Biography
CO-CHAIR, BOSTON OFFICE
During his 30-year career, Joe Volman has become known as a go-to lawyer in the middle-market community, particularly with respect to mid-market mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”). Through his creative, results-driven approach, Joe partners with his clients as a strategic adviser, and leverages his vast network to help clients source deals and raise capital in order to effectively drive growth and maximize returns on their investments.
He is particularly skilled in negotiating in a constructive and collaborative fashion, made evident by an illustrious career grown through referrals of past clients and industry-leading companies seeking his proficiency with buy- and sell-side transactions. On the sell-side, Joe helps clients prepare for the sale process, including tax and other structuring. He assists strategic and financial acquirors with tax, structuring, and negotiating transaction documents.
Joe is a deal maker and is known to take a highly commercial approach to move transactions over the finish line. He constantly strives to be the lawyer clients call to solve their problems, operating as if he is in the office next door and available to help when needed. His sell-side clients know that he treats their business as if it were his family business—he cares very deeply about them, their family, and their business. They know he has their back and that he’s going to help them achieve their wealth and liquidity goals. On the buy-side, private equity (“PE”) firms trust him to help them make the best choices, acquire the right companies, to achieve success for their limited partners. As a firm leader, he is also able to command the best resources for their transactions.
In addition to his M&A work, Joe represents entrepreneurs and investors, startups and emerging companies, and PE / venture capital funds through all phases of the fundraising and investment process. Joe also has significant experience representing small and mid-cap public companies and investment banking firms that work in the small and mid-cap markets. He helps early-stage companies with formation and financing, and guides venture funds with the structure and negotiation of venture capital financings. For small and mid-cap public companies, he helps them comply with securities laws, attain public and private financings, and execute M&A transactions.
Joe has a deep understanding of several dynamic sectors, including technology (particularly software as a service (“SaaS”) and FinTech companies), business services, professional services, consumer businesses, life sciences, manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, sports, food & beverage, and hospitality.
Experience
Over the last ten years, Joe has closed more than 100 middle-market M&A transactions totaling an aggregate deal value of $1.5+ billion. Below is a select list of recent representative M&A engagements.
- A $320 million sale of a healthcare-related food and beverage company to a PE firm, requiring significant tax-driven restructuring aspects.
- A $160 million sale of a packaging and distribution company to a large strategic buyer.
- A $140 million sale of a family-owned food and beverage company to a PE firm.
- A $125 million sale of a PE firm’s equity of manufacturing industry portfolio company and subsidiaries to affiliates of another PE firm.
- A $118 million sale of a consumer products company to two newly formed affiliates of a PE firm.
- A $90 million sale of 100 percent of the outstanding equity of a FinTech company in the health and life sector to affiliates of a top 10 global insurance broker.
- A $72 million sale of 100 percent of the outstanding equity of an insurance FinTech company to a PE firm.
- A $65 million merger of a cannabis company with another to create a multistate vertically integrated company.
- A $60 million sale of a payment processing company to a large strategic acquirer.
- A $60 million purchase by a global software engineering firm that is a portfolio company of a major PE firm of a technology and business strategy consulting company.
- A $50 million sale of an e-commerce retail company by an affiliate of a publicly traded company.
- A $32.5 million sale of membership interests of a PE portfolio company in the beverage manufacturing equipment industry to one of the largest equipment manufacturing companies in the world.
- A $30 million sale of a podcast advertising company to a public entity. Served as investment banking advisers to sellers.
- A $27.5 million sale of an industrial maintenance consulting services company to a larger entity owned by an investment firm.
- A $25 million sale of a cloud technology company to a PE-backed insurance technology firm.
- A $23.5 million investment in leading SaaS-based reputation monitoring and management services (“RMS”) provider by a PE firm.
- A $15 million platform acquisition for a Massachusetts-based private investment firm in the transportation space.
- A $14.7 million sale of two manufacturing entities to a PE-backed acquisition company.
- A $14 million sale of an insurance technology provider to a larger entity. Assisted founders in forming the company, acted as counsel throughout, and represented the company in the exit.
- A $13.5 million sale of an independent podcast studio and production company to a broadcasting and radio network platform.
- A $13 million sale of a digital mapping company to a major social media platform.
- An $11 million distressed acquisition of a food and beverage company by an investment firm.
- A $10 million purchase of a leading aftermarket parts distributor by a PE firm. Assisted the PE firm in forming a new portfolio company to make the acquisition.
- A $10 million investment by a venture capital fund into a software company.
- An $8 million investment by a PE firm into a major New York restaurant.
- A $5 million add-on acquisition of a consulting firm by a portfolio company of a UK-based PE firm.
- A $5 million venture investment by a seed equity fund in a software company.?
News & Views
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Speaking Engagement
The DealMakers Event
Gray, Gray & Gray, LLP -
Honor
Blank Rome Partners Recognized in the 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America Guide
Caitlin E. Barrett, Alison R. Harrall, Mark W. Manning, Chad J. Porter, Frank A. Segall, Josef B. Volman
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Deal
Blank Rome Advises Croud on Acquisition of Mobile-First Digital Agency Vert
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Event
DealFest Northeast
ACG BostonJosef B. Volman, Frank A. Segall, Caitlin E. Barrett, Gil Breiman, Alison R. Harrall, Mark W. Manning
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Press Release
Blank Rome Launches in Boston with Prominent 25-Attorney Corporate and Finance Team
Frank A. Segall, Josef B. Volman, Michael S. Andreasen, Caitlin E. Barrett, Rodney A. Bedow, Max M. Borg
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Speaking Engagement
Noteworthy Speaking Engagements
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Article
Noteworthy Publications
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Media Coverage
Noteworthy Media Coverage
Various Publications
Recognitions
- 2024, Go To Business Transactions Lawyer, listed in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
- 2024 –2025, Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmaker, listed in Lawdragon
- 2024, Lawyer of the Year, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), listed in The Best Lawyers in America©
- 2013–2024, Best Lawyer, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), listed in The Best Lawyers in America©
- 2017, Mergers & Acquisitions and Antitrust Trailblazer, listed in National Law Journal
Affiliations
Memberships
- Association for Corporate Growth Boston
- Jewish Family Service of Metrowest
- Tufts Hillel
Outside of work, Joe has served as the president of the Boston chapter of Association for Corporate Growth (“ACG”), one of the largest M&A organizations in the world. He served as the president of the board of Jewish Family Service (“JFS”) of Metrowest, a not-for-profit helping seniors and those who are in need of food, clothing, and shelter. Additionally, Joe is a lecturer in the Entrepreneurship Program at Tufts University’s Gordon Institute, teaching Business Law for Entrepreneurs.
Credentials
Admissions
- Massachusetts
Education
- Tufts University, BA
- University of Connecticut School of Law, JD