Capital raise · Insurance Brokerage

Independent Sponsor Economics Counsel for Insurance Brokerage Acquisitions

Independent sponsor counsel for insurance brokerage, focused on Independent Sponsor Economics and the deal mechanics that protect sponsor economics and LP alignment.

EV range $10M to $150M EV EBITDA $3M to $25M Audience Independent Sponsor
The deal context

Independent Sponsor Economics on insurance brokerage deals is one of those workstreams that looks routine on a checklist and decides outcomes in practice.

The typical insurance brokerage platform sits at $10M to $150M EV with EBITDA in the $3M to $25M range. The thesis runs on regional retail agency roll-ups. Producer non-competes are unenforceable in too many states to ignore. Plan retention, not litigation.

The moves

How Independent Sponsor Economics actually gets structured.

  1. Anchor on 20 to 25 percent carry above an 8 percent preferred return, with a 50/50 catch-up.

  2. Set the management fee at 2 percent of invested capital, capped at three years.

  3. Charge a transaction fee of 2 to 3 percent at close, with a clear LP-approval ceiling.

  4. Document the waterfall in the LPA, not in a side letter.

  5. In insurance brokerage, layer in E&O tail insurance priced and bound as part of the Independent Sponsor Economics workstream.

The common mistake

Negotiating economics with the LP only after the LOI is signed. By then, the leverage is gone.

Jason's take
"If you are an independent sponsor, your economics are your firm. Defend them in the LPA, not in conversation."
Jason Powell · Independent Sponsor Economics
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 insurance brokerage deal. Get Independent Sponsor Economics 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.