Pre-close · Multi-Unit Restaurants

Multi-Unit Restaurants IP Transfer & Licensing: An Independent Sponsor's Counsel

Independent sponsor counsel for multi-unit restaurants, focused on IP Transfer & Licensing and the deal mechanics that protect sponsor economics and LP alignment.

EV range $8M to $80M EV EBITDA $2M to $14M Audience Buy-side / Sponsor
The deal context

An independent sponsor closing multi-unit restaurants transactions in the $8M to $80M EV range has a defined set of moves at the IP Transfer & Licensing stage. Most of them are not in a generic M&A textbook.

The typical multi-unit restaurants platform sits at $8M to $80M EV with EBITDA in the $2M to $14M range. The thesis runs on franchisee roll-up or regional concept acquisition. The franchisor consent letter is the deal. Get it lined up before you spend money on diligence.

The moves

How IP Transfer & Licensing actually gets structured.

  1. Identify all IP, including informal employee-inventor work product.

  2. Pull assignments and works-for-hire records, with gaps remediated pre-close.

  3. Address open-source license compliance in any software stack.

  4. Plan trademark assignment recordation and continuation filings.

  5. In multi-unit restaurants, layer in franchisor LOI letter requested before market as part of the IP Transfer & Licensing workstream.

The common mistake

Assuming the company owns its IP because the website says so. Without paper, ownership is a hope.

Jason's take
"Every piece of IP in the deal needs a chain of title. Find the gaps before the buyer's counsel does."
Jason Powell · IP Transfer & Licensing
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

IP Transfer & Licensing for Multi-Unit Restaurants, 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.