Skip to Main Content.

Closely Held Business Transactions

New business owners are driven by a desire to control their own destinies and are looking for capital and leverage to help their emerging companies succeed. Our closely held business team has a long history of helping entrepreneurs and small companies plan and blossom into powerful contributors on local and national stages. Our attorneys concentrate in the areas of corporate finance, entity formation, securities, tax, labor and employment, intellectual property, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance. We’re able to assist clients in every stage of capital development, from initial seed capital to follow-on and growth equity financing.

We also represent numerous venture capital firms and private equity sponsors, for which we provide comprehensive due diligence reviews and negotiate the terms of the investment to include preferred share terms, investor rights/stockholder agreements, as well as executive employment agreements, option plans and grants. We pride ourselves on working collaboratively with clients to ensure a smooth investment process as they look to expand their businesses through strategic partnerships and alliances. Our attorneys bring both passion and pragmatism to closely held business transactions, helping our clients strategically navigate the myriad of challenges found in today’s financial, tax, regulatory environments.

Key Contacts

A smiling individual wearing a gray suit with a light blue tie and white shirt against a white background.
Scott W. Dolson

Partner

Louisville, KY

A person wearing a gray suit, light blue shirt, and matching tie poses for a professional portrait against a white background.
Jason D. Tonne

Partner

Cincinnati, OH

How We Help Clients

Support for Growing Companies

We understand the issues unique to business mergers with complex capital structures, multiple series of preferred shares, convertible debt, warrants and option plans. In addition to traditional mergers and acquisitions, we counsel our clients through the unique equity provisions and intellectual property licensing arrangements concomitant to the strategic partnerships and alliances being negotiated in today’s business climate.

We help structure, negotiate, and close a broad spectrum of closely held business transactions, with notable depth as it relates to the following:

  • Entity Formation and Tax Planning
  • Initial Public Offerings (IPOs)
  • Private Placements
  • Mezzanine Financing
  • Preferred and Convertible Preferred Share Financing
  • Convertible Debt Securities
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Equity Compensation Plans and Incentive Awards
  • Strategic Partnering and Alliances
  • Corporate Governance
  • Stock Purchase and Subscription Agreements
  • Registration Rights Agreements
  • Investor Rights/Stockholder Agreements
  • Federal and State Securities Law Compliance
  • SBIC Investment Compliance
  • Qualified Small Business Stock Tax Treatment
  • Section 1244 Stock Tax Treatment
  • Section 83(b) Elections
  • Restricted Stock Plans
  • Technology Licensing and Protection
  • Confidentiality and Nondisclosure Agreements
  • Executive Employment Contracts

Industry-Specific Experience

Our team works with clients in every major industry as well as numerous emerging growth sectors, including:

  • Telecommunications
  • Wireless Communications
  • Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
  • E-Commerce
  • Website Development
  • Software Development
  • Financial Services
  • Healthcare
  • Electronic Devices
  • Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals
  • Pharmaceutical Industry Outsourcing
  • High Tech Manufacturing
  • Outsourced Service Providers to Emerging Growth Businesses

Related Insights

Horizontal color image of businesswoman - unrecognizable person - working with digital tablet in large futuristic factory. Woman standing on top of a balcony, holding touchpad and checking inventory of a manufacturing company on touchscreen tablet. Focus on futuristic machines in background, businesswoman's hands holding black tablet defocused.
Guide to Preventing Staffing Agency Form I-9 Violations

December 3, 2025 | Presidential Administration Impacts

Many staffing agencies have Form I-9 compliance issues, which could create liability and chaos for y...

Frost Brown Todd Advises Avaz on Strategic Acquisition by PRC-Saltillo

December 2, 2025 | Experience

Frost Brown Todd (FBT) advised Avaz Inc., a global assistive-technology company known for its multil...

Human resources analytics and recruitment concept with global network, digital icons, and data interface for modern workforce solutions. 3d Rendering
Form I-9 Tips to Avoid Fines: A Guide to Compliance

November 24, 2025 | Presidential Administration Impacts

Form I-9 compliance is essential to any successful business. The Form I-9 is a document used for ver...

Washington DC, USA - A sign on the exterior of the building housing the US Department of Homeland Security in central Washington DC, USA.
Know Your Rights Dealing with ICE: A Compliance Guide to Immigration Enforcement

November 20, 2025 | Presidential Administration Impacts

ICE has a goal of 3,000 arrests a day, which could mean thousands in fines and criminal charges for ...

Weld sparks in the tube
Guide to Distressed Acquisitions in U.S. Manufacturing

October 6, 2025 | Publications

Despite some bright spots, the landscape for U.S. manufacturing remains challenging. While supply ch...

Businessman touching to tick correct mark in checklist to remind work task progressive for project develop management and tracking concept.
Three Critical Legal Mistakes Startup Founders Can’t Afford to Make

September 30, 2025 | Publications

This article was published in collaboration with Bounce Innovation Hub, a nonprofit organization sup...

Crystal globe with symbols of international currencies including dollar, yen, yuan, euro, pound sterling, ruble and rupee placed on banknotes and stack of coins. World Bank ,Economic Inflation
Beyond IEEPA: Exploring President Trump’s Remaining Tariff Options

September 3, 2025 | Publications

In early 2025, the U.S. government imposed steep tariffs under the International Emergency Economic ...

conference room
Is Delaware’s Reign Over? Why Texas Is Challenging the Status Quo for Private Equity Funds

August 20, 2025 | Publications

With increasing competition among states to create the most business-friendly corporate legal ecosys...

Bank symbol with with coins stack. Concepts of the banking system, rising interest rates, inflation, deflation, and savings.
Section 1202 and QSBS: A Survey of States That Don’t Conform to the Federal Treatment

August 8, 2025 | Presidential Administration Impacts

Section 1202 of the Internal Revenue Code provides a capital gains exclusion for certain qualified s...

Banking System and Electronic Transfer for Business
PTET Already Making Waves? Indiana Releases Updated Guidance in Wake of One Big Beautiful Bill Act

July 30, 2025 | Presidential Administration Impacts

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has changed the game in the world of tax with respect to many...

Stay ahead of the law.

Subscribe to receive email updates and choose your topics.