Biography
Matt Guanci is co-chair of the firm’s Business Transactions Group. He has more than 20 years of experience advising middle-market companies and their sponsors and investors. His clients include public and private companies, private equity funds, mezzanine funds, small business investment companies (SBICs), venture capital funds and family offices. Matt has a diverse practice representing clients in a broad range of transactions and industries. Over the past five years, he has led more than 75 transactions of various sizes with an aggregate transaction value of more than $2 billion.
Private Equity and Debt
Matt represents private equity and debt funds, and their sponsors and portfolio companies, in connection with domestic and cross-border transactions in the middle market, including mergers and acquisitions, growth equity and debt investments, including senior, second-lien and mezzanine financings, leveraged buyouts, restructurings and recapitalizations. He recently represented a growth capital fund in connection with its debt and equity investments in a SaaS provider of commercial property operations solutions, a payment processing software company and a provider of automated medications management solutions. He also recently represented a group of private equity funds in their leveraged acquisition, and subsequent sale, of a regional parcel delivery company.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Matt regularly represents buyers and sellers in complex mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and joint ventures. On these transactions, he generally leads a team of lawyers with various specialties, including tax, intellectual property, ERISA, employment, real estate and environmental. He recently led the firm’s representation of a portfolio company of a UK-based private equity fund in its acquisition of the assets of a remote lodging services and workforce accommodations business in the oil, gas and construction industries. Matt has also represented a family-owned, global science and technology company in more than a dozen transactions, including its acquisition of a manufacturer of mission critical spacecraft mechanisms, and its acquisition, and subsequent sale, of a custom manufacturer of specialty chemical products.
Venture Capital and Emerging Companies
Matt represents start-up, emerging and fast growth companies, and their investors. He has advised founders, venture funds and venture-backed companies on formation matters, seed round financings, early and later stage preferred stock financings, venture debt financings, public offerings, acquisitions and exit transactions. He also regularly provides advice on the legal and business issues faced by these companies throughout their growth cycle, including corporate governance, equity incentive plans and employment and compensation matters.
Before joining Robinson+Cole in 2002, Matt worked for several years in the Corporate Department of an international law firm in Boston, where he advised venture funds and public and private technology companies on venture capital transactions, mergers and acquisitions and securities matters. Prior to and during law school, he worked for several years at an investment management firm.
Matt is on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Chapter of the Association for Corporation Growth (ACG). He is also an active member of the Small Business Investor Alliance (SBIA) and regularly attends SBIA-sponsored events around the country.