Leslie Vaughn Mahre

Leslie Vaughn Mahre is a private equity attorney in Holland & Knight's Nashville and Houston offices. Ms. Mahre's practice is multidisciplinary and focused on partnering with clients in the private capital space on a solutions-oriented approach as they navigate strategically important transactions. Whether working with a private equity fund or other investor or representing a business owner or management team, she strives to develop long-term relationships built on trust and an in-depth knowledge of the client's business to help them solve problems in creative and efficient ways.

Ms. Mahre advises private equity funds, independent sponsors, family offices, private credit funds, and other financial sponsors and private company clients in complex business transactions and joint ventures, including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), divestitures, equity financing transactions, bankruptcy and distressed transactions, and related general corporate counseling. She also counsels clients on the structuring, formation and management of private investment funds and special purpose, co-investment and other similar private investment vehicles, as well as secondaries transactions.

She also frequently works with members of the firm's Financial Services Team to advise issuers, investors and financial sponsors – including small business investment company (SBIC) funds – on complex mezzanine structures with equity participation, as well as recapitalizations, workouts and restructurings.

Ms. Mahre's significant experience in M&A, fund formation and private credit makes her an ideal partner for independent sponsors, search funds, and traditional and self-funded searchers, whom she advises in all aspects of their transactions, including equity structuring and transaction execution. She especially enjoys advising new or emerging sponsors.

Ms. Mahre has extensive experience in the energy industry, including advising both private equity funds and management teams on investments in upstream, midstream, oilfield services, and clean technology portfolio companies and mineral interest funds. She has also advised majors, independents and private equity firms in the formation of complex joint ventures and equity financings for energy and infrastructure project development.

Ms. Mahre also frequently works with private companies and investors in sports, media, entertainment and branding. In the luxury brand and consumer retail space, Ms. Mahre works with both investors and brands at each stage of the business life cycle, including initial brand formation and funding, brand collaborations and joint ventures, capital raises, acquisitions and sale transactions. She also advises entertainment companies, including promoters and producers, on a wide variety of transactions ranging from multimillion-dollar capital raises to performance and other services agreements with key creative and management personnel for productions around the world. Mr. Mahre's extensive experience with private equity funds and industry understanding also makes her a valuable partner for investors, talent and other participants at the nexus of sports, entertainment and investment.

In addition to her domestic work, Ms. Mahre also frequently advises on international and cross-border transactions, representing both U.S.-based clients abroad as well as international clients doing business within the U.S.

Ms. Mahre serves as an adjunct professor and co-director of the Texas Transactional Skills Program at The University of Texas School of Law, where she teaches a course on Partnerships and Joint Ventures. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, she gained valuable in-house experience as Chief Corporate Counsel at a multinational information technology (IT) service management company, where she provided the primary legal support for its global corporate activities, including M&A, finance, corporate governance, tax and benefits.

Practicing pending admission to the Tennessee Bar; admitted to the Texas Bar only and practicing under the supervision of lawyers licensed to practice in Tennessee.