Michael R. Kuhn

Partner

Minneapolis

Tel 612.371.3282
Fax 612.371.3207

Mike is a Minnesota-based business attorney and focuses his practice primarily on mergers and acquisitions, as well as other strategic investment, capital raising, and financing transactions. Mr. Kuhn represents private equity funds, middle-market companies, owner-managed businesses and large companies undertaking mergers and acquisitions with middle-market targets.

Services

Experience

Representative Matters

Represented the Minnesota Timberwolves in sale of ownership interests owned by Taylor Corporation. The transaction closed with an enterprise valuation of $1.5 billion.
Represented leading wireless products supplier TESSCO Technologies Inc. in its merger with two entities affiliated with Lee Equity Partners and Twin Point Capital: wireless industry equipment distributor Alliance Corporation and Internet of Things (IoT) cellular solutions distributor GetWireless, LLC, in a transaction valued $161.4 million.
Represented Mellott Company, a family owned aggregates business, in its sale to MFG Partners.
Represented Traitify, a personality and traits assessment company, in a stock-for-stock merger transaction with an artificial intelligence software company.

Represented Norwest Equity Partners (a leading national middle-market private equity fund) in acquisitions of Minnesota Rubber and Plastics, Bailiwick Services, Bix Produce Company, Marco, Shock Doctor, Lindstrom Metric and DCM Services. Completed subsequent add-on transaction work and exits for a number of NEP portfolio companies.
Represented Surgical Information Systems (equity sponsor: Norwest Equity Partners) in its sale to Accel-KKR.
Represented Tessco Technologies (NASDAQ: TESS) in a divestiture of its retail products business to VoiceComm (equity sponsor: Graycliff Partners).
Represented Imperial Plastics in sale to Commercial Plastics, a plastic products manufacturer with facilities located in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Nebraska.
Ongoing representation of KKR-backed Quadion, LLC (d/b/a Minnesota Rubber & Plastics) in acquisition strategies.
Represented private investor in acquisition of 30+ interests in hotel and restaurant investments in Minnesota and Florida.
Represented Puris Proteins in a significant restructuring of its proteins and non-proteins businesses. Ongoing day-to-day representation on various matters including joint ventures with The Live Kindly Company.
Represented WSI Industries, Inc. in its sale to Polaris Industries, Inc. (NYSE: PII)
Ongoing representation of United Sports Brands (owner of sporting goods brands Shock Doctor, McDavid, Nathan Sports, Cutters Gloves and Glukos) in acquiring a number of complementary sporting goods businesses.
Represented Stark Electronics, a family owned manufacturer, in a sale to management.
Represented GrimmSpeed, LLC in the sale of after-market auto parts and services company to Aftermarket Performance Group (equity sponsor: Heartwood Partners).
Significant involvement in representing management with respect to private equity sales, including assistance on rollover equity terms, negotiation of employment packages and negotiation of equity agreements. Representations have involved sales to KKR, Monomoy Capital, First Reserve, TPG, Wingate Partners, Sterling Capital Partners and Apax.
Ongoing representation of several emerging companies and closely held businesses on day-to day matters, including the negotiation and documentation of debt and equity financing transactions, commercial arrangements (supplier, customer, etc.) and ownership-related agreements.
Represented Deluxe Corporation (NYSE: DLX) in a variety of acquisitions of software and technology businesses.
Represented CHS, Inc. in its sale of 33 Cenex Zip Trip convenience stores in the Pacific Northwest to Par Pacific (NYSE: PARR).
Represented ShoreView Capital Partners in its acquisition of MDC Interior Solutions.
Represented Nuvera Communications, Inc. (formerly New Ulm Telecom) (OCTMKTS: NUVR) in its acquisition of Scott-Rice Telephone Company.
Represented Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLFD) in its acquisition of a powered cabinet product line from Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX).
Represented Winnebago Corporation (NYSE: WGO) in its acquisition of Grand Design RV ($500 Million) from a leading East-coast based private equity group.
Represented Quadrivio SRL, a European based private equity group, in the sale of various U.S. operating companies in a transaction valued at over $100 Million.
Represented Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative related to the divestiture of a yeast production facility to Lallemand USA.
Represented Tonka Bay Equity Partners in its acquisition of Checkers Industrial Products. Subsequently represented Checkers in three add-on transactions and its sale to Audax Group

Professional Highlights

Judicial Clerkship

Hon. G. Barry Anderson, Minnesota Court of Appeals

Professional Activities

American Bar Association, Member

Hennepin County Bar Association, Member

Minnesota Bar Association, Member

Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), Member

Recognition & Accomplishments

The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law (Minneapolis), 2023, 2024; Mergers and Acquisitions Law (Minneapolis), 2024

Named "Notable Practitioner" by IFLR 1000 for M&A and Private Equity, 2023

Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, “40 Under 40,” 2016

North Star Lawyer, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2015

Speaking Engagements

Podcast Guest: “The Transaction Abstract” podcast with Joe Hellman of Redpath and Company on “The Role of an Attorney in M&A Deals,” 2021.

Moderator: “Market Update: Current Deal Activity, Valuations and Outlook,” ACG Private Equity Summit, 2021

Co-Presenter: “The Pandemic’s Impact on Deal Terms”; ACG Private Equity Summit, 2020

Board Memberships & Community Service

LegalCORPS, Volunteer

Related Insights

Credentials

Education

William Mitchell College of Law (now Mitchell Hamline School of Law) (J.D., cum laude, 2002)

Saint John’s University (B.A. 1999)

Admissions

Minnesota

U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota