Harleigh E. Brown

Harleigh represents clients based in and outside of the U.S. in mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, entity formation, contract negotiations and a broad assortment of other transactional matters.

He serves as outside general counsel to many of his clients and enjoys working closely with them to proactively avoid issues and find practical and cost-effective solutions to legal issues that arise.

Harleigh has extensive experience working with both private equity funds and their portfolio companies as well as strategic investors. He has experience working with clients in a wide range of industries including manufacturing, automotive, oil and gas, health and professional services.

He is the co-chair of Fredrikson’s Cross-Border M&A Group and is a shareholder in the firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions, International and Corporate & Securities Groups.

• Represented PremiStar (fka Reedy Industries), a former portfolio company of Audax and provider of commercial and industrial HVAC, plumbing, and building automation services, in 13 strategic acquisitions, followed by its buyout by Partners Group