Becker LLC
2026 Buy Side
M&A Summit
SEPTEMBER 22-23, 2026
Registration is now closed for the Summit. To be added to the waiting list or for additional information, please reach out to Michael Bartels at: mbartels@becker.legal
About the Founders
Becker LLC is the recognized leader in staffing industry mergers and acquisitions, serving as trusted legal counsel to staffing firms nationwide on their most significant transactions and strategic initiatives. Our team has advised our clients in over ninety Mergers & Acquisition deals in the last six years. Becker has experience representing investors (private equity and other investment backed firms) as well as strategic investors in the acquisition and sale of staffing businesses in healthcare, IT, professional services, light industrial/commercial, skilled trades and hospitality industries.
Becker has handled both Buy and Sale side transactions from pre-LOI planning through post-closing integration. Our staffing team consists of ten attorneys that dedicate a material portion of their practice to the industry, and collectively, provide clients with expertise in finance, tax, corporate structure, HR compliance, goodwill protection and fair competition promotion, compensation strategies and plan, industry contracts and other key risk protection advice.
As part of our commitment to the industry and our clients, Becker tracks Mergers & Acquisition activity in the industry and conducts formal and informal surveys of various trends in the industry ranging from valuation multiples and acquisition activity to best practices in staffing specific diligence and deal terms.
Location
The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort
Kiawah Island is a destination like no other. The island is located in South Carolina’s fabled Lowcountry on a ten mile wide, oceanfront beach surrounded by a paradise of lush maritime forests and winding saltwater marshes where local agriculture and wildlife thrive – giving guests the feeling they are a world away.
The resort offers world-class accommodations, amenities, recreation and conference facilities. Conference guests will stay at the Sanctuary Hotel located a few steps from the Atlantic Ocean. The hotel was built in deference to Charleston architecture using Charleston brick along with stone, stucco, copper and ironwork on the exterior and designed with an elegant but not too formal interior, designed with a light, southern décor.
Airport: Kiawah Island is located less than 25 miles from Charleston and just 45 minutes from Charleston International Airport (CHS).
Uber & Lyft are available at CHS to the Sanctuary. Upon returning to CHS, you will need to arrange for transportation through the concierge service.
Uber and Lyft do not pick up for any airport transportation from the Sanctuary as it is a private resort.
Our Speakers
2026 Summit Agenda
Check‐in and Registration will be located in the Grand Oaks foyer
Women at the Table: M&A Women’s Leadership Luncheon hosted by Ericka Hyson, CEO, Hyson Advisory.
Ericka Hyson will host a pre-summit luncheon for the women executives attending this year’s summit. Attendees will begin to examine this year’s conference themes in an intimate, open, peer setting.
Grand Oaks C & D
Welcome & Opening Remarks: Martin L. Borosko, Staffing Practice Leader and Michael Bartels, Chief Development Officer, Becker LLC
Grand Oaks A & B
Your hosts Marty and Mike will set the stage for the Summit by exploring conference themes, highlighting potential key takeaways from the upcoming sessions, and reviewing logistics for the event.
Opening Panel: “State of the Staffing Industry – Stalled Out or Ready for Recovery?” An engaging data-driven conversation featuring industry leaders examining whether the industry is finally poised for consistent growth or still facing headwinds.
Grand Oaks A & B
Panelists:
- Joyce Russell, President, The Adecco Group U.S. Foundation
- Mark Roberts, CEO of TechServe Alliance
- Jeff Bowling, Founding Partner, Four Piers Capital Partners
Moderated by Ericka Hyson, CEO, Hyson Advisory
The conversation will explore the latest economic and employment trends impacting the industry, breakdown industry sector performance and KPI, discuss industry trends, such as up-skilling and re-skilling workforces and analyze the real impact of technology, AI, and automation on the industry.
Keynote Discussion: “Alternative Growth: Building Platforms Beyond Traditional Staffing”
Grand Oaks A & B
Panelists:
- Janette Marx, CEO, Employbridge
- Jordan Earnheardt, Managing Partner, Civaris Capital Management
- Sheldon Arora, CEO, StaffDNA
- Steven Talbot, CEO, Wynden Stark
Moderated by Bobby Brown, Kelt Consulting
As margin pressure, technology disruption, and evolving client expectations reshape the staffing industry, many firms are expanding beyond traditional recruiting and temporary labor models in search of more scalable, higher-value revenue streams. Industry leaders, investors, and operators will discuss the operational, cultural, and M&A challenges that come with diversification and offer examples of how they have successfully addressed those challenges.
Panel Discussion: “The Producer Retention Playbook: Managing Producer Risk and Compensation Integration in Staffing Acquisitions”
Grand Oaks A & B
Panelists:
- Joel Leege, President, Kelly Science, Engineering & Technology
- Mike Alam, Chief Strategy Officer, Coneybeare Workforce Solutions
- Jon Neff, CEO, SKL’D
- Matt Evans, VP of M&A, RED Global
Moderated by Mark Winter, CEO, WinSource Group
Retaining and motivating top producers after closing is one of the key drivers of ultimate acquisition success. This session will tackle the practical realities of evaluating producer dependency during diligence, identifying retention risks before close, addressing disparate compensation structures, incentivizing producers to drive to important immediate goals and examining the human side of integration.
