Steven C. Karzmer

Steve serves as a Leader of the firm’s ESOP Formation and Operation group. His practice focuses on counseling primarily privately held company clients with respect to transactional matters including mergers and acquisitions, ESOP formation, and a wide range of general corporate, business, and finance matters, including corporate governance, early-stage investing, and a variety of commercial contracts.

Steve effectively serves as outside general counsel to a number of private companies that do not have in-house legal departments. As such, Steve advises clients on a wide variety of day-to-day legal matters, including employment and consulting agreements, non-competition agreements, executive compensation arrangements, and distribution agreements.  

Steve also serves as a Leader of the firm's Public Company M&A and Board Counseling practice. His clients range from start-ups to public companies and across various industries, including construction, advertising, finance, software, and manufacturing.

Steve is recognized as a Leading Lawyer by Chambers USA 2023 in Corporate/M&A Law, Band 3 in Ohio: South & Central. Clients provided the following feedback to Chambers USA, "Steve is an amazing attorney who quickly and efficiently meets our company's needs and goals. Steve is a very responsive and practical member of the team."

Steve has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America^® for Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2013-2024). He has been recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2022 "Lawyer of the Year" for Mergers and Acquisitions Law in Columbus, Ohio.

Steve has been a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee since 2014. He is active in community matters in New Albany and Columbus. He is a student coach for the Handshake Foundation. 

Prior to joining Calfee, Steve was an associate with the law firms of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan in New York City and Lucash, Gesmer & Updegrove in Boston. He was a Partner with the firm of Goldstein & Manello, P.C. before joining Calfee as a Partner in 2000. He is a member of the Ohio, New York, and Massachusetts Bar Associations.

Honors & Recognitions

• Chambers USA, Corporate/M&A, Band 3, Ohio: South & Central (2023)
• The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2013-2024) 
• The Best Lawyers in America^® 2022 "Lawyer of the Year" for Mergers and Acquisitions Law in Columbus, Ohio

Education

J.D., New York University School of Law, 1988

B.A., with honors, Phi Beta Kappa, The Ohio State University, 1985

Experience

• Installed Building Products (NYSE: IBP) and its affiliates in several acquisitions, including:
  
  • Purchase of the stock of the Alpha Insulation and Waterproofing group of companies, which installs waterproofing, insulation, fireproofing and fire-stopping products for large, long-lead time commercial projects throughout the southern United States
  • Purchase of the stock of the BDI Insulation group of companies, which installs fiberglass insulation serving select markets in Southern California, Washington, Idaho and Utah through nine branch locations
  • Purchase of substantially all of the assets of Alpine Insulation Co. Inc., a Wisconsin residential and commercial insulation contractor
• Represented Marsh, Berry & Co., Inc., an S corporation, in the simultaneous redemption of 100% of their outstanding capital stock and the sale of new shares to an ESOP
• Represented a venture capital firm in its formation, capital formation and subsequent Series A Preferred investments in 10 portfolio companies
• Represented Rev1 Ventures in numerous Convertible Notes and Series A Preferred financings
• Represented a U.K. corporation in the purchase of two separate product lines from a Fortune 50 U.S. public company for approximately $40 million and $25 million, respectively
• Represented a U.S. public company engaged in the hardware and software business in the sale of two separate lines of business to another U.S. public company for approximately $100 million and $300 million, respectively
• Represented the management team in a leverage buyout of health care related company for approximately $30 million
• Represented a private equity fund in the purchase of a nutritional supplement company for approximately $30 million
• Represented a Japanese holding company in the purchase of a Tier 2 automobile parts supplier for approximately $30 million

Professional & Community

• Handshake Foundation, Student Coach 

Client Feedback

• "Steven is an amazing attorney who quickly and efficiently meets our company's needs and goals." – Chambers USA 2023 client quote
• "Steve is a very responsive and practical member of the team." – Chambers USA 2023 client quote