pack capacity agreement re-papered as part of the Cross-Border Structuring workstream.

The common mistake

Treating cross-border deals like US deals with extra steps. Tax, regulatory, and timing assumptions break differently.

Jason's take
"Cross-border deals need three sets of advisors at the table from day one. Bring them."
Jason Powell · Cross-Border Structuring
Capital after close

The deal is one thing. The capital that opens up after close is another.

After close, the call list for refinancing, recapitalization, and growth equity gets short and known. Jason carries that list.

MONTH 18
Senior refi
MONTH 24
Dividend recap
MONTH 36
Growth equity
YEAR 4–5
Strategic exit
TALK TO JASON

An LOI on the desk, a food and beverage target, and a Cross-Border Structuring question worth a real conversation.

Twenty minutes of practitioner-grade input from a securities attorney whose first move is to read the deal, not the engagement letter.