Overview

Dave Felman has practiced banking, corporate, and securities law in Tampa and New York City. While with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York, his practice focused on acquisitions and public and private securities offerings, including representation of a major leveraged buy-out firm and several major underwriting firms. Dave's practice principally involves mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, venture capital investments, and representation of public and emerging growth companies. He acts as counsel to a number of institutional growth equity and private equity investors, including Lovett Miller & Co., Ballast Point Venture Partners, HealthEdge Investment Partners, Supply Chain Equity Partners, Topmark Partners, and Vinik Family Office.

Dave is recognized as a top-tier merger and acquisitions lawyer, acting on both the buy-side and the sell-side, and for both strategic and private equity clients. He is one of a handful of Florida-based lawyers with the highest “Band #1” rating in mergers and acquisitions from Chambers and Partners.  In 2023, Chambers quoted: "David is a good, balanced attorney who knows how to get deals done." "He has an outstanding business mind in addition to being a great lawyer and negotiator.” Dave was also named to the 2024 Legal 500 M&A Powerlist. The Legal 500 Powerlist showcases the leading practitioners working across the US, drawing on the expertise of feedback from M&A practitioners and general counsel active in the market. Dave often collaborates on deals with major investment banking firms, including recently Raymond James, William Blair, and Robert W. Baird.

Dave is a founder and the principal organizer of The Florida Directors’ Institute, an annual full-day program on corporate governance for public company directors. He is a past chair and on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the Florida Venture Forum. He has chaired The Florida Bar’s Business Law Section, its Corporations and Securities Law Committee, and committees responsible for drafting laws governing Florida corporations and guidelines for legal opinions. He continues to serve on the Executive Council of the Business Law Section. He serves as a faculty member of the annual Federal Securities Institute, a two-day program in Miami, and has spoken at seminars throughout the United States regarding securities offerings, private equity capital raising transactions, and mergers and acquisitions deals.

Dave and his wife Judy have three sons, Matt, Jake and Daniel. He serves as an elder at Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church. Dave also enjoys cycling, fishing, and playing chess. 

Honors

  • Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyer, Corporate and Mergers and Acquisitions (Band #1 ranking) (2003-2023)
  • Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyer, Private Equity (Band #1 ranking) (2022-2023)
  • Legal 500 M&A Powerlist: United States 2024
  • The Best Lawyers in America®  (1997-2024)
    • 2024 Tampa Banking and Finance Lawyer of the Year 
    • 2023 Tampa Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law Lawyer of the Year
    • 2018 Tampa Banking and Finance Lawyer of the Year 
    • 2016 Tampa Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyer of the Year
    • 2015 Tampa Banking and Finance Law Lawyer of the Year
    • 2014 Tampa Leveraged Buyouts & Private Equity Lawyer of the Year
    • 2012 Tampa Banking and Finance Lawyer of the Year
    • Corporate law
    • Venture Capital law
    • Leveraged Buyouts and Private equity law
    • Mergers & Acquisitions law
    • Private Funds law
  • AV Preeminent® Rating, Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review
  • Florida Super Lawyers (2006-2023)
  • TAMPA Magazine's Top Lawyers (2023)
    • Corporate Law
    • Corporate Governance Law

    • Leveraged Buyouts / Private Equity Law

    • Mergers & Acquisitions Law

    • Private Funds / Hedge Funds Law

  • Chambers USA 2023

Credentials & Experience

Education

Wake Forest University, B.A., 1979, magna cum laude: Phi Beta Kappa

Duke University School of Law, J.D., 1982, with Distinction, Order of the Coif

Bar Admissions

American Bar Association

The Florida Bar

Experience

Recent deals include representing: 

  • Baldwin Risk Partners (Nasdaq: BRP) in numerous strategic add-on acquisitions
  • Maverick Boat Group in its acquisition by Malibu Boats, Inc. (Nasdaq: MBUU)
  • Coastal Construction Products, a portfolio company of Supply Chain Equity, in its acquisition by Beacon Roofing. (Nasdaq: BECN)
  • Apex Service Partners, a portfolio company of Alpine Investors, in numerous strategic add-on acquisitions
  • Gulfeagle Supply, in several strategic add-on acquisitions
  • Food Ingredient Solutions, in its sale to Oterra, a portfolio company of Summit Capital
  • Hissho Sushi in its sale to Brentwood Associates
  • American Metals Supply in its sale to MSouth Equity Partners
  • Specialty Pharmacy Nursing Network, Inc., a portfolio company of HealthEdge Investment Partners, in its sale to Option Care Health
  • HealthEdge Investment Partners in the sale of its stake in Formulated Solutions, LLC to Linden Capital Partners 
  • Superior Group of Companies, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGC) in numerous acquisitions
  • Chris Craft in its sale to Winnebago Industries, Inc. (NYSE: WGO)
  • Superior Group of Companies, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGC) in its acquisition of CID Resources, Inc. and other acquisitions
  • PowerDMS, a portfolio company of Ballast Point Ventures, in the majority equity investment made by Frontier Capital
  • YPrime, a portfolio company of Ballast Point Ventures and Topmark Partners, in its majority recapitalization by Flexpoint Ford
  • Symmetry Office, LLC in its sale to Exemplis LLC
  • Electric Supply, Inc., in its acquisition by Supply Chain Equity Partners
  • Snavely Forest Products in its sale to Weekes Forest Products
  • Hirequest (Nasdaq: MQI) in its acquisition of Command Center (Nasdaq: CCNI)
  • Global Software in its acquisition by Thompson Street Capital Partners
  • Florida Foods in its acquisition by Kainos Capital
  • Supply Chain Equity Partners in its acquisition of Coastal Construction Products
  • Supply Chain Equity Partners in its acquisition of H.L. Flake Security Hardware
  • SRI/Surgical Express (Nasdaq: STRC) in its acquisition by Synergy Health
  • Bonds.com in its acquisition by the London Stock Exchange
  • Technology Research Corporation (Nasdaq: TRCI) in its acquisition by Coleman Cable, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCIX)
  • Dispensing Solutions, Inc., a HealthEdge portfolio company, in its purchase by PSS World Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSSI)
  • Aerosonic Corporation (NYSE MKT: AIM) in its acquisition by Transdigm Group Incorporated (NYSE: TDG)

Professional & Civic

Community & Professional

  • American Bar Association
    • Federal Regulation of Securities Committee
    • Private Equity and Venture Capital Committee
  • The Florida Bar
    • Business Law Section
      • Former Chair
      • Executive Council Member
  • Florida Venture Forum
    • Board of Directors
      • Chairman (2013-2014)
    • Executive Committee
  • Florida Directors Institute
    • Founder
    • Principal organizer
  • Florida Bar Business Law Section
    • Section Chair (2000-2001)
    • Chair, Corporations and Securities Law Committee (1992-1994)
    • Chair, Opinions Committee (1998-2000)
  • Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church

Newsroom

News & Insights

Articles & Publications

  • "Developments in Private Equity and Venture Capital Deals." 2017 Federal Securities Institute, Miami, FL.
  • "View From the Private Equity Funds." 2016 Southeastern Private Equity & M&A Forum, Atlanta, GA.
  • "Using Representatives and Warranties Insurance to Gain a Strategic Advantage."2016 Federal Securities Institute, Miami, FL.
  • "Developments in Private Equity Transactions." 2015 Federal Securities Institute, Miami, FL.
  • Strategic Investors/ Acquirers Panel, 2014 Florida Venture Forum, Orlando, FL. 
  • "Developments in Private Equity M&A Transactions." 2014 Federal Securities Institute, Miami, FL. 
  • "Private Equity Roundtable," 2013 Southeastern M&A/ Private Equity Forum, Atlanta, GA. 
  • "Break-ups, Bear-hugs, and Go-shops; Responding to a Hostile Approach and Selling a Public Company." 2012 Southeastern Private Equity and M&A Forum.
  • "Break-ups, Bear-hugs, and Go-shops; Responding to a Hostile Approach and Selling a Public Company." 2012 NACD National Leadership Conference, National Harbor, MD. 
  • "Fads in Venture Capital Term Sheets." 2012 Florida Venture Forum, Naples, FL. 

Noteworthy

Chambers USA ranks the leading lawyers and law firms across the USA. Legal rankings are based on in-depth market analysis and independent research, conducted by an experienced team of researchers. Individual lawyers are ranked in their practice area(s) based on legal knowledge and experience, ability, effectiveness and client service.

"David is a good, balanced attorney who knows how to get deals done." "He has an outstanding business mind in addition to being a great lawyer and negotiator." Client quote, Chambers USA 2023

"David is exceptional at what he does. He knows what is important to the client and provides it." "He is a very detail-oriented and practical lawyer, who works collaboratively to get a deal done and represents clients to the fullest degree." Client quote, Chambers USA 2022

"He is very knowledgeable, very detail-oriented and brings a business-practical approach." Client quote, Chambers USA 2021

"He is very client-focused and definitely a client advocate. He is super smart and good at building relationships with clients." Client quote, Chambers USA 2021

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