Operating a business can be daunting in itself, but when it’s time to retire, move on to a new venture or pass along the ownership torch, selling your business can be a burden.
That’s one reason why merger and acquisition specialists are in business – to assist in assuring the transition goes as smoothly as possible.Here to answer this week’s “Behind the List” questions is Buddy Lesavoy, attorney and member of Lesavoy Butz & Seitz LLC in South Whitehall Township.
Lehigh Valley Business: How long has Lesavoy Butz & Seitz LLC been operating in the region and what are its primary services?
Buddy Lesavoy: The firm was originally founded in 1979 by Sy Traub and Ed Butz. We reincarnated most recently in 2007 as Lesavoy Butz & Seitz LLC. We have always been a Lehigh Valley-based office and serve the entire region and beyond.
We provide a wide range of services to both businesses and individuals with particular concentrations in the areas of business, corporate and real estate, mergers and acquisitions, succession planning, exit strategy planning, estate and tax planning, elder care and special needs planning and all sorts of litigation with a particular emphasis on creditors’ rights, debt collection, commercial foreclosures and the like.
LVB: What have been some of the biggest challenge and opportunities that Lesavoy Butz & Seitz LLC has encountered throughout its years in business?
Lesavoy: Thankfully, we have had great leadership and mentors in our firm which established an extraordinary culture of mutual respect.
What first attracted me to the firm in 1990 was my realization that Sy Traub had as much respect for the high school student who came into the office after class to do filing as she had for him. It was at that moment I realized that this was the firm I wanted to be a part of.
That student has now been with us for 30 years. All of our lawyers and virtually all of the rest of the team have been here for more than 10 years, so we are blessed with an extraordinary group of very dedicated and talented people.
This has gotten us through every challenge we’ve faced.
LVB: Merger and acquisition transactions can be very complex for a business owner. How do the M&A professionals at Lesavoy Butz & Seitz LLC work with clients to provide the best solutions and outcomes?
Lesavoy: Working with business owners, especially family owned businesses, is indeed quite complex and challenging.
Our approach is through clear, open and transparent communications to ensure that we understand our clients’ goals and objectives and then work collaboratively with the owners and the rest of their professional team to provide a comprehensive approach to addressing their issues and concerns.
By working together, lawyers, accountants, investment advisers, consultants, investment bankers, bankers, etc. as a team helps provide a global perspective and facilitates the ability to collectively focus on achieving results that are best for our clients.
Our ultimate goal is to provide the best service possible in an effort to achieve the best outcomes for our clients.
LVB: What have been some of the most notable mergers and acquisitions that Lesavoy Butz & Seitz LLC has completed in the region? Does it also provide services to clients outside of the Greater Lehigh Valley area?
Lesavoy: While they don’t like to be named per se, we have had the extraordinary privilege of serving clients in a wide range of industries and professions in the mergers and acquisitions area.
We have been on both sides of hundreds of transactions over the years ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to tens of millions of dollars and several significantly beyond that, throughout the Greater Lehigh Valley and other parts of Pennsylvania.
LVB: What does the future look like for Lesavoy Butz & Seitz LLC? Does it have plans for growth?
Lesavoy: Thankfully, with the outstanding A-team that we have, the future looks bright for all of us.
We are thankful to have had the support of our team at every level to carry us through these four decades and look forward to a long and fruitful future serving our Greater Lehigh Valley community.
