Joseph Spina is a versatile transactional lawyer who has advised on well over $50 billion in aggregate deal volume. Combining a strong legal foundation with direct private equity experience, Joseph serves as a trusted advisor to private equity funds, independent sponsors, search fund entrepreneurs, and other strategic investors, as well as their portfolio companies. His dual expertise in law and business enables him to deliver sophisticated legal counsel aligned with his clients’ strategic and operational goals.
Widely regarded as a rising star in the dealmaking world, Joseph was named an “Emerging Leader” by The M&A Advisor™—an honor recognizing top M&A professionals under 40 who are reshaping the future of the industry through innovation, impact, and leadership.
He also served as the lead drafter of the PACT (Partnership Acquisition Commonsense Terms), a widely used set of standardized deal documents for investor-backed small and medium sized business acquisitions. Often described as the “SAFE for ETA,” PACT has become the default baseline for aligning searchers and investors in SBA-backed acquisitions, simplifying negotiations and accelerating closings (www.ETAPACT.com).
Joseph’s practice spans a wide range of transactions, including buyouts, recapitalizations, mergers, equity financings, and other strategic investments. He also brings significant expertise in restructuring and distressed situations, guiding companies, lenders, and acquirers through complex scenarios both in and out of court. Additionally, Joseph leverages his deep connections in the private equity and venture capital space to assist start-ups and founder-led companies on capital raises, liquidity events and day-to-day operational matters.
Throughout his career, Joseph has played an integral role in high-profile matters, representing clients such as the Government of Puerto Rico, Remington Arms Company, Capital One Bank, Franklin Templeton, and the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. He now focuses on supporting emerging managers, independent sponsors and search fund entrepreneurs in lower middle market transactions.
Before joining Cullen, Joseph gained valuable experience at a private equity firm managing $3 billion in assets, specializing in investments in middle-market companies across the consumer, services, industrials, and healthcare sectors. Earlier in his career, Joseph worked at a leading international law firm.
Representative Experience
Selected Independent Sponsor/Search Fund Transactions
- Northland Ag & Turf – Represented Ekpyrosis, an independent private equity sponsor, in its strategic control investment in one of the Midwest’s largest John Deere and power sports dealership platforms.
- Terso Solutions – Represented Ekpyrosis, an independent private equity sponsor, in a joint venture transaction with RFID inventory solutions company.
- Etna Industrial Partners – Represented independent private equity sponsor, in acquisition of prominent U.S. importer and distributor of premium European beers from an ESOP.
- Allied Roofing Partners – Outside counsel and advisor to independent private equity sponsor in standing up residential roofing investment platform.
- Integris Asset Partners – Represented boutique investment firm in acquisition of property management company.
- QC Hospitality – Represents investment group specializing in acquiring boutique hospitality assets in Central New York.
- Next Century Self Storage – Represents independent private equity sponsor in capital raise and executing build-out of self-storage facility investment platform.
- Brevoort Capital Partners – Represented independent private equity sponsor in capital raise and executing build-out of professional services investment platform.
- Lucky Paws – Represented self-funded searchers in acquisition of New York based pet grooming retail chain.
- AP Imaging – Represented self-funded searcher in acquisition of Miami based commercial printing business.
- Around the Clock Trucking – Represented self-funded searcher in acquisition of New York based logistics business.
- Seekircher Steel Window – Represented Stratford Prospect, a search fund, in acquisition of vintage steel window restoration company.
- Printmoz – Represented Springbok Equity, a search fund, in acquisition of commercial printing business.
- VanLife Outfitters – Represented Haggin Family Ventures in acquisition of outdoor lifestyle brand.
- NDS Technologies, Inc. – Represented Allucent Group, a search fund, in acquisition of scientific glassware manufacturer.
Selected Large Cap/Middle Market Transactions
- Remington Arms Company – Represented firearms manufacturer in comprehensive sale process, which resulted in a series of transactions yielding an aggregate purchase price of $157 million.
- Power Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) – Represented Puerto Rico’s power authority in its Title III proceeding to restructure the utility’s debt and restore power to the territory’s residents in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
- Commonwealth of Puerto Rico – Represented the Puerto Rico Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority, as representative of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, in the restructuring of the territory’s debt obligations.
- Fieldwood Energy – Represented secured lender, Franklin Templeton, in the reorganization of oil and gas exploration and development company, which won M&A Advisor’s Turnaround Award for “Restructuring of the Year (Over $1B to $5B)” in 2019.
- Coso Operating Company – Represented geothermal operator in $1 billion power project leveraged lease financing, the largest geothermal project financing completed at the time.
- Castex Energy – Represented Capital One, National Association, as agent bank in prearranged restructuring of oil and gas company.
- Verso Corporation – Represented paper manufacturer in $2.4 billion restructuring transaction.
Selected Start-Up/Outside GC Representations
- StatMuse, Inc. – Outside general counsel and advisor to the artificial intelligence backed sports statistics start-up.
- Shareholder Ventures – Outside general counsel and advisor to leading capital provider and investor of self-funded search transactions.
- Stake Networks – Represented venture capital backed fin-tech company in strategic acquisition of Circa Labs, a rental payment company.
