200+ Deals Closed. Senior Counsel on Every One.

Weintraub Law Group brings nearly 50 years of M&A experience to founders and mid-market companies navigating the most consequential transaction of their business lives — without the overhead of a large firm driving up your bill.

Buy-Side and Sell-Side Counsel Built for the Middle Market

Whether you're acquiring a competitor, selling a company you've spent decades building, or evaluating a strategic partnership, the stakes are too high for junior associates or generalist attorneys. As your M&A attorney, we serve as dedicated deal counsel from letter of intent through closing — on both sides of the table.

Our M&A practice covers:



  • Business sales and acquisitions for founders and corporate buyers


  • Purchase agreement negotiation and drafting


  • M&A due diligence — structure, risk identification, and deal protection


  • Cross-border transactions involving foreign buyers, sellers, or assets


  • Representation of private equity sponsors, strategic acquirers, and owner-operators




Big Law Deals. Boutique Rates.

Large firms charge accordingly for their scale. According to the LexisNexis CounselLink 2022 Trends Report, the median M&A partner billing rate at firms with 750 or more lawyers is $895 per hour — before junior associate time, paralegal layers, and administrative markup inflate the final invoice.


Weintraub Law Group bills under $1,000 per hour, and every engagement is handled at the senior level. You are not subsidizing a firm's infrastructure or training its associates. You are paying for the judgment that comes from closing more than 200 transactions across industries, deal sizes, and deal structures.

Diligence That Holds the Deal Together

Most deals that fall apart do so in due diligence — not because the business wasn't worth buying, but because the diligence process was underprepared, underpowered, or handed off to counsel who hadn't done it enough times to know what to look for.


Rick Weintraub presents continuing legal education on M&A due diligence for the National Business Institute. That depth shows up in how we structure diligence for clients: systematically, with the discipline of someone who has seen what happens when it isn't done right.


Our diligence work covers financial, legal, and regulatory exposure — including securities compliance issues that surface in transactions involving private placements, cap table irregularities, or prior Regulation D offerings.


What to Expect When You Work With Us

Step 1:

Deal Assessment and Structure


We evaluate the proposed transaction structure, identify risk factors early, and advise on deal terms before you're committed to a path that's difficult to reverse.


Step 2:

Letter of Intent and Term Sheet


We draft or review the LOI to protect your position at the outset — before the economics are locked and leverage shifts to the other side.


Step 3:

Due Diligence


We lead or coordinate diligence across legal, financial, and regulatory dimensions. For sellers, we prepare you for scrutiny. For buyers, we find what needs to be found.


Step 4:

Purchase Agreement and Ancillary Documents


We draft and negotiate the definitive agreement, representations and warranties, indemnification provisions, and all closing documents.


Step 5:

Closing and Post-Closing


We manage the closing process and address any post-closing obligations, adjustments, or disputes that arise after the transaction completes.




Serving San Diego and Mid-Market Companies Nationwide

  • Do I need to register as an investment adviser if I'm managing a hedge fund?

    It depends on your assets under management, the type of fund you're managing, and whether you qualify for an exemption. Fund managers advising solely private funds below $150 million in AUM may qualify for the SEC's private fund adviser exemption, but state registration requirements may still apply. An exemption analysis should be done before you begin raising capital — not after.

  • What's the difference between a 3(c)(1) and a 3(c)(7) fund?

    Both are exclusions from Investment Company Act registration, but they serve different investor profiles. A 3(c)(1) fund is limited to 100 beneficial owners and cannot make a public offering. A 3(c)(7) fund has no hard investor count ceiling but requires all investors to meet the "qualified purchaser" standard, which is more stringent than accredited investor status. The right choice depends on your fundraising strategy and investor base.


  • Can I form a hedge fund in California without a securities attorney?

    Technically, yes — practically, the risk is significant. Fund formation involves federal securities law, state blue sky requirements, Investment Company Act exemption analysis, and investor documentation that must be precise. A structural error made at formation can trigger registration obligations, limit your ability to raise capital, or expose you to investor claims. Counsel at formation is the least expensive compliance investment you'll make.

  • What is Form ADV and when do I need to file it?

    Form ADV is the registration and disclosure document filed with the SEC or state securities regulators by registered investment advisers. It includes information about your business, ownership, clients, services, fees, and any disciplinary history. Most RIAs are required to file and update it annually, and material changes must be reported promptly. We prepare and review Form ADV filings as part of our RIA registration and compliance work.

  • Does Weintraub Law Group work with fund managers outside California?

    Yes. While we are based in San Diego, our securities practice is national in scope. We advise fund managers, fund sponsors, and registered investment advisers across the country on formation, exemption analysis, and ongoing compliance.


Big Law Depth. Boutique Rates. Available Now.

Weintraub Law Group PC is a San Diego-based securities and corporate law firm with nearly 50 years of practice. Rick Weintraub has served as lead counsel on more than 500 public and private offerings and holds an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell — the highest peer-review designation in the legal profession. The firm advises hedge fund managers, fund sponsors, and registered investment advisers at boutique rates, with the same depth of securities counsel available to clients of much larger firms.