Specialty Construction LOI Negotiation: An Independent Sponsor's Counsel
When the deal is specialty construction and the question is LOI Negotiation, the structure decisions in the first 30 days outlast the next five years. This is where Jason Powell works.
Every specialty construction acquisition has its own gravity. LOI Negotiation is the workstream where independent sponsor counsel earns the seat.
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 LOI Negotiation actually gets structured.
Cap the exclusivity at 60 days, with one 30-day extension you control.
Name the earnout, the rollover percentage, and the management fee in the LOI itself, not later.
Reserve QofE and rep-and-warranty insurance as buyer expenses, paid at close.
Build a no-shop carve-out for inbound strategic bids above a threshold.
In specialty construction, layer in surety pre-qualification for the buyer entity as part of the LOI Negotiation workstream.
Letting the seller's counsel draft the first LOI. The frame of reference sets every fight that follows.
"An LOI is not a non-binding nicety. It is the deal, in skeleton."Jason Powell · LOI Negotiation
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.
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…
Equity Rollover for Specialty Construction
The portion of seller proceeds reinvested into the post-close entity, aligning seller with buyer.
Earnout Structures for Specialty Construction
Deferred purchase price contingent on post-close performance, used to bridge buyer-seller valuation gaps.
LOI Negotiation for Healthcare Services
roll-up of physician practices and ancillary service lines
LOI Negotiation for Home Services
regional roll-ups of HVAC, plumbing, and electrical operators
Bring the specialty construction deal. Get LOI Negotiation 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.