About Matthew S. Brown

Matthew Brown helps entrepreneurs build, grow and sell their businesses, including multigenerational family businesses with their own governance and liquidity issues. He represents owners and investors in buying and selling companies, helping them raise capital and addressing their ongoing legal matters. He also advises directors and special committees in connection with special transactions and investigations.

A trusted lawyer for entrepreneurs, business owners and their investors

Recognized as a leading lawyer by industry publications, Matt's clients rely on him as a talented problem solver, and practical and valued advisor, with a broad range of legal skills to guide their legal needs from day-to-day matters to lifetime business events. He has counseled clients from startup and initial organization through angel and growth equity fundings, redemptions and recapitalizations, initial and follow-on public offerings and multibillion-dollar liquidity events. He has been instrumental in solving ownership and governance issues for multigenerational family businesses. He also advises entrepreneurs and institutional clients in connection with buying and selling businesses, publicly traded businesses in connection with their SEC reporting and compliance, and directors and special committees in connection with special transactions and investigations.

Matt's clients include leading entrepreneurs, multigenerational family businesses and institutional clients, and they range from innovative revolutionary businesses like the first air-to-ground telephone service to a disruptive IT-driven real estate facilities management service business to traditional businesses like steel centers, scrap recyclers and chemical distributors.

Matt was appointed by former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley to serve on the Mayor's Council of Technology Advisors and served for two years as co- chair of the Access to Capital Working Group. He served on the board of directors of the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center since its inception through 2023 and helped establish Chicago's 1871, one of the most ambitious incubator projects in the country. He was an advisory board member to the Clean Energy Trust.

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"Matthew Brown is 'a superstar, who anticipates and solves every problem before anyone asks, and he has a clear understanding of business and legal strategies.'"

The Legal 500 United States 2018
(M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m)) survey response

Practice Focus

  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Venture, growth and angel capital financings
  • Public securities offerings, reporting and compliance
  • Serving as outside general counsel
  • Governance and general corporate matters

Representative Experience

  • M&A
  • Represented PrepMe LLC, an online test prep and e-learning business, in an equity funding by Lake Capital; the sale of its adaptive learning and virtual classroom software to Ascend Learning's subsidiary, Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC; and the sale of its test prep business to Naviance, a division of Hobsons.
  • Represented international publicly traded chemical distributor in multiple purchases of US chemical distribution businesses.
  • Represent leading technology provider of metal solutions in its sale.
  • Represent manufacturer of hygienic hands-free plumbing and bathroom products in its sale.
  • Represented management of a leading US-based promotional products company in the sale of the business to Investcorp and its combination with a similar European business.
  • Represented NYSE-listed manufacturer of pre-engineered steel buildings in its sale.
  • Represent hardware supplies manufacturer in its sale.
  • Represent metal scrap yard and recycling business in its sale.
  • Represent leading technology provider of metal solutions in the sale of its roll coating business.
  • Represent an enterprise software business in numerous private and public acquisitions and its $3.2 billion sale.
  • Represented software installation company in its equity funding with Summit Partners, NEA and other institutions, and its sale to Macrovision.
  • Represent a financial consulting company in its sale to Management Consulting Group PLC.
  • Equity funding
  • Represent automated facilities maintenance services manager in connection with subordinated debt financing, growth equity and strategic financing; a growth equity financing transaction with New World Ventures and other strategic and high-net-worth investors; and a growth equity financing with Goldman Sachs private equity partners.
  • Represent a social media management services company initially focused on luxury hotels in its angel financing, bank financings and other general matters.
  • Represented retail consumer online options broker in its equity funding with Summit Partners.
  • Represent international logistics firm in a $25 million strategic investment in an online shipping platform.
  • Represent later stage VC fund in numerous later stage investments in AI related companies.
  • IPOs and public offerings
  • Represent multiple technology and retail companies in IPOs and public offerings.
  • Miscellaneous
  • Represented the third-generation family managers of a deli food manufacturer in its redemption of a second-generation family controlling shareholder.
  • Represented family-owned food flavoring company in its redemption of second- and third-generation family shareholders.
  • Represented founder's family which was a majority limited partner owner of a real estate holding limited partnership in dispute with successor general partner and a REIT IPO.

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Publications

Presentations and Events

Practices
Industries
Education
  • Georgetown University Law Center, JD
  • Connecticut College, BA, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
Bar Admissions
  • Illinois
Recognitions
Recognized or listed in the following:
  • Best Lawyers in America
    Corporate Law, 2021–2025
  • Chambers USA
    Startups & Emerging Companies, 2016–2024
  • Super Lawyers
    Illinois, 2018–2024
  • The Legal 500 United States
    Recommended Attorney, 2016–2019, 2021–2024
Award Methodologies