LOI · IT Services & MSPs

Equity Rollover Counsel for IT Services & MSPs Acquisitions

Independent sponsor counsel for IT services and MSPs, focused on Equity Rollover and the deal mechanics that protect sponsor economics and LP alignment.

EV range $8M to $100M EV EBITDA $2M to $18M Audience Buy & Sell-side
The deal context

Equity Rollover on IT services and MSPs deals is one of those workstreams that looks routine on a checklist and decides outcomes in practice.

The typical IT services and MSPs platform sits at $8M to $100M EV with EBITDA in the $2M to $18M range. The thesis runs on MSP platform with regional or vertical-specific bolt-ons. An MSP at 70% recurring revenue trades at one multiple, at 90% trades at a different one. The mix is the deal.

The moves

How Equity Rollover actually gets structured.

  1. Anchor on 15 to 25 percent rollover for a clean alignment story.

  2. Treat rollover as tax-deferred under Section 351 or 721 where the structure allows.

  3. Document tag-along and drag-along rights at the rollover level, not just at the LP level.

  4. Cap exit veto rights for rolled equity to avoid future deadlock.

  5. In IT services and MSPs, layer in MSA assignment review with carve-outs noted as part of the Equity Rollover workstream.

The common mistake

Rolling at the wrong entity level, triggering an immediate tax event on what was supposed to be deferred.

Jason's take
"Rollover is the cheapest alignment tool on the table. Use it; do not abuse it."
Jason Powell · Equity Rollover
Capital after close

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

Most independent sponsors solve the closing capital and then run into the post-close capital problem alone. The capital markets relationships that matter at month 18 are part of this practice.

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 IT services and MSPs target, and a Equity Rollover 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.