Ivan Colao
Ivan A. Colao
+1.904.798.5488

Overview

Ivan A. Colao is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Jacksonville office. His corporate, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and securities law, as well as finance, practice spans a variety of industries. Mr. Colao represents public and private companies, businesses and individuals in various types of financings and commercial transactions.

In addition, Mr. Colao's experience includes public and private securities offerings, corporate equity and asset acquisitions and dispositions, mergers, reorganizations, syndication and finance, private equity fund formation, venture capital investments, shareholder agreements, limited liability company (LLC) agreements, partnership agreements and employment agreements. Mr. Colao also has significant experience representing lenders in various types of loan transactions, including loans guaranteed by the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank) and foreign export-credit agencies.

Mr. Colao regularly counsels New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)- and Nasdaq Stock Market-listed public companies on U.S. Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) periodic reporting and proxy statement disclosure, executive compensation matters, corporate governance matters, proxy advisory firm voting guidelines, director responsibilities and fiduciary duties, shareholder activism, stock exchange listing and compliance matters, and other regulatory and corporate matters.

Representative Experience

  • Advised New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)-, Nasdaq- and OTCQX-listed companies in the aerospace and defense, real estate, financial services and insurance, industrial manufacturing, bitcoin mining and other industries on a broad range of securities law, stock exchange listing and disclosure and corporate governance matters, including advising committees of the board of directors on corporate governance matters

  • Represented a public company in its underwritten public offering of $2.25 billion aggregate principal amount of fixed rate notes
  • Represented a public company in its $750 million at-the-market public offering of common stock
  • Represented a public company in its $500 million at-the-market public offering of common stock
  • Represented a public company in connection with its $3.4 billion Section 4(a)(2) commercial paper program
  • Represented a public company in its underwritten public offering of $650 million aggregate principal amount of fixed rate notes
  • Represented a public company in its $3 billion A/B exchange offer of multiple tranches of fixed rate notes for an equal principal amount of new notes registered under the Securities Act of 1933, pursuant to a Form S-4 registration statement
  • Represented a public company in its underwritten public offering of $250 million aggregate principal amount of floating rate notes
  • Represented a public company in its underwritten public offering of $400 million aggregate principal amount of fixed notes
  • Represented a public company in its underwritten public offering in multiple tranches of $850 million aggregate principal amount of fixed rate notes
  • Represented a public company in its underwritten public offering of $300 million aggregate principal amount of floating rate notes
  • Represented the trustee in connection with an issuer's Rule 144A offering of $450 million aggregate principal amount of fixed rate notes
  • Represented the trustee in connection with an issuer's Rule 144A offering of $400 million aggregate principal amount of fixed rate notes

  • Represented an international communications and information technology public company in the acquisition of a leading provider of information technology and communications services for the U.S. government for $400 million
  • Represented a leading cybersecurity and compliance solutions company focused on the defense industrial base, with an enterprise value of $153 million, in the sale of a majority stake of the company to a private equity firm; a portion of the purchase price was debt-financed
  • Represented a leading U.S. manufacturer of turnkey, mobile and modular cleanrooms and biocontainment facilities, in its sale to a private equity firm for $100 million
  • Represented a leading provider of transportation and logistics services in its sale to a Canada-based cross-border third-party logistics provider and private equity fund portfolio company for $45 million, including contingent consideration of up to $17 million
  • Represented a leading distributor and servicer of industrial valves and automation solutions across the southeastern U.S. in a sale of assets to a private equity-backed strategic acquirer for $31 million
  • Represented a healthcare information technology company in the sale of all of its membership interests to a private equity-backed strategic acquirer for $31 million
  • Represented a northeast Florida-based pest control services company to a private equity-backed strategic acquirer for $62 million
  • Represented a national construction company in its acquisition of a southeastern U.S.-based construction company for $30 million
  • Represented a group of northeast Florida-based insurance services companies in the sale of assets and stock to a public company for cash and public company stock valued at $58 million
  • Represented a leading international manufacturer of processed zircon products in the divestiture of its U.S. operations through an asset sale to a strategic buyer
  • Represented a multinational financial services company in the sale of its wholly owned life insurance company to a prominent U.S. life insurance company
  • Represented a leading provider of advanced wound-healing services in an acquisition of a medical practice specializing in the provision of wound care and hyperbaric medicine
  • Represented a London-based public company operating in the non-life insurance sector in its acquisition of U.S.-based property and casualty insurance companies

