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Ronald A. Stepanovic

Ronald Stepanovic concentrates his practice in the acquisition and disposition of business entities. He is a co-chair of the firm’s national Mergers and Acquisitions Team and head of the firm’s Private Equity Practice. He has particular experience in the acquisition and disposition of middle market manufacturing companies. Mr. Stepanovic regularly represents equity funds in highly leveraged management-led buyout acquisitions, add-on acquisitions and dispositions and recapitalizations of portfolio companies. Mr. Stepanovic’s representation also includes ongoing day-to-day advice and counsel for portfolio companies acquired by his private equity clients. In this capacity, Mr. Stepanovic’s role requires him to serve as an outside “general counsel.” Mr. Stepanovic’s representation of private equity clients also involves negotiating and documenting management equity participation, senior bank financing and subordinated debt financing.

Mr. Stepanovic has spent a significant amount of time advising publicly held real estate investment trusts specializing in the lodging and shopping center sectors. He has acted as lead attorney in acquisition and sale transactions involving hotel and resort properties valued at more than $500 million and shopping center properties valued at more than $8 billion. Mr. Stepanovic recently acted as lead counsel for Developers Diversified in connection with its $6.2 billion acquisition by merger of Inland Retail Real Estate Trust, Inc. At the time of the merger, the DDR/Inland transaction was the second largest retail REIT transaction in REIT history.

Mr. Stepanovic has considerable experience in the areas of limited partnerships and limited liability companies, including their uses, formation and operation, and he counsels clients on an ongoing basis in connection with a vast array of business-related issues, including securities-related matters (both debt and equity) and financing arrangements (both secured and unsecured).

Mr. Stepanovic serves as hiring partner of the Cleveland office and is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan and Ohio State Bar Associations.