Scott Adamson

Partner

Scott draws on three decades of corporate transactions experience to represent public and private strategic and financial buyers and sellers, emerging businesses, and family offices and business owners. He is also a go-to advisor for ESOP-owned company management, institutional trustees, and equity sponsors in ESOP transactions and matters.

Scott Adamson Portrait

Scott Adamson represents public and private company clients in buy-and sell-side transactions, including leveraged buyout, carve-out, 363 asset sales, and going-private transactions. He advises clients across a broad spectrum of industries, including health care, technology, manufacturing, service, and construction, and has completed cross-border transactions in Japan, Mexico, Ireland, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Scott executes complex transaction structures, including stock sales, asset sales, statutory mergers, and tender offers, and transactions structured as tax-free reorganizations, spinoffs, and contributions. He represents buyers and sellers of companies bought and sold through auctions and advises clients on alternative liquidity strategies, including sale, leveraged recapitalization, private placement, and employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) transactions. In addition, Scott counsels clients engaged in debt and equity financing involving funds, mezzanine lenders, and banks.

Scott has structured, implemented, and executed many of the largest and most complex transactions involving ESOPs to create liquidity on a tax-advantaged basis; to facilitate management buyout of a subsidiary, division, or portfolio company; to engage in a roll-up transaction; or to permit private equity investment on a tax­ advantaged basis. He has led some of the most significant transactions undertaken involving the sale of ESOP-owned companies to equity sponsors and strategic buyers.

Representative Experience

Scott has led the following transactions:

Mergers & Acquisitions/Private Equity
  • Represented a provider of education content and resources in the acquisition of a consumer-permissioned data platform in a reverse triangular merger for cash and contingent value rights and a subsequent preferred stock offering.
  • Represented an NYSE-listed aerospace and defense company in a bid to acquire an ESOP-owned aerospace and defense engineering firm with a sales price of $1.65 billion.
  • Represented a payroll processing company in a $200 million CAD cross-border Canadian acquisition.
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Employee Stock Ownership Plan
  • Represented a Chicago-based financier, as special ESOP counsel, in the acquisition of an NYSE media company in an $8.2 billion going-private transaction using an ESOP.
  • Represented a global engineered metal parts manufacturer in the capitalization and sale of a 14.5 percent interest to an ESOP for $222 million financed by a 144A note offering.
  • Represented the Trustee of a newly-formed ESOP in the $412.5M acquisition of one of the largest multifamily general contractors in the country.
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Previous Work

Prior to joining ArentFox Schiff, Scott was a partner at a large international law firm.

Recognitions, Publications & Presentations

Scott’s recognitions include:

  • The Best Lawyers in AmericaMergers and Acquisitions Law, 2024.
  • The Legal 500 United States, M&A/Corporate and Commercial M&A- Middle-Market (Sub-$500M).

Scott’s publications include:

  • A Guide to Financing ESOP Transactions, Editor-in-Chief, The ESOP Association, 2012.

Scott’s speaking engagements include:

  • Emerging Trends in ESOP Transactions, ESOP Association Conference, November 14, 2022.
  • Raising Capital for ESOP Companies and Transactions, The ESOP Association, June 23, 2021.
  • Restructuring the ESOP CompanyESOP Association Conference, June 9, 2020.
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Professional Activities

  • Employee-Owned S Corporations of America (ESCA), Advisory Committee
  • The ESOP Association, Finance Committee