  • Represented a public company in its $12 million strategic investment in a Frankfurt Exchange-listed German aerospace public company
  • Represented a healthcare information technology company in its $50 million private offering of Series D preferred stock
  • Represented a healthcare information technology company in its $10 million convertible note bridge loan
  • Represented a national homebuilder company in its $12 million private offering of Series D preferred membership units to a private equity firm
  • Represented a national homebuilder company in its $27 million private offering of Series C preferred membership units to a private equity firm
  • Advised corporate venture capital arm of a large private company in various venture capital investments in innovative emerging companies

  • Represented a real estate, private equity fund focused on multifamily housing in the mid-Atlantic states in connection with its $350 million U.S. and foreign private offerings capital raise, as well as in various private offerings for real estate investment trust (REIT) subsidiary entities
  • Represented a real estate, private equity fund focused on commercial real estate in the southeastern U.S. in connection with its $125 million private offering capital raise
  • Advised first time and repeat fund managers in connection with private investment fund formation and administration matters, and securities laws regulatory matters

  • Represented lenders in various asset-based lending transactions
  • Represented borrowers in various asset-based lending transactions
  • Represented a public company borrower in connection with a $2.4 billion syndicated 364-day credit facility
  • Represented a public company borrower in connection with a $2.25 billion syndicated term loan
  • Represented a public company borrower in connection with a $2 billion syndicated revolving credit facility

  • Represented lenders in hundreds of Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM Bank) Working Capital Guarantee Program (WCGP) loans, including financings involving cross-border/foreign jurisdictions for foreign affiliates of U.S. borrowers and Export-Related Overseas Accounts Receivable and Export-Related Overseas Inventory
  • Advised a major financial institution with establishing its EXIM Bank lending platform from the ground up
  • Documented credit facilities that involve side-by-side or related domestic and EXIM Bank-guaranteed credit facilities
  • Advised lenders in connection with submission of claims to EXIM Bank in respect of EXIM Bank guarantees
  • Assisted major financial institutions in a comprehensive review and providing comments to the WCGP program documents circulated by EXIM Bank for comment prior to finalization
  • Documented credit facilities secured by insured foreign accounts receivables
  • Advised lenders in connection with other EXIM Bank programs, including Medium Term and EXIM Bank credit insurance
  • Documented credit facilities supported by foreign export credit agencies

Credentials

Education
  • Washington and Lee University School of Law, J.D.
  • Emory University, MBA
  • The Citadel, B.S., Business Administration, magna cum laude
Bar Admissions/Licenses
  • Florida
Memberships
  • Florida Venture Forum, Board of Directors
  • The Florida Bar, Business Law Section
  • Association for Corporate Growth
  • Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc., Diocese of Saint Augustine, Advisory Board of Directors
  • Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, International Department
  • Jacksonville Bar Association
  • Northeast Florida Citadel Club, former President
  • Sebastian Ferrero Foundation, 2011 Noche de Gala, Jacksonville, Fla., Co-Chair
Honors & Awards
  • The Best Lawyers in America guide, Jacksonville Securities/Capital Markets Law Lawyer of the Year, 2025
  • The Best Lawyers in America guide, Banking and Finance Law, 2007-2025; Mergers and Acquisitions Law, 2018-2025; Securities/Capital Markets Law, Health Care Law, 2023-2025; Financial Services Regulation Law, 2007-2024
  • Stand-out Lawyer, Thomson Reuters, 2024, 2025
  • Corporate/Strategic Deal of the Year, M&A Advisor Awards, 2022
  • The Best Lawyers in America guide, Jacksonville Mergers and Acquisitions Law Lawyer of the Year, 2022
  • Client Service All-Star, The BTI Consulting Group, Inc., 2020
  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated
  • Rising Star, Florida Super Lawyers magazine, Securities & Corporate Finance, 2009
  • Florida Trend Legal Elite, 2007
Spoken Languages
  • English
  • Spanish

Publications