Fred Tannenbaum is a highly experienced attorney recognized for his multi-faceted range of successes in a multitude of types of financings and business transactions in over 50 industries. He is differentiated for navigating with keen advice, practicality, precision and care. Over his 40 years of being a lawyer (he started at the tender age of 5!), Fred has successfully guided a large multitude of clients through over 1000 mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, strategic alliances, and venture capital transactions across the country and globe in many industries from raw materials, agriculture, manufacturing, food, distribution, telecommunications, technology, to services. He also serves as general counsel and strategic advisor to over 150 small and mid-sized businesses, families and funds.
As a current Partner and former Managing Partner at Gould & Ratner, Fred can be trusted to deliver innovative, practical and sophisticated solutions to a wide network of key drivers of our national economy: small and middle-market companies, private equity and venture capital funds, emerging technology enterprises, entrepreneurs, and privately held family-owned businesses. His practice areas include critical coordinates in the life cycle of every business. He performs these valuable insights not only with technical acumen but also with strategic insight and equipoise.
- Counseling businesses and their owners and managers on the preferable range of options and alternatives, after understanding their goals and vision.
- Forming businesses.
- Raising capital, both private equity, venture capital and debt/financing.
- Growing through acquisitions, mergers, strategic alliances, investments, joint ventures and licensing.
- Operating with buy-sell, corporate governance and board activities, employment, distribution and myriad other agreements.
- Attracting, motivating and retaining management talent through various incentive plans and executive compensation programs.
- Transferring operations through sales, redemptions, new management, partnerships, inter-generational transfers and other mechanisms.
Fred has averaged serving over 150 clients per year for over 25 years. He is known in the industry for his ability to get things done, getting along with (most) adversaries, and excellent client service. Fred’s commitment to clients and their businesses and success is encapsulated in his “CARE” ethos:
- Comprehensive, Collegial, Collaborative, Cost effective
- Advisory, Attentive, Accessible, Affable
- Responsible, Reliable, Responsive, Rational
- Efficient, Experienced, Enthusiastic
This philosophy has earned him a reputation as a "CEO’s lawyer" and a trusted and dedicated advisor to a large multitude of businesses on the continuum from early stage to behemoth. This mantra is how Fred balances deep competence with genuine empathy. As one client aptly stated, "Fred’s blend of strategic insight and responsiveness has been instrumental to our success."
Fred’s influence extends beyond his breadth of services and advice for his multitude of clients. He has been instrumental in shaping the trajectory of Gould & Ratner, including founding its venture capital and private equity practices, mentoring its up-and-coming talent (both in his department and others), heading the Corporate Department for over ten years, and serving as a Managing Partner for a decade. He has also contributed significantly to the evolution of industries such as wireless telecommunications, ag tech and cannabis, guiding clients through the challenges of these dynamic and, at one time fledgling, pillars of our economy.
Clients’ and friends’ recognition of Fred’s legal, business, strategic and practical prowess have landed him on several corporate boards and serving as a past president and a two decade executive committee member of a leading international legal network. He is also an active leader in several charitable organizations that support worthy causes in medicine, the arts, political and religious causes.
Fred also believes in giving back to the legal community. In this era where “content is King”, Fred is a prolific writer and speaker. He has authored a business law treatise (2 editions), five law review articles, a 54-page Chapter on Venture Capital Financing (5th edition) in a significant treatise on Advising Small and Medium Size Businesses, and over 125 articles on topics relevant to investors, entrepreneurs and family businesses. He has also delivered over 50 speeches and panel moderations across the country and in several nations including China, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Dubai and Portugal. Fred has also been a guest lecturer at Northwestern University’s Innovation and New Ventures Office (INVO).
But don’t take it from Fred. He does not boast himself or rest on his laurels. Here is a small unsolicited sample of accolades Fred received from clients only in the past year or so:
- From the CEO of a billion dollar in sales leading national food ingredient distribution client-- “Finally, thank you Fred for another year of fantastic legal service, fantastic legal guidance and terrific support from the whole G&R team. [We] would not be the company we are today without you.”
- From the founder and CEO of a leading venture capital fund— “This deal structure and negotiations were all well thought out and true to form with you as a lawyer and human being. You live by these standards and do what you preach, which is quite rare these days. I am proud to call you our lawyer and my friend. You make such a difference and are a world apart.”
- Founder and CEO of a leading media company— “… thank you Fred! You're a mensch!”
- Founder and CEO of a leading agriculture and food tech venture capital fund— “Fred, your level of self-deprecation is always creative and funny. I’ll say that I am so very grateful to have your counsel and partnership. You are such a force for [the Funds] and a great champion of me personally, who I learn so much from. You should be immensely proud of all that you do and that you share your knowledge with us all in so many ways each day. All the best!”
- Founder and CEO of an agriculture private equity fund— “You are the best. We could not have done it without you. I greatly value your counsel and our long-lasting friendship.”
- Co-founder of a real estate investment fund— “Thanks for all your help on this insanely complicated restructuring of our empire. I don’t know how your mind works or conceives of what you do but let’s just say that you are a godsend!”
