Michael Karsch

Michael Karsch

Contact Info

Email:

Tel:

(305) 686-5159

Bar Admissions

  • Florida
  • New York
  • Texas

Education

  • University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D.
  • The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, BS, Accounting and Political Science cum laude

Accolades:

Partner

Overview

Michael D. Karsch, Partner, is a member of DarrowEverett’s Corporate & Business Transactions, Commercial Real Estate, and Private Equity, Capital Markets & Securities Practice Groups. He has significant experience representing companies and investors in corporate and transactional matters, including M&A (buy-side and sell-side), private equity, venture and debt financings, real estate transactions, commercial leasing and development as well as general corporate matters. He has participated in hundreds of acquisitions and financing transactions, from start-up to multi-billion-dollar transactions. Clients have ranged from some of America’s leading companies to local entrepreneurs in a broad range of businesses including, technology, digital media, Internet-based products, software, consulting services, financial services, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products. He also regularly serves as counsel in commercial real estate transactions involving acquisition, development, and construction financing and represents owners and acquirers of commercial, industrial, and multifamily properties throughout the Southeast.

Representative Matters

  • Representing a South Florida real estate developer and a South Florida private equity family office in connection with their investment in and development of a $1 billion transit-oriented development in West Palm Beach, FL. My involvement started many years ago with the original developer and went from the original concept, negotiating a complex purchase agreement with the government property owner, various agreements with other government entities with an interest in the property or the project and structuring outside investment. When the new investors took control, I was retained in part due to my institutional knowledge of the transaction.
  • Led a team to acquire a 145-location restaurant chain from a public company. Our work included negotiation of the purchase agreement and debt financing, structuring and preparing documents for the equity component and due diligence for both the buyer and for the issuance of rep and warranty insurance.
  • Led a team on the sale of one of the world’s largest yacht brokers to a public company, including negotiating the purchase agreement and rollover equity terms. The transaction also required a complex pre-closing restructuring of the acquisition target prior to the sale for tax purposes and to facilitate a pre-closing charitable contribution by one of the sellers of the stock.
  • Represented a privately-held healthcare provider in the purchase of 2 long-term acute care hospitals in Louisiana in a 363 bankruptcy transaction. The transaction was structured to pre-empt an auction and to allow the purchaser to quickly close before the asset dissipated in bankruptcy.
  • Represented the sellers in the sale of a group of urgent care centers to HCA. Our work included the purchase agreement, ongoing agreements between the principals and the buyer and the leases of the locations that were retained by the principals.
  • Acted as issuer’s counsel for a series of tax-exempt bond financings to fund the construction of charter schools in North Carolina. Our client was both the developer and operator of the schools. Our work included review of the offering memorandum, bond indentures and other operating

Prior Experience

Before joining DarrowEverett, Michael was a partner at a highly regarded South Florida-based boutique law firm, where he led the transactions practice. He began his career in Houston at Vinson & Elkins, one of Texas’ oldest and most prestigious law firms and after relocating to New York, worked for Skadden Arps and a prestigious mid-sized firm before relocating to Florida in 1996, where he served as general counsel for two emerging public companies as well as a partner at three law firms.

Related Practices

  • Banking & Finance
  • Healthcare & Life Sciences
  • Restructuring