Capital raise · Specialty Construction

Specialty Construction Deals: Co-Investment Rights Done Right

Securities and M&A counsel for independent sponsors negotiating specialty construction transactions, from LOI to close to the capital markets that open up afterward.

EV range $8M to $110M EV EBITDA $2M to $18M Audience Independent Sponsor
The deal context

An independent sponsor closing specialty construction transactions in the $8M to $110M EV range has a defined set of moves at the Co-Investment Rights stage. Most of them are not in a generic M&A textbook.

The typical specialty construction platform sits at $8M to $110M EV with EBITDA in the $2M to $18M range. The thesis runs on trade-specific buy-ups (roofing, mechanical, electrical, fire protection). Bonding capacity is the gate. Without it, the independent sponsor deal stalls at the first big project bid post-close.

The moves

How Co-Investment Rights actually gets structured.

  1. Define co-invest rights pro-rata to the LP's deal commitment.

  2. Build a 30-day decision window so the deal does not stall.

  3. Limit co-invest fees and carry, if any, to reflect the relationship value.

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

  5. In specialty construction, layer in surety pre-qualification for the buyer entity as part of the Co-Investment Rights workstream.

The common mistake

Granting unlimited co-invest. The next LP finds out and your firm economics suffer.

Jason's take
"Co-investment is a privilege you give to the LPs you want to keep. Define it accordingly."
Jason Powell · Co-Investment Rights
Capital after close

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

The capital that opens up post-close, from refinancing to growth equity to strategic exit, runs through a small set of Wall Street relationships. That network is built in.

MONTH 18
Senior refi
MONTH 24
Dividend recap
MONTH 36
Growth equity
YEAR 4–5
Strategic exit
WORK WITH JASON

Bring the specialty construction deal. Get Co-Investment Rights 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.