Concurrent Session One: “Key Financial Concepts — Understanding Working Capital and Indebtedness”
Grand Oaks A & B
Panelists:
- Kent Schwarz, Esq., Partner, Becker LLC
- Chad Gardiner, Senior Managing Director, Griffin Financial
- Jeremy Falendysz, Director, UHY Capital
Moderated by Christopher Minnick, Operating Partner, Wright Path Advisors
Working capital and indebtedness remain two of the most heavily negotiated– and frequently misunderstood– areas of staffing industry M&A. This panel brings together the professionals who negotiate these terms to unpack how these concepts are evaluated, negotiated, and ultimately settled in transactions. The panelists will drill down on important considerations that are often overlooked in normalizing working capital targets and what truly constitutes debt like items in today’s marketplace with particular focus on accrued compensation, PTO and other benefits.
Concurrent Session Two: “Master Class — Private Equity and Large Strategic Acquirers Forum”
Grand Oaks C & D
Moderated by Martin Borosko, Staffing Practice Leader, Becker LLC
Marty will moderate discussion and deeper dive by PE firms and experienced strategic acquirers into the key takeaways from the preceding panel discussions and explore how they are impacting their acquisition strategies.
Cocktail Party and Dinner
The Sanctuary Terrace AB and Courtyard
At the conclusion of Day 1 of the Summit, Becker and its sponsors will host a cocktail party and dinner at The Sanctuary Terrace AB and Courtyard. The dinner will feature local low-country cuisine including premier steaks and locally caught, sustainable fish and shellfish paired with a selection of fantastic wines and premium spirits.
Breakfast: A full breakfast buffet, featuring omelet stations, will be served before the start of the programs in the Grand Oaks Foyer.
Keynote Panel: “Keep or Cut? The Real Economics of Retaining Founders”
Grand Oaks A & B
Panelists:
- Beth Garvey, Founder, Beth Garvey Strategic Partners
- Jeff Aplin, Founder & CEO, The Aplin Group
- John Long, Founder, Avionte
- Dave MacKeen, CEO, The Eliassen Group
- Jim Childs, Principal, Childs Advisory Partners
Moderated by Martin Borosko, Staffing Practice Leader, Becker LLC
A fine line exists post-closing between instances where a founder creates value contrasted with when he or she quietly destroys. This session will explore best practices in diligence, founder employment and compensation structure and post-closing integration that ensure that the founder assumes the right role post-closing.
Panel Discussion “Adjusted EBITDA: Sorting Through Creative Fiction to Determine Real Earnings”
Grand Oaks A & B
Panelists:
- Jerry Grady, Staffing Practice Leader, UHY
- Patrick Morin, Managing Partner, Transact Capital
- Michael Napolitano, Staffing Practice Leader, Citrin Cooperman
Moderated by John McGraw, SVP, Access Capital
In staffing M&A, valuation multiples steal the headlines— but adjusted EBITDA actually drives enterprise value to a far greater extent. Our panelists will help sort through the seller wish list to find those adjustments on which buyers and sellers can actually align, provide insight into how buyers should approach negotiating those adjustments and spend particular time discussing owner compensation, recruiting and sales bench building and the rise of technology investment adjustments.
Panel Discussion “Boutique No More? Managing Brand Identity and Client Perception Post-Closing”
Grand Oaks A & B
Panelists:
- Graham Smith, CFO, Procom
- James Carey, Partner, Relevance Capital
- Clint Clevenger, CEO, ICG Medical
Moderated by Michael Cleland, Founder, Charted Path
Many staffing industry acquisitions look strategically perfect on paper— until clients begin to feel after closing the cultural and brand differences between the seller and acquirer. This session explores one of the most dangerous integration risks in staffing M&A: the loss of identity that occurs when entrepreneurial firms are absorbed into larger platforms. Panelists will discuss striking the delicate balance between preserving what made the acquired firm valuable while still achieving the overall brand goals for the platform.
Industry Specific Break Out Room
Grand Oaks A&B plus Grand Oaks C&D
Leading industry partners will lead sector specific (e.g., IT, healthcare, skilled trades and LI) breakout room discussions about how the takeaways from the conference apply directly to acquisitions in those specific sectors.
Networking Activities
At the conclusion Day 2, we are offering all attendees the choice of one of the following afternoon activities:
A round of golf on the world famous “Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort or Turtle Point” either on Monday or Wednesday pending tee time availability.
A private wine tasting hosted by Becker LLC, Benefits in a Card and Transact Capital (limited availability)
A three hour in-shore fishing trip (limited availability)
A relaxing afternoon at the Sanctuary Spa (limited availability)
A pool party hosted by Nixer Comp
Our Sponsors
Conference Founder
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
