Profile

From our capabilities and resources, to our flexibility and responsiveness, I believe Taylor English represents what a law firm would be if it were built by clients.   

J. Matthew Flower’s philosophy is that a lawyer’s greatest value is not in the ability to identify legal issues, but in the ability to provide solutions to those issues that ultimately allow a client to achieve its goals. At Taylor English, Mr. Flower is a deal lawyer whose practice focuses on negotiating complex business transactions and commercial contracts. Mr. Flower’s clients include colleges and universities, restaurants, resort developers, venture capital investors, private equity funds, film producers and production studios, and a variety of other large and small businesses and business owners.

Mr. Flower assists clients with buying, selling and financing businesses. In this regard, he regularly represents clients on matters such as mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, venture capital and private equity investments, debt and equity restructurings, issuances of debt and equity securities, commercial loans, asset-backed credit facilities, hypothecation loans, acquisition and construction loans, term securitizations, warehouse lines of credit and whole loan sale transactions. Mr. Flower also represents business owners in connection with succession planning transactions.

In addition, Mr. Flower assists clients with drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts. He has extensive experience in negotiating services and consulting agreements, event space and film studio rental agreements, equipment lease agreements, nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements and license agreements. He has extensive experience drafting and negotiating contracts used by colleges and universities, restaurants, resort developers and vacation clubs, marketing companies, and clients in the retail and entertainment industries. 

Mr. Flower also advises clients with respect to marketing and promotional matters. He regularly counsels clients in connection with corporate sweepstakes and promotions, including advising such clients with respect to applicable laws and drafting official rules for such sweepstakes and promotions.

Memberships

State Bar of Georgia

National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA)

Practice Highlights

Experience

  • Sale of majority ownership and recapitalization of private receivables management firm

    Represented a receivables management and purchasing firm in connection with all senior and subordinated financings/credit facilities with combined transaction values in excess of $50 million. An example of a recent representation for this client includes a recapitalization transaction in which we served as lead counsel in all aspects of structuring, negotiating and documenting a senior and mezzanine debt refinance and a concurrent third party equity ...

  • $75 million senior notes offering for a national developer

    Served as lead counsel to a national developer (and certain subsidiaries) in connection with the structuring, negotiation and documentation of a private offering of $75 million senior secured notes. The note issuance was a highly significant event in the life of this client providing a part of the financing ultimately necessary for a subsequent merger transaction resulting in this client’s becoming a private company.

  • Sale of specialty contracting company to private equity firm

    Represented a privately-held specialty contracting company in connection with its acquisition by a private equity firm for a total purchase price of more than $50 million.

  • Commercial contracts

    Extensive experience representing clients in negotiating various types of commercial contracts. Recent transactions include agreements with multiple public relations agencies, rental agreements for event spaces, collection agency agreements.

  • Contract creation for Higher Education clients

    Extensive experience creating agreements tailored to the needs of higher education clients, including course development agreements, symposium agreements, guest speaker agreements, services agreements and agreements related to student financial obligations.

  • International and domestic tax matters for large non-profit university

    Representing large non-profit university with respect to domestic and international tax planning, compliance and controversy matters.

  • Steel business plant acquisition and $3 million working line of credit

    Representation of a full service steel center in connection with a steel business plant acquisition and approximately $3 million working line of credit.

  • Master distributor $23 million ABL credit facility

    Representation of a master distributor of weld fittings, flanges and forged steel in a $23 million ABL credit facility.

  • Financing of the transfer of franchise ownership

    Represents two of the largest franchisees (with more than 100 combined locations) of a major national quick serve restaurant company in connection with the financing of the transfer of franchise ownership to new owners.

  • Reliance Financial Corporation's acquisition by Fidelity Information Services

    Advised Reliance Financial Corporation on its acquisition by merger by Fidelity Information Services (NYSE: FIS). The transaction, which had an aggregate purchase price of $110 million, brought together the world’s largest provider of banking and payments technology and one of the largest independent trust companies in the United States. Assisted with the negotiation and preparation of the Agreement and Plan of Merger and the ancillary documents needed to ...

  • Sale of company VueLogic, LLC

    Represented VueLogic, LLC in sale of the company to strategic purchaser.

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Education

University of Florida Levin College of Law, JD, with honors, 2008

University of Florida, BA, with honors, 2005

Bar Admissions

Georgia