Jonathan F. Wolcott is a corporate services attorney and practices in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, securities and corporate law. He represents public and private companies and their boards, investment banks, private equity funds and individual investors in a variety of transactional, securities law compliance and capital raising activities. Mr. Wolcott has completed numerous merger, acquisition and disposition transactions involving public and private companies, private equity firms and individual investors. He has extensive experience from both the buy and sell sides, with transaction participants ranging from small closely held businesses to Fortune 500 companies. His experience includes numerous leveraged buyouts, as well as acquisitions and sales of ESOP-owned companies.
Mr. Wolcott represents a diverse range of businesses in areas such as government contracting, mortgage and financial services, restaurants, internet-based business services, waste management, telecommunications, biotechnology and employee consulting. He has particular knowledge and extensive experience representing government defense, intelligence and IT services companies, as well as affiliated private equity sponsors, in mergers and acquisitions and securities law matters. He is a 20+ year member and leader in Holland &Knight’s GovCon M&A practice that has completed well over 100 GovCon M&A transactions in the past three years. Mr. Wolcott also serves as outside counsel to investment banks concentrating on the government contracting sector.
Mr. Wolcott also serves as office head of Holland & Knight’s pro bono practice, which has a particular focus on serving the needs of veterans, and serves on the boards of a shelter serving over 700 unhoused individuals annually, and an arts education organization serving approximately 6,000 students annually.
Mr. Wolcott holds a B.A., magna cum laude, from Amherst College and received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Sharon B. Heaton, the CEO and Founder of sbLiftOff, was recently named to the Small Business Administration’s Investment Capital Advisory Committee. An avidly sought speaker on small business, growth strategies and M&A, she believes lower middle market business owners “drive the American economy.” Heaton’s book, LIFT OFF: 12 Things to Know Before You Sell Your Company, will be published by FORBES and available on Amazon January 2, 2024.Heaton’s sbLiftOff team serves commercial and government contracting companies with $25 million to $150 million in revenues and in excess of $2 million in EBITDA. A national thought leader, she publishes in Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Washington Business Journal, Alabama.com and regional outlets around the country.
Heaton has been associated with the global law firms of Skadden Arps and Latham & Watkins and has served as Senior Counsel on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, General Counsel and Deputy Staff Director of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. She co-founded Wellford Energy Group, an investment bank serving clean energy and low carbon companies. Previously, she was Deputy Counsel of a Fortune 500 company operating in ten states.
Heaton was recently appointed to the Federal Investment Capital Advisory Committee, which helps America’s 33-million small businesses to get access to investment capital.
Edward D. Spenceley is a Senior Vice President for Bank of America and the National Government Contracting Executive for Global Banking and Markets. Edward joined Bank of America in 2000. After serving 13 plus years with the US Army as an intelligence and security specialist in over fifty countries, Edward now serves clients by integrating his understanding and knowledge of both the government contracting industry and the financial services industry. Edward has built within Bank of America, a strong team that supports the government contracting industry. In conjunction with local relationship managers and their teams, the government contracting client can depend on professional support, industry knowledge and commitment both within the United States and internationally to meet their various contracting needs. Due to his vast network and insight, Edward has not only assisted several government agencies in determining financial requirements for future solicitations but has also been invited to speak at many industry events. As a veteran and key influencer within the industry, Edward has been featured in the Service Contractor magazine, the Augusta Chronicle and Forbes. He serves the Tampa community as the Chair of the Tampa Chamber’s Military Council Veteran’s Employment Committee, a founding board member and current Advisory Board member for the Greater Tampa Bay Chapter of Women in Defense, a member of the Project Transition USA Advisory Board, a member of the Global SOF Foundation Advisory Board, and a former Honorary Commander for the 6th Maintenance Group, MacDill, AFB. He has been the music director at his church since 2002.