Diligence · Vertical SaaS

Vertical SaaS Regulatory Diligence: An Independent Sponsor's Counsel

When the deal is vertical SaaS and the question is Regulatory Diligence, the structure decisions in the first 30 days outlast the next five years. This is where Jason Powell works.

EV range $10M to $200M EV EBITDA $2M to $30M (or run-rate ARR) Audience Buy-side / Sponsor
The deal context

Vertical SaaS deals in the lower middle market run a specific playbook. Regulatory Diligence is where the structure either holds or starts to leak.

The typical vertical SaaS platform sits at $10M to $200M EV with EBITDA in the $2M to $30M (or run-rate ARR) range. The thesis runs on platform plus adjacent module acquisitions inside a single end-market. The ARR number on the CIM is rarely the ARR number on the closing balance sheet. Reconcile early.

The moves

How Regulatory Diligence actually gets structured.

  1. Map every license and permit, with renewal dates and transfer mechanics.

  2. Identify regulatory consent requirements that require pre-close filings.

  3. Address pending or threatened regulatory actions in the disclosure schedules.

  4. Plan the post-close regulatory calendar with the operating team.

  5. In vertical SaaS, layer in ARR bridge built before LOI signing as part of the Regulatory Diligence workstream.

The common mistake

Treating regulatory diligence as a sub-section. In regulated industries, it is the whole deal.

Jason's take
"Regulatory continuity is the closing condition that fails most often. Diligence it first, not last."
Jason Powell · Regulatory Diligence
Capital after close

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

Refinancing, recaps, growth rounds, and the right strategic conversation eighteen months early are all downstream of relationships that take years to build and minutes to use.

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

Regulatory Diligence for Vertical SaaS, 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.