Seth W. Ashby

Business Law Attorney

Seth leads the Business and Corporate Practice Team. He is experienced in business representation, planning and counseling. He focuses on mergers and acquisitions, as well as private equity, securities, distressed asset and restructuring, and commercial transactions. Seth also advises clients with respect to corporate governance, regulatory and other general corporate matters.

Seth chairs Varnum’s Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) Taskforce, which specializes in CTA compliance, guidance and analysis. Visit our CTA Resource Center for more information.

Experience

Representing global fintech leader and top-6 insurance brokerage, Acrisure, in the execution of its robust M&A strategy, as well as other transformative transactions. Since 2013, several hundred platform and add-on acquisitions have been completed throughout the Americas, United Kingdom, Europe and beyond. Publicized representative transactions include:

• Acquisition of insurance arm of artificial intelligence leader, Tulco LLC
• Acquisition of title insurance and settlement services provider, Tempo Title
• Acquisition of Brazilian benefit management and insurance broking firm, It’sSeg
• Acquisition of MGA business and related entities from SUNZ Insurance
• Acquisition of MGA/wholesale brokerage Appalachian Underwriters and related entities
• Acquisition of Spanish broker, Summa Insurance Brokerage
• Acquisition of leading managed service provider, Homefield IT
• Acquisition of Unilink Group, Central and Eastern Europe’s largest insurance distribution platform
• Recapitalization in 2016 that involved management-led buyout of private equity sponsor
• Recapitalization in 2018 that involved $2 billion refinancing of senior preferred stock
• Capital raise in 2021 that involved $3 billion refinancing of senior preferred stock and $454 million private placement of junior preferred stock
• Capital raise in 2022 that involved $725 million of junior preferred stock at a $23 billion valuation

Represented a New York-based middle-market private equity firm in add-on acquisitions for platform investments in various sectors.

Represented Chinese-listed company in its acquisition of a Southeast Michigan-based designer and manufacturer of conveyor and material handling systems.

Represented the selling shareholders of a Tier 1 supplier of intelligent components and assemblies serving the automotive infotainment connectivity sector to a worldwide manufacturer of electrical and interconnect systems, specialty cables and sensors.

Represented a privately-owned maker of luxury wool carpets for the architectural design trade in its recapitalization involving a sale of assets to a private equity firm. The deal also included rollover investment by the client company owners.

Represented a privately-owned provider of solutions for the packaging industry in a sale of equity to a strategic buyer.

Represented a privately-owned contract manufacturer for the medical device and biotechnology industries to a private equity firm. The deal also included rollover investment by the client company owners.

Represented a family office in its acquisition of a financially distressed produce broker and apple packer.

Represented a U.S. public company providing building and home products for retailers in its acquisition of a designer and installer of customized in-store environments.

Represented a U.S. public company that manufactures office furniture, equipment and home furnishings in its acquisition of a textiles designer.

Represented the debtor-in-possession in the liquidation of a complex farming operation through a series of Section 363 sales in Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Honors and Recognitions

Grand Rapids Magazine’s Top Lawyers, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, 2020 – 2024

Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Go To Business Lawyer 2020

Michigan Super Lawyers^®, Rising Star, 2012 – 2020

Leader’s Edge^© Executive Report, (a publication of the CIAB) major player in M&A, 2016

Professional Affiliations

American Bar Association, Business Law Section

Association for Corporate Growth, Western Michigan

Catholic Lawyers Association of West Michigan

Grand Rapids Bar Association

State Bar of Michigan

Community Involvement

The Right Place Leadership Circle, member

St. Isidore Parish, Finance Council, chair

HELP Pregnancy Crisis Aid, Inc., Board of Directors, 2018 – 2024

Gilda’s Club of Grand Rapids and Gilda’s LaughFest, Board of Directors, 2009 – 2018