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Successfully completing the sale of a company can be challenging and emotional in any circumstance, and particularly so when the shareholders have been business partners for over four decades. CMM recently closed the multimillion-dollar sale of a Long Island-based manufacturing company that has supplied its products to other manufacturers and businesses across the globe since the early 1980s, helping the shareholders navigate a host of legal, business, and personal considerations.

The sale was to a private equity group with aligned business interests. As part of the deal, it was important to our client that the buyer retain the company’s 30-person strong workforce, including its Chief Operating Officer, who has worked her way up in the company for over a decade. The arrangement also included a lease back of the property where the business has operated for decades. CMM’s Christine Malafi negotiated the deal. Several issues which arose after the deal was underway threatened the closing, but CMM pushed through the challenges and delays to bring the deal to closure. Alan Sasserath, Managing Partner of Sasserath and Co., was an integral part of the team with respect to deal structure and tax advice. 

The client was elated with CMM’s efforts, sharing that our team was “an absolute pleasure to work with.” We look forward to assisting the client over the next several years as they wind-down on business and learn to be landlords to the buyer. 

This transaction showcased CMM’s depth of knowledge in the M&A seller-side and manufacturing space. Learn more about how CMM helps our clients receive the most value for their business.

Campolo, Middleton & McCormick, LLP is pleased to announce that Senior Partner Christine Malafi has been named Chairperson of the Judicial Screening Committee of the Suffolk County Bar Association. The Committee is tasked with investigating the background, experience, and other qualifications of candidates seeking to run for judicial office in Suffolk County to ensure that potential nominees are qualified to serve on the bench.

Malafi will chair the Committee this year in addition to her work chairing the Corporate department at CMM. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and routine and complex transactions. She routinely represents buyers and sellers in multimillion-dollar transactions and serves in a general counsel role for many of the firm’s corporate clients. In addition to her legal work, Malafi serves on the Executive Board of Directors of Family Service League as the Vice-Chair of Governance & Nominating.

All members of the Judicial Screening Committee are appointed by the President of the SCBA, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors. Committee members are attorneys who have achieved distinction and experience in the practice of law. Malafi’s role on the Committee demonstrates her outstanding service to the public as well as her continued pledge to faithfully serve the Suffolk County legal community.

Selling an accounting practice can be a challenging and complex process, as a NYC-based accounting firm recently learned when they started the sale process. Once they retained CMM, Senior Partner Christine Malafi rigorously negotiated the deal, which involved the sale of our client’s business assets and set forth a process for transfer of clients, files, and employees to the purchasing practice.

Our client was motivated to finalize the sale by year-end, setting a demanding timeline for our legal team. CMM met the challenge head-on, managing the agreements for lease terms, the transfer of sensitive data, and transitioning the employees in a timely manner.

The client was thrilled with the deal and CMM’s dedication, sharing: “Thank you for all your hard work and for your persistence over the last few months. You accelerated the process substantially, were very insightful, and were a pleasure to work with!”

No matter how tight the deadline, CMM’s attorneys are up to the challenge. Learn more about how CMM helps our clients receive the most value for their business.

Cranes and rigging play pivotal roles in construction, manufacturing, and various industries that involve moving materials. CMM did the heavy lifting in this multimillion-dollar M&A deal for our client, the owners of a crane and rigging business located in the New York metro area.

CMM attorneys have unique experience in the crane and rigging M&A space, as this was another successful seller-side deal with the same buyer, a subsidiary of a large private equity firm looking to expand its operations by acquiring synergistic crane and rigging businesses along the East Coast. Our efforts to close the transaction involved addressing Department of Transportation issues, multi-property lease concerns, and navigating multi-jurisdictional requirements.

The deal team was led by CMM’s Vincent Costa. This transaction showcased CMM’s depth of experience and ability to get deals done. For more information on our mergers and acquisitions services, please contact us.

Depending on which side you’re on, a jury verdict after only 45 minutes of deliberation can be either a disaster or a decisive victory. In CMM Senior Partner Scott Middleton’s recent trial representing the Town of Smithtown, it was the latter – with a twist!

The case concerned an accident that occurred on a Town-owned dock located at Kings Park Bluff Park. The plaintiff was walking down a gangway towards a floating dock when they slipped and fell on the transition plate, resulting in injuries. The plaintiff alleged that the gangway and transition plate were at a too-steep and therefore unsafe angle, that the transition plate was slippery due to allegedly improper application of non-skid surface and poor maintenance, and that the handrails were inadequate.

After careful consideration of the evidence and arguments presented during the trial, the jury reached a verdict after only 45 minutes of deliberation. The jury determined that although the Town was negligent, any negligence was not a “substantial factor” in causing the accident. Consequently, a defendant’s verdict was delivered, marking the end of a successful trial for Middleton and CMM and more importantly, the client.

CMM has a proven track record in defending Suffolk and Nassau County towns and villages. Visit our Municipal Liability page to read about more successful cases.