Close · Food & Beverage

Indemnification for Food & Beverage Independent Sponsors

Independent sponsor counsel for food and beverage, focused on Indemnification and the deal mechanics that protect sponsor economics and LP alignment.

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

Every food and beverage acquisition has its own gravity. Indemnification is the workstream where independent sponsor counsel earns the seat.

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 Indemnification actually gets structured.

  1. Set general indemnity survival at 18 months, fundamental reps for the full statute of limitations.

  2. Build a basket at 0.5 percent of EV, with a deductible structure, not a tipping basket.

  3. Cap general indemnity at 10 percent of EV, with R&W insurance carrying the layer above.

  4. Carve out fraud, tax, and intentional breach from any cap.

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

The common mistake

Negotiating caps and baskets without first reading the disclosure schedules. The schedules dictate the real exposure.

Jason's take
"Indemnification only matters when the deal goes wrong. Draft it as if it will."
Jason Powell · Indemnification
Capital after close

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

Capital after close is where the IRR actually gets made. The right introductions at month nine through month thirty are where this practice works as hard as it does at the LOI.

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

Bring the food and beverage deal. Get Indemnification done right.

Direct counsel from a securities and M&A attorney with billions in structured transactions, the independent-sponsor-native playbook, and the capital markets network that opens up post-close.