Diligence · Specialty Chemicals

Specialty Chemicals Deals: Quality of Earnings Done Right

Independent sponsor counsel for specialty chemicals, focused on Quality of Earnings and the deal mechanics that protect sponsor economics and LP alignment.

EV range $15M to $200M EV EBITDA $3M to $28M Audience Buy-side / Sponsor
The deal context

Quality of Earnings on specialty chemicals deals is one of those workstreams that looks routine on a checklist and decides outcomes in practice.

The typical specialty chemicals platform sits at $15M to $200M EV with EBITDA in the $3M to $28M range. The thesis runs on niche formulator or contract manufacturing buy-up. The IP lives in the formulator's head as often as in the company. Structure for that risk explicitly.

The moves

How Quality of Earnings actually gets structured.

  1. Engage QofE within five business days of LOI signing.

  2. Scope to include working capital normalization, deferred revenue, and customer concentration.

  3. Share preliminary findings with the seller before final report, to surface disputes early.

  4. Coordinate QofE findings into both the purchase agreement and the LP commitment package.

  5. In specialty chemicals, layer in chemical inventory transfer filed as part of the Quality of Earnings workstream.

The common mistake

Treating QofE as a back-office exercise. It is the basis for the price, the working capital peg, and the LP pitch.

Jason's take
"The QofE is the deal book. Read it twice before you negotiate anything."
Jason Powell · Quality of Earnings
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
WORK WITH JASON

Bring the specialty chemicals deal. Get Quality of Earnings 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.