Haynes Boone Earns 2 Global M&A Network Deal of the Year Awards

Haynes and Boone, LLP advised clients in two transactions that were named Deal of the Year at the 13^th-annual Americas M&A Atlas Awards – the sale of Birch Benders to Sovos Brands and the acquisition of QuestaWeb by Descartes Systems Group.

Sponsored by the Global M&A Network, the 2022 M&A Atlas Awards honor the best deals, firms, and dealmakers, the network states on its website. “Winning the independently governed awards, equates to achieving the ‘gold standard of performance’ standing in the industry, validating the firm and team leadership since the winners are selected based on ‘deals criteria’ and expertise,” it states.

Haynes Boone was recognized for the following deals:

Descartes Systems Group’s Acquisition of QuestaWeb (Americas Deal of the Year)

A team led by Partner Simin Sun represented QuestaWeb, a cloud-based customs and regulatory compliance solutions provider, in its sale to Descartes Systems Group in February 2021.

QuestaWeb’s provides web-based global trade management (GTM) solutions, including a foreign trade zone (FTZ) solution that allows logistics services providers (LSPs) and importers to automate processes to ensure compliance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection for FTZ trading in the U.S. Descartes, is a global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, performance and security of logistics-intensive businesses.

Simin’s practice is focused on mergers and acquisitions, cross-border transactions, technology-based transactions, corporate securities, and general corporate matters. The deal team representing QuestaWeb included Partners Don Shiman and Chris Kang and Associate AK Bonnet.

Birch Benders’ Sale to Sovos Brands (Americas Food & Beverage Deal of the Year)

Partner Dan Malone led a team that represented Birch Benders LLC in the sale of its business to Sovos Brands in 2020. Denver-based Birch Benders is a fast-growing producer of pancake and waffle Mixes and other consumer products. Sovos is a food company backed by global private equity firm Advent International.

Malone’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and strategic investments involving the food and beverage, consumer products, and other industries. Prior to joining the firm, he was senior counsel at The WhiteWave Foods Company, where he sourced, evaluated and executed transactions in the food and beverage category.

In representing Birch Benders, Malone was assisted by a multi-practice Haynes Boone team that included Associate David Lightstone, Partner Tom Tippetts and Associate Rachael Williams (M&A); Partner Robert Ziemian (IP); Partner Suzie Trigg (Food, Beverage and Restaurant) and Associate Joanna Pearce (Healthcare and Life Sciences); Counsel Scott Thompson (Benefits); Partner Raquel Alvarenga (Labor); and Senior Counsel Ken Bezozo, Partner Sam Lichtman and Partner Don Shiman (Tax).

Also during the event, Brandon McCoy, partner and chair of the firm’s M&A Practice Group, was named one of the nation’s rising M&A dealmakers from the North and South American regions. Read more here.

Haynes Boone’s M&A Practice Group has comprehensive experience handling middle-market deals, having helped clients close more than 500 transactions in the last five years, with an aggregate value exceeding $40 billion. The firm routinely represents private equity firms, closely held corporations, founders, large financial institutions and Fortune 500 public companies. The M&A team prides itself in crafting strategic solutions that advance clients’ business objectives by anticipating and evaluating the roadblocks and opportunities that clients face on the way to closing a deal successfully.

Haynes and Boone, LLP is an international corporate law firm with offices in Texas, New York, California, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., London, Mexico City and Shanghai, providing a full spectrum of legal services in energy, technology, financial services and private equity. With 600 lawyers, Haynes Boone is ranked among the largest U.S.-based firms by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer and The Lawyer. It was recognized for excellence in the BTI Consulting Group’s 2021 “A-Team” report, which identifies the law firms that in-house counsel commend for providing superior client service.