Specialty Construction ERISA & Benefits Diligence: An Independent Sponsor's Counsel
When the deal is specialty construction and the question is ERISA & Benefits Diligence, the structure decisions in the first 30 days outlast the next five years. This is where Jason Powell works.
An independent sponsor closing specialty construction transactions in the $8M to $110M EV range has a defined set of moves at the ERISA & Benefits Diligence 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.
How ERISA & Benefits Diligence actually gets structured.
Pull the 5500s and audit reports for the last three years.
Identify any controlled-group exposure that follows the seller post-close.
Address multi-employer pension withdrawal liability where applicable.
Plan the benefits transition to the buyer's plans, with a TSA period if needed.
In specialty construction, layer in surety pre-qualification for the buyer entity as part of the ERISA & Benefits Diligence workstream.
Skipping the multi-employer pension review. It can show up as a 7-figure surprise three months post-close.
"ERISA is the silent deal-killer. Treat it like senior debt diligence."Jason Powell · ERISA & Benefits Diligence
The deal is one thing. The capital that opens up after close is another.
After close, the call list for refinancing, recapitalization, and growth equity gets short and known. Jason carries that list.
Related deal pages.
Independent Sponsor Economics for Specialty Construction
The package of deal-by-deal carry, management fees, and transaction fees that compensates the independent spo…
Management Fee Structuring for Specialty Construction
The annual fee paid by the deal entity to the independent sponsor for ongoing oversight, board service, and p…
Transaction Fee Structuring for Specialty Construction
The fee paid at closing to the independent sponsor for sourcing, structuring, and closing the platform deal a…
Equity Rollover for Specialty Construction
The portion of seller proceeds reinvested into the post-close entity, aligning seller with buyer.
ERISA & Benefits Diligence for Healthcare Services
roll-up of physician practices and ancillary service lines
ERISA & Benefits Diligence for Home Services
regional roll-ups of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical operators
Bring the specialty construction deal. Get ERISA & Benefits Diligence 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.