Close · Specialty Construction

Indemnification for Specialty Construction Independent Sponsors

Independent sponsor counsel for specialty construction, focused on Indemnification and the deal mechanics that protect sponsor economics and LP alignment.

EV range $8M to $110M EV EBITDA $2M to $18M Audience Buy-side / Sponsor
The deal context

Indemnification on specialty construction deals is one of those workstreams that looks routine on a checklist and decides outcomes in practice.

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 Indemnification actually gets structured.

  1. Set general indemnity survival at 18 months, fundamental reps for the full statute of limitations.

  2. Build a basket at 0.5 percent of EV, with a deductible structure, not a tipping basket.

  3. Cap general indemnity at 10 percent of EV, with R&W insurance carrying the layer above.

  4. Carve out fraud, tax, and intentional breach from any cap.

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

The common mistake

Negotiating caps and baskets without first reading the disclosure schedules. The schedules dictate the real exposure.

Jason's take
"Indemnification only matters when the deal goes wrong. Draft it as if it will."
Jason Powell · Indemnification
Capital after close

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

Capital after close is where the IRR actually gets made. The right introductions at month nine through month thirty are where this practice works as hard as it does at the LOI.

MONTH 18
Senior refi
MONTH 24
Dividend recap
MONTH 36
Growth equity
YEAR 4–5
Strategic exit
ENGAGE THE PRACTICE

Indemnification for Specialty Construction, 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.