Justin A. Hanna

Justin is a partner in Taft’s Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity and Venture Capital and Emerging Companies practice groups. He has dedicated his practice to empowering entrepreneurs, investors and platforms of all sizes to grow through effective strategic planning and analysis, regardless of the size, complexity or scale of representation. His expertise centers on business law, with a strong emphasis on middle-market mergers and acquisitions in which he has advised clients on transactions from $1 million to over $1 billion in consideration. Among other areas, his business focus extends to contract analysis and negotiation, corporate governance, business planning, and general outside counsel work. He also routinely advises real estate owners, developers, and investors on matters relating to property acquisitions and sales, development, and leasing, and cannabis investors on matters relating to financing, consulting, governance and acquisitions and sales.

Justin has been recognized for achievements both within and outside of his practice and is active in serving the community, where his leadership has directed countless hours in pro bono legal services to community members in need.

Justin is a founder and firm liaison for the Taft Transactional Law Competition, an M&A focused, practical skill-based program held through Wayne Law. The Taft Transactional Law Competition continues to be a mainstay for business-minded law students and has expanded its reach to dozens of law schools throughout the country.

• Represented a closely held global remediation services company in a reverse triangular merger with a private equity buyer for $1.5 billion in aggregate consideration and a subsequent spinoff of $170 million in retained real property and assets.
• Represented a private equity sponsor in a $368 million equity sale of its precision component manufacturing platform (with a focus on aerospace and defense) to a private equity buyer.
• Represented a private equity sponsor in a $256 million equity sale of its underground water and sewer pipe restoration platform to a private equity buyer.
• Represented a private equity sponsor in a $120 million equity sale of its specialty pharmacy platform to a private equity buyer.
• Represented multiple closely held online education businesses in equity sales to strategic buyers in connection with auction sale processes, with transaction values ranging from $18 million to $100 million.
• Represented a private equity platform company in the precision components, medical components and cutting tools manufacturing business in over 40 bolt-on acquisitions over a 5-year period, ranging from $3 million to $100 million in consideration.
• Represented a private equity-backed construction services platform in multiple horizontal integration acquisitions of franchise businesses offering ancillary services, with transaction sizes ranging from $4 million to $114 million.
• Represented a private equity fund in an $84 million equity acquisition of a health care services platform.
• Represented a private equity fund in a $35 million equity acquisition of a national surveying and engineering company.
• Represented a closely held equipment engineering and manufacturing business in a $33 million sale of assets to a private equity buyer.
• Represented a closely held commercial HVAC service business in a $15 million equity sale to a national private equity platform.
• Represented a food and beverage manufacturer and supplier with international shareholders in a $28 million sale of stock to a strategic buyer.
• Represented private investors in a $12 million acquisition of a local shopping center from a Texas-based real estate investment firm.

• “Reps and Warranties and Reps and Warranties Insurance,” A Two-Part Conversation with Cascade Partners (February 2024)
• “Jaffe attorney making a name for himself in corporate law,” Legal News (January 22, 2020)
• “Preparing for a sale in 2020,” Chaldean News (January 2020)
• “An ICEy Situation,” Wayne State Magazine (Fall 2018)
• “Which Christians is Trump Willing to Protect,” The Atlantic (June 29, 2017)