Weston & Aldridge advises buyers, sellers, and boards on complex mergers, acquisitions, and strategic transactions. Trusted by public companies, private equity firms, and founder-led businesses.
Our practice is built around a single focus: helping clients execute the most important transactions of their business lives with precision, discretion, and decisive counsel.
Buy-side and sell-side representation for public and private transactions. We manage every dimension — diligence, negotiation, regulatory clearance, and close — with senior attorney attention throughout.
Platform acquisitions, add-ons, management buyouts, and portfolio exits. We work with leading PE sponsors on their most complex investments, from initial term sheet to final distribution.
Debt and equity financing, recapitalizations, and structured products. We coordinate legal strategy across lenders, investors, and boards to execute capital market transactions efficiently.
Strategic asset sales and business separations require distinct expertise. We help sellers maximize value while managing operational continuity and transition complexity.
Structuring and negotiating domestic and cross-border JVs. We help parties build durable governance frameworks and protect their interests from formation through exit.
Independent counsel to boards and special committees navigating conflicts of interest, activist shareholders, and going-private transactions requiring rigorous fiduciary process.
Founded in 1997 in Chicago, Weston & Aldridge was built on a straightforward proposition: a firm that does one thing exceptionally well will always outperform one that does many things adequately.
We focus exclusively on M&A and corporate finance. That focus means our attorneys are not generalists billing hours — they are specialists who have seen every structure, every negotiation dynamic, and every closing obstacle before. When you engage Weston & Aldridge, you get the most experienced room in the deal.
We represent Fortune 500 corporations, mid-market companies, founder-led businesses, and private equity funds. The size of the transaction doesn't change our standards. Every client receives direct partner access and the full weight of the firm's institutional knowledge.
Yale Law. 28 years advising on public and private M&A. Former Skadden Arps partner. Recognized by Chambers as a "star individual" in Illinois corporate transactions.
Harvard Law. Leading private equity and LBO practitioner in the Midwest. Former General Counsel of a $4B Chicago-based PE fund. Named Illinois Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers® in 2022.
Columbia Law. Specialist in cross-border transactions, joint ventures, and emerging market acquisitions. Fluent in four languages. Consistently ranked in Legal 500 for international corporate.
| Transaction | Value | Type | Our Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare systems merger — Midwest regional networks Healthcare |
$3.2B | Strategic Merger | Lead counsel to acquirer; managed regulatory strategy and merger integration planning |
| Technology platform acquisition by PE consortium Technology |
$1.8B | LBO | Represented lead PE sponsor; structured financing across 4 lenders and 3 jurisdictions |
| Industrial manufacturer carve-out and sale Industrials |
$940M | Divestiture | Sell-side counsel to Fortune 500 corporation; managed auction process and transition services |
| Financial services JV — US/European partnership Financial Services |
$520M | Joint Venture | Counsel to US party; negotiated governance, IP allocation, and exit mechanics |
| Founder-led SaaS company sale to strategic acquirer Technology |
$310M | M&A — Sell Side | Exclusive sell-side representation; managed process from banker selection through close |
"Weston & Aldridge brought a level of strategic thinking that went well beyond legal documentation. Ed Weston was in every critical negotiation session and his judgment shaped the outcome of our deal."
"Claire Aldridge understands private equity at a depth most lawyers never reach. She anticipates problems before they surface and structures around them. We've used the firm on six platform investments."
"As a founder selling my company for the first time, I needed advisors I could trust completely. Weston & Aldridge guided us through a competitive auction process and delivered a result that exceeded every expectation."
Initial conversations are completely confidential. Tell us about your situation and one of our partners will be in touch directly — typically within the same business day.
Confidential · Partner Response Within One Business Day
A partner will be in touch with you directly, typically within the same business day. For immediate matters, call us at (312) 555-0200.
Weston & Aldridge LLP