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Paul Eklund, Nutter McClennen & Fish LLP Photo

Paul R. Eklund

Partner / Boston

Overview

Paul Eklund is a partner in Nutter’s Corporate and Transactions Department, chairs the firm’s Investment Funds practice group, and is a member of the Mergers and Acquisitions, Commercial and Real Estate Finance, and Philanthropy practice groups. Middle market companies, family-owned businesses, financial institutions, real estate developers and institutions, and not-for-profit organizations all rely on his 35+ years of experience and judgment in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and partnerships (both real estate and corporate), fund formations, corporate governance, finance, and business succession planning. Manufacturers and distributors, technology and software companies, health care companies, health insurers, and start-ups rely on his experience and judgment in facilitating their various business arrangements and growth. Financial institutions rely on his experience and judgment in asset-based, health care, and REIT lending, as well as mezzanine, subordinate, and bond financings. Paul’s clients include Bank of America, TD Bank, Tufts Health Plan, Pine Street Inn, Lallemand Inc., Tedeschi Food Shops, Equity Resource Investments, and PYMNTS.com.

Notable Experience and Client Impact 

  • Represented Tufts Health Plan in connection with its combination with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.
  • Represented Veracross LLC, a provider of software and services to independent primary and secondary schools, in its majority recapitalization by BV Investment Partners, a middle-market private equity firm focused on the business services, software, and IT services sectors.
  • Represented Palisade Corporation, an Ithaca, New York-based provider of risk modeling and decision analysis software, in its recapitalization by Thompson Street Capital Partners (TSCP), a private equity firm based in St. Louis.
  • Assisted an international manufacturing company in completing many strategic acquisitions of complementary, worldwide businesses, including resolution of issues related to significant IP assets and earn-out payments, and provided advice on many joint ventures and other strategic alliances.
  • Represented a health insurance company in its acquisition of a not-for-profit Medicaid provider of health insurance, which included earn-outs, and in its acquisition of a for-profit durable medical equipment supply company.
  • Assisted a privately-held real estate company in the corporate restructuring of its complex organizational structure, including the admission of an additional partner, and the buyout of the company’s investors in a myriad of partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporate general partners/managers.
  • Represented a large regional convenience store chain in its sale to a strategic buyer. The transaction involved many stores, some of which were owner-occupied real estate and some of which were leased, some of which were company-operated and others of which were franchised, some of which sold liquor and/or gasoline, and all of which sold lottery tickets.
  • Helped a regional distributor in its roll-up strategy, which included numerous acquisitions in same vertical space throughout the Northeast.
  • Served as special counsel to the Board of Governors in connection with sale of the system to for-profit entity. Nutter was independent counsel to the Board with respect to fiduciary duties and processes in evaluating and approving the proposed transaction, and provided advice with regard to officers and directors liability insurance.
  • Assisted a not-for-profit corporation in its consolidation with another not-for-profit corporation in a similar but complementary line of business. Provided advice on the structure of the transaction, both from the tax exempt, regulatory, and corporate perspectives. Documented and negotiated the transaction, and provided advice to the Board of Directors on governance considerations.
  • Represented a not-for-profit corporation in a restructuring of its unusual and complicated corporate structure involving not-for-profit and for-profit corporations. Provided tax, corporate, regulatory, and governance advice to our client to enable it successfully to complete the restructuring.
  • Represented the lender to a hospital system, including acquisition financing, bond financing, and revolving lines of credit.
  • Represented various lenders in their loans to real estate investment trusts, real estate funds and other real estate sponsors.

Paul stays up to date through his involvement in several professional organizations as a member of the Association for Corporate Growth, the Family Firm Institute, and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. He is a member of the American, Massachusetts, and Boston Bar Associations. A sought-after author, Paul has written many articles on real estate funds and serves as the editor of LexisNexis’ Massachusetts Corporate Forms.

Experience

Experience

  • Tufts Health Plan

    Nutter served as legal counsel to Tufts Health Plan in connection with its combination with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. The newly combined nonprofit organization will become one of the region’s largest health services organizations, providing high-quality health coverage in every segment of the market.

  • Bjorkman Industrial Power Corporation

    Nutter represented the stockholders of Bjorkman Industrial Power Corp., a supplier of batteries and chargers in the power industry, in the sale of stock to MHS Gamma, Inc.

  • Wainscot Media, LLC

    Nutter represented Wainscot Media, LLC in its acquisition of the assets of Symphony NY Publishing, LLC, including the magazine brands Footware Plus and Earnshaw’s.

  • Orleans Auto Supply, Inc.

    Nutter represented Orleans Auto Supply, Inc., a supplier of automotive parts and supplies, in its sale to Genuine Parts Company.

