Diligence · Food & Beverage

Food & Beverage Deals: Regulatory Diligence Done Right

Independent sponsor counsel for food and beverage, focused on Regulatory Diligence 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

The economics on a food and beverage platform deal usually hinge on a handful of structural decisions. Regulatory Diligence is one of them.

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 Regulatory Diligence actually gets structured.

  1. Map every license and permit, with renewal dates and transfer mechanics.

  2. Identify regulatory consent requirements that require pre-close filings.

  3. Address pending or threatened regulatory actions in the disclosure schedules.

  4. Plan the post-close regulatory calendar with the operating team.

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

The common mistake

Treating regulatory diligence as a sub-section. In regulated industries, it is the whole deal.

Jason's take
"Regulatory continuity is the closing condition that fails most often. Diligence it first, not last."
Jason Powell · Regulatory Diligence
Capital after close

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

Refinancing, recaps, growth rounds, and the right strategic conversation eighteen months early are all downstream of relationships that take years to build and minutes to use.

MONTH 18
Senior refi
MONTH 24
Dividend recap
MONTH 36
Growth equity
YEAR 4–5
Strategic exit
ENGAGE THE PRACTICE

Regulatory Diligence for Food & Beverage, on independent sponsor terms.

Independent sponsor counsel that already speaks fluent deal-by-deal economics, structures clean LPAs, and travels with capital markets relationships for what comes after close.