Jim Birge

As outside counsel, Jim has guided market-leading, high-growth companies across sectors including consumer products, industrials, food and agriculture, life sciences, information technology, entertainment, insurance, and real estate. He drives complex transactions spanning mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, financings, corporate restructurings, commercial partnerships, and negotiation of economic development incentives.

A thought leader in M&A, Jim founded and moderates one of the Midwest’s largest annual M&A conferences. Business publications frequently seek his insights on transactional strategy, and he is at the forefront of integrating Gen AI-enabled tools to deliver innovative, technology-driven value for clients.

Jim leads by example — collaborating with exceptional teams to deliver outstanding client results. A client once described Jim as the first M&A attorney who was a “true value-creator” for him on a transaction, lauding his judgment, counsel and advocacy. Jim strives to bring that same level of impact to every client engagement.

Representative Experience

• Led a global leader in precision machining through a cross-border transaction valued at $200 million involving the sale of equities and securities in the United States and the United Kingdom.
• Represent Trivest Partners-backed Total Sanitation Services in multiple acquisitions.
• Represent a Fortune 50 consumer brand company in a $200+ million joint venture with a leading German food producer. 
• Represent Cornerstone Companies, Inc., in a KKR-backed joint venture for a $215 million recapitalization and development of health care real estate.
• Represent the National Collegiate Athletic Association on commercial, litigation, intellectual property and regulatory matters.
• Represented a UK life sciences device manufacturer in a $56 million transaction of its first U.S. strategic acquisition.
• Represented a family office in a $52 million acquisition of an ESOP-owned industrial distributor.
• Assist a building material supplier and construction services provider in a regional roll-up acquisition strategy of sub-$20 million transactions.
• Assist a home décor designer and manufacturer in a national roll-up acquisition strategy of sub-$10 million transactions.
• Advised a national home warranty company in connection with its sale to a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) specializing in B2B and B2C software and services.