  • Powerhouse Dynamics

    Nutter represented Powerhouse Dynamics, a software company based in Newton, MA, when it was acquired by merger by Middleby Corporation, a publicly traded commercial and residential cooking and industrial process equipment company based in Elgin, IL. Powerhouse Dynamics uses cloud-based controls and analytics to deliver enterprise-wide operational efficiency, food safety, and energy efficiency solutions to portfolios of small commercial facilities, including restaurants, convenience stores, retailers, and more.

  • Veracross LLC

    Represented Veracross LLC, a provider of software and services to independent primary and secondary schools, in its majority recapitalization by BV Investment Partners, a middle-market private equity firm focused on the business services, software, and IT services sectors.

  • Lallemand USA, Inc.

    Nutter advised Lallemand USA, Inc. when it acquired Scott Laboratories Inc. (USA) and Scott Laboratories Ltd. (Canada), privately-held companies specializing in value-added products for the North American wine, craft brewing, and distilled spirits industries.

  • Lallemand USA, Inc.

    Nutter represented Lallemand USA, Inc. in its acquisition of the Hutchinson, MN yeast manufacturing operations of Ohly. 

  • Palisade Corporation

    Represented Palisade Corporation, an Ithaca, New York-based provider of risk modeling and decision analysis software, in its recapitalization by Thompson Street Capital Partners (TSCP), a private equity firm based in St. Louis, MO.

  • Phoenix Property Company/Lincoln Property Company

    Nutter represented Lincoln Property Company and Phoenix Property Company in a joint venture with an institutional capital partner in connection with the acquisition of development rights and the permitting and transactional aspects relating to this multi-party mixed-used development. 

    New construction mixed-use development project totaling 499,500 square feet. The project includes a 12-story multi-family apartment building containing approximately 300,000 square feet and 304 first-class rental apartment residences, including 22 on-site affordable units and additional off-site contributions to Boston’s affordable housing stock. Resident amenities include a rooftop pool, Skydeck, gym and wellness studio. The apartment building also contains 22,816 square feet of space that can be used for retail, restaurant and/or office space. The adjacent Hotel Component, located a shared podium, was developed into a 12-story Hyatt Place hotel with 294 rooms. There is a one-level underground parking garage beneath the apartment building and garage that can accommodate up to 450 cars. The mixed-use development is situated on Massport’s “Parcel K” and was constructed pursuant to 3 separate 99-year ground leases entered with Massport.

  • Privately-held real estate company

    Nutter advised a privately-held real estate company in a corporate restructuring of a complex organizational structure, including admission of an additional partner and the buyout of the company’s investors in a myriad of partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporate general partners/managers

  • Family-owned distributor

    Nutter advised a family-owned distributor on a roll-up strategy and numerous acquisitions in the same vertical space throughout the Northeast.

  • Leading automobile dealership

    Nutter represented a leading automotive dealership in the acquisition of 14 dealerships and related real estate throughout New England.

  • Privately-held international manufacturing company

    Nutter represented a privately-held international manufacturing company in the strategic acquisitions of several complementary, worldwide businesses. We provided the resolution of issues related to significant IP assets, which included earn out payments over time.

  • Top-rated health plan

    Nutter represented a top-rated health plan in the acquisition of a Medicaid provider of health insurance in a transaction valued at $130 million and included earn-outs.

  • Major nonprofit hospital system

    Nutter acted as special counsel to the Board of Governors of a major nonprofit hospital system in connection with the sale of the system to a for-profit entity. We were independent counsel to the Board with respect to fiduciary duties and processes in evaluating and approving the proposed transaction. Nutter also provided advice with regard to officers and directors liability insurance.

  • Nonprofit merger

    Nutter represented a nonprofit corporation in its consolidation with another not-for-profit corporation in a similar but complementary line of business. We provided advice on the structure of the transaction, from the tax exempt, regulatory, and corporate perspectives. We documented and negotiated the transaction, and provided advice to the board of directors on governance considerations.

  • Nonprofit restructuring

    Nutter represented a nonprofit corporation in a restructuring of its unusual and complicated corporate structure involving not-for-profit and for-profit corporations. We provided tax, corporate, regulatory, and governance advice to our client to enable it successfully to complete the restructuring.

  • Griffith Properties, LLC and DRA Advisors

    Nutter served as legal counsel to Griffith Properties, LLC and DRA Advisors in a joint venture in the acquisition, financing, and permitting for redevelopment of 580 Pleasant Street in Watertown, MA.

News & Insights

Honors

Honors

  • Massachusetts Super Lawyers, 2004-2005

Education & Admissions

Education

Harvard Law School, J.D., cum laude
Williams College, B.A., magna cum laude

Admissions

  • Massachusetts

Industry Expertise

A sought-after author, Paul has written many articles on real estate funds and serves as the editor of LexisNexis’ Massachusetts Corporate Forms.

Noteworthy

  • Massachusetts Super Lawyers, 2004-2005
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