Seth W. Ashby

Business Law Attorney

Seth leads the Business and Corporate Services Practice Team. He is experienced in business representation, planning and counseling. He focuses on mergers and acquisitions, as well as private equity, securities, distressed asset and restructuring, and commercial transactions. Seth also advises clients with respect to corporate governance, regulatory and other general corporate matters.

For more information, please contact Seth Ashby at 616/336-6726 or swashby@varnumlaw.com

Represented global top-10 insurance brokerage Acrisure in its $3.45 billion capital raise, consisting of a $3 billion refinancing of the company’s senior preferred stock and a $454 million private placement of junior preferred stock.

Represented leading insurance broker Acrisure in $400M acquisition of insurance arm of artificial intelligence leader.

Represented publicly-traded Chinese company in its acquisition of a southeast Michigan-based designer/manufacturer of conveyor and material handling systems.

Represented the selling shareholders of a Tier 1 supplier of intelligent components and assemblies serving the automotive infotainment connectively sector to a worldwide manufacturer of electrical and interconnect systems, specialty cables and sensors.

Represented a privately-owned maker of luxury wool carpets for the architectural design trade in its recapitalization involving a sale of assets to a Chicago-based private equity firm. The deal also included rollover investment by the client company owners.

Recapitalization, led by management equity rollover, of leading insurance broker in 2016 ($2.9 billion enterprise value), and follow-on investment to refinance its senior preferred stock in 2018 ($7 billion enterprise value).

Several hundred roll-up acquisitions for leading insurance broker since 2013 throughout North America and Europe.

Sale of equity, with management rollover, in contract manufacturer for the medical device and biotechnology industries to financial buyer ($37 million).

Acquisition of designer and installer of customized in-store environments on behalf of publicly traded company ($162.5 million).

Acquisition of financially distressed produce broker and apple packer on behalf of financial buyer ($20 million).

Sale of operating subsidiary of publicly traded company ($60 million).

Acquisition of textiles designer on behalf of publicly traded company ($150 million).

Liquidation of complex farming operation through series of Section 363 sales in Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Grand Rapids Magazine's Top Lawyers, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, 2020

Leader’s Edge^© Executive Report, (a publication of the CIAB) major player in M&A since 2016

Michigan Lawyers Weekly, Go To Business Lawyer 2020

Michigan Super Lawyers^®, Rising Star since 2012

Association for Corporate Growth, Western Michigan

Catholic Lawyers Association of West Michigan

Grand Rapids Bar Association

State Bar of Michigan

HELP Pregnancy Crisis Aid, Inc., Board of Directors

St. Isidore Parish, Finance Council, chair

Gilda’s Club of Grand Rapids and Gilda’s LaughFest, Board of Directors, 2009 - 2018