John Cohan has been a member of AM&AA since 2017. He is a board member of the AM&AA ‘s New England Chapter.
How long have you been a member of AM&AA and what leadership roles, if any, have you held throughout that time?
I have been a member of AM&AA since 2017. During that entire time, I have been a member of the board of the New England chapter.
What drives your commitment to your craft and industry?
Having the ability to advise clients before, during, and after an M&A transaction on both the legal and business fronts and seeing the results of consummating these transactions is one of the driving factors in assisting entrepreneurs and business owners. I am always amazed at the creativity and ingenuity of my clients and providing them with the tools to assess and mitigate legal and business risk in these exit event transactions is meaningful and mutually fulfilling.
What are some insights or at least one piece of advice you wish you would have known when you first started in the industry?
Working on and assisting clients with complicated transactions can be a prolonged process, sometimes lasting years before an actual exit event takes place. An abundance of patience and tenacity is required and that has to be part of client counseling in this space. Understanding the path and process in detail of the exit informs you of the need for short and long-term vision. A lens on both aspects is critical.
What is top of mind for you in your business right now?
Relevance and use of artificial intelligence certainly make the shortlist. While there are many unknowns, there is vast potential for increased efficiency in transactions but also a major learning curve to climb at the same time. The challenge of gaining command knowledge of the tech and executing it both in practice and understanding how it affects your clients’ business and future is certainly meaningful.
How has being a member of a trade association resulted in business growth for you?
Being a part of AM&AA has provided me the ability to make referrals and connections I otherwise would not have had. Recently, a referral was made to me by a member for the sale of a company in the Greater Boston area. With the help of AM&AA, I have had the opportunity to develop a meaningful business relationship with this individual and his organization. I have also referred out work to other service providers in the M&A space both on the insurance and investment banking front. AM&AA has proven to be a valuable asset in helping to further develop my practice and that of my contacts and colleagues.
What legacy industry impact would you most desire to be known for?
Providing sound legal and business advice to emerging and mature companies in cutting-edge technologies with a keen expertise and reasonable cost structures. Being able to put myself in my client’s position to understand their challenges provides me the unique ability to see around corners for them and in many cases get them to the finish line of a life-changing event.
