Josef B. Volman

Partner | Co-Chair, Business Law | Co-Chair, Securities & Capital Markets

overview

During his 30-year career, Joe Volman has become known as a go-to lawyer in the middle-market community, particularly with respect to mid-market mergers and acquisitions. Through his creative, results-driven approach, Joe partners with his clients as a strategic advisor, and leverages his vast network to help clients source deals and raise capital in order to effectively drive growth and maximize returns on their investments.

He is particularly skilled in negotiating in a constructive and collaborative fashion, made evident by an illustrious career grown through referrals of past clients and industry-leading companies seeking his expertise for buy- and sell-side transactions. On the sell-side, Joe helps clients prepare for the sale process, including tax and other structuring. He assists strategic and financial acquirors with tax, structuring, and negotiating transaction documents.

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education

J.D., University of Connecticut School of Law, 1991

Erasmus International Law Program of Leiden University of Holland

B.A., Tufts University

admissions

Connecticut

Massachusetts

New York

honors & awards

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Go To Business Transactions Lawyer (2024)

Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmaker (2024)

The Best Lawyers in America© Lawyer of the Year, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) (2024)

The Best Lawyers in America© Best Lawyer, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) (2013-2024)

National Law Journal Mergers & Acquisitions and Antitrust Trailblazer (2017)

experience

Over the last ten years, Joe has closed over 100 middle-market mergers and acquisitions transactions totaling an aggregate deal value of $1.5+ billion. Below is a select list of recent representative M&A engagements.

  • $320 million sale of health care-related food and beverage company to private equity firm, requiring significant tax-driven restructuring aspects.
  • $160 million sale of packaging and distribution company to a large strategic buyer.
  • $140 million sale of family-owned food and beverage company to private equity firm.
  • $125 million sale of a private equity firm’s equity of manufacturing industry portfolio company and subsidiaries to affiliates of another private equity firm.
  • $118 million sale of consumer products company to two newly formed affiliates of private equity firm.
  • $90 million sale of 100% of the outstanding equity of a FinTech company in the health and life sector to affiliates of a top 10 global insurance broker.
  • $72 million sale of 100% of the outstanding equity of an insurance FinTech company to a private equity firm.
  • $65 million merger of cannabis company with another to create a multi-state vertically integrated company.
  • $60 million sale of a payment processing company to a large strategic acquirer.
  • $60 million purchase by a global software engineering firm that is a portfolio company of a major private equity firm of a technology and business strategy consulting company.
  • $50 million sale of an e-commerce retail company by an affiliate of a publicly traded company.
  • $32.5 million sale of membership interests of a private equity portfolio company in the beverage manufacturing equipment industry to one of the largest equipment manufacturing companies in the world.
  • $30 million sale of podcast advertising company to a public entity. Served as investment banking advisors to sellers.
  • $27.5 million sale of an industrial maintenance consulting services company to a larger entity owned by an investment firm.
  • $25 million sale of a cloud technology company to a private equity-backed insurance technology firm.
  • $23.5 million investment in leading SaaS-based RMS provider by a private equity firm.
  • $15 million platform acquisition for Gemini Investors in the transportation space.
  • $14.7 million sale of two manufacturing entities to a private equity-backed acquisition company.
  • $14 million sale of an insurance technology provider to a larger entity. Assisted founders in forming the company, acted as counsel throughout and represented the company in the exit.
  • $13.5 million sale of an independent podcast studio and production company to a broadcasting and radio network platform.
  • $13 million sale of digital mapping company to a major social media platform.
  • $11 million distressed acquisition of food and beverage company by an investment firm.
  • $10 million purchase of a leading automotive aftermarket parts distributor by a private equity firm. Assisted the PE firm in forming a new portfolio company to make the acquisition.
  • $10 million investment by a venture capital fund into a software company.
  • $8 million investment by a private equity firm into a major New York restaurant.
  • $5 million add-on acquisition of a consulting firm by a portfolio company of a UK-based private equity firm.
  • $5 million venture investment by a seed equity fund in a software company.

memberships

ACG Boston

  • Chapter President (2016-2018) and Board Member

Jewish Family Service of Metrowest

  • Board Member
  • Past President

Tufts Hillel

  • Board Member

articles

articles

“Reducing M&A Risks With Caps And Baskets,” Law360, May 2017

interviews

“Burns & Levinson Closes $4.2M Seed Financing for Anodyne Nanotech,” Boston Citybizlist, May 2021

“Coping With a Pandemic: Burns & Levinson’s Josef Volman,” Law360, July 2020

NBC Boston: Josef Volman Shares Insights on Paycheck Protection Program, April 2020

“Q&A: The State of M&A and Private Equity During COVID-19,” Boston Citybizlist, March 2020

“Collaborating on Patents and Deals: Two Law Firm Partners Build a Powerful Niche Working with Startups,” Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, June 2017

“Attention Entrepreneurs: Boston VC Sports Is Coming To Beantown,” Forbes, September 2018

speaking engagements

“How to Create and Enhance Value in Your Business Pre- and Post- Deal”, Panelist, Smart Business Dealmakers Conference, March 2024

“Roundtable: Technology Investors”, Moderator, Opus Connect’s Technology Investors Community, February 2024

“Connecting the Next Generation to M&A”, Speaker, ACG Boston, January 2024

“The Art of Negotiating Term Sheets,” Moderator, New England Venture Summit, December 2023

“CEO Outlook: Current and Future State of Healthcare and Life Sciences,” Webinar Host, Burns & Levinson’s Life Sciences Group, December 2020

“Mergers & Acquisitions,” Panel Speaker, Bentley Executive Club Panel, June 2018