At a Glance

Anthony Cotroneo ("Tony") is a Partner in the Business and Finance Department. Tony concentrates his practice on mergers & acquisitions, private equity, franchising & distribution, construction and business succession planning.

Tony regularly represents companies in connection with mergers; stock purchases, sales and auctions; asset purchases and divestitures; and joint ventures, across a spectrum of industries including construction, distribution, transportation, housing, hydroponic agribusiness, and manufacturing.

Tony's extensive expertise in the construction industry, as a result of representing some of the largest construction companies in the region in connection with corporate acquisitions, succession planning, joint ventures and commercial transactions, provides him with particular insight into the construction industry and the unique risks inherent to business combinations and strategic transactions in the construction industry.

As the Chair of the Firm's Private Equity Practice Group, Tony represents Private Equity Firms, Angel Investors, and Issuers in Private Equity transactions, including assisting in defining the rights and preferences of securities, developing capital structures and deal structures for start-up and growth stage companies.

As the Chair of the Firm's Franchising Distribution and Dealership Practice Group, Tony assists franchisors and franchisees in the preparation and review of Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD) and franchise and development agreements. He also provides counsel to regional and national distributors and dealers in all activities, including preparing agreements and implementing dealer and distributor systems.

Honors

• Appears in the current edition of the "Best Lawyers in America."

Practice Areas

Business Counseling

Construction Law

Corporate Governance

Franchising, Distribution & Dealerships

Health Care

Intellectual Property, Licensing & Technology

Mergers, Acquisitions, Divestitures

Private Equity & Venture Capital

Emerging Companies

Cannabis Industry Practice Group

Education

Syracuse University, B.S.

Syracuse University, J.D., cum laude

Bar Admissions

State of New York

Key Representative Matters

• Represented the shareholders of the largest privately owned U.S. safety and distribution company in the $215,000,000 sale to the largest privately owned international manufacturing and distribution company in the world.
  
• Represented an international safety, manufacturing and distribution company in a $44,000,000 acquisition of a national safety products distribution business.
  
• Represented majority equity holder of a real estate development, construction and management firm in a $150,000,000 stock sale to a private equity buyer, with a significant rollover component.
  
• Represented the shareholders of a residential products and services (HVAC & Plumbing) corporation in a $150,000,000 stock sale to a private equity buyer, with a significant rollover component. Subsequent representation of the corporation as the platform company and the private equity buyer (after closing of the initial sale) in the corporations' post-closing restructuring and acquisition of additional companies in complementary industries.
  
• Represented the controlling shareholder of a transportation business in a $50,000,000 stock sale to a U.S. subsidiary of a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange.
  
• Represented a truck leasing company in the sale of assets and assignment of leases with the approximate value of $90,000,000 to a national U.S. corporation listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
  
• Represented a private equity fund in multiple equity investments in minority and control transactions
• Represented a National Franchisee in a $20 million, multiple location franchise acquisition.
• Represented a startup energy company in a $22 million issuer-led private placement offering.
• Represents a multi-state franchisor in the negotiation of development agreements, franchise agreements and launching multiple ground up car wash facilities.

Professional Affiliations

Member of the Monroe County and New York State Bar Associations.

Community Involvement

• Board member of TalentBridge, Inc.
• Board member of Genesee Regional Bank
• Board member of the Rochester Italian Heritage Foundation
• Board member of Endless Highway, Inc.
• Board member Rochester Lyric Opera Inc.

Articles

8-17-23 Thirty-Eight Woods Oviatt Gilman Attorneys Named to the Best Lawyers 2024 List

4-1-22 As seen in the Rochester Business Journal - M&A lawyers keep busy despite pandemic barriers

8-14-19 35 Woods Oviatt Attorneys Named to the 2020 Super Lawyers List

As Seen in the Buffalo Law Journal "Woods Oviatt Makes Quick Transition in Buffalo."