Brutlag, Trucke & Doherty, P.A.
A business, finance, and real estate law firm built on trust.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Confident Exits. Creative Solutions. Legal Precision.
Your business sale deserves more than a generic process. At Brutlag, Trucke & Doherty, our M&A platform is built for founder-led and closely held companies that need strategic, tax-savvy, and execution-oriented support through the entire transaction.
Led by Matthew Hartranft, whose practice is over 75% M&A-focused, we combine legal authority with business practicality, delivering clean exits, higher net proceeds, and efficient timelines. Whether you’re ready to sell, exploring a creative structure like a sale-leaseback, or looking to acquire, we offer the insight and tools to help you succeed.
Why Sellers and Referrers Choose Our Integrated Model
Attorney-led strategy: No daylight between legal docs and deal goals, our team drafts and negotiates the LOI and purchase agreement from day one.
Single engagement: One integrated scope and one fee, no duplicate advisors or fragmented execution.
Types of Engagements We Handle
- Lower-middle-market M&A (U.S. companies with $1M–$50M EBITDA)
- Sale-leasebacks (especially for owner-operators or asset-heavy industries)
- Complex, founder-led transactions needing bespoke structuring
- Direct counsel representation for buy- or sell-side M&A
- Partnerships with CPAs, wealth advisors, brokers, and investment bankers
Expanding Access via Deal Liaison
To help more founders explore exit opportunities, or discover when a deal merits creativity like a sale-leaseback, connect with our dedicated deal liaison.
Your point of contact: M&A@Brutlaw.com
Our liaison, an experienced business consultant, acts as the first contact to qualify opportunities, manage outreach, and coordinate transaction readiness. This allows us to deliver value earlier, reduce friction, and increase deal flow efficiency for clients and referral sources.
Six-Step Integrated M&A Process
1. Exit Readiness & Valuation: Confidential legal and financial health check plus market-aligned valuation perspective.
2. Positioning & Deal Materials: Investment thesis, buyer Q&A script, and CIM drafted by attorneys to align with your negotiation strategy.
3. Strategic Outreach: Selective buyer targeting and outreach conducted confidentially, with analytics and oversight from your designated liaison.
4. LOI Negotiation: Attorneys lead negotiations to lock in headline price, protect downside risk, and establish key terms up front.
5. Diligence & Document Drafting: We coordinate diligence, allocate risk in reps & warranties, and draft the SPA or APA to reflect your goals, not just boilerplate.
6. Closing & Transition: Simultaneous sign/fund/record events, post-close covenant enforcement, and client transition support.
Results & Recognition
- 95% LOI-to-close conversion rate
- $1.2B+ total deal value advised
- 60+ years of combined legal and operational experience
- 50% of mandates from referrals or repeat clients
Explore Resources
Read our white papers on:
- Structuring Tax-Efficient Exits
- Sale-Leasebacks as a Strategic Tool
- Negotiating Better LOIs
Recent Deal Highlights
Unit Sale — $800,000 — Jun 2025
Transferred ownership to owner’s trust, negotiated and closed Contract for Deed, Real Estate Purchase Agreement and new Commercial Lease.
Asset Sale — $5.9 million — Mar 2025
Represented union in negotiations for construction sector employment agreement.
Corporate restructuring, settlement of active arbitration and partial asset sale — $6 million — Nov 2024
Arbitrated employment dispute on behalf of manufacturing company.
Unit Sale — $16.7 million — Dec 2023
Represented company and majority owner in units sale of software company.
Stock redemption, and revision of all company governing documents — $1.5 million — Mar 2023
Represented growing Company in sale of stock from retiring SH to new SH. Revision of complex and extensive governing documents.
Asset Sale — $4.1 million — Jun 2021
Advised on asset acquisition by waste management company.
Stock Purchase — $1.825 million — Mar 2021
Represented construction company in acquisition of plumbing business.
Formation — $10 million — Jan 2021
Represented company in formation and funding of spin-off construction company.
Contract Negotiation — $2.4 million — Oct 2020
Represented company in successful negotiation of major supply agreement.
Let’s Talk Strategy
If you’re thinking about selling, or want to explore whether your deal warrants a creative structure, schedule a confidential 20-minute call. We’ll assess fit, discuss valuation range, and lay out your best next step.
To schedule a confidential initial conversation:
Email: M&A@Brutlaw.com
Phone: (612) 979-8043
Get in Touch
We encourage prospective clients to contact us by telephone, but if you choose to communicate by email, please note that sending us an email will not make you a client of our firm. You should not send us confidential information or sensitive materials when making an initial inquiry.
OUR ADDRESS
PHONE
Phone: 763-222-2500
Fax: 763-222-2501
OFFICE HOURS
8:00AM-5:00PM or after hours by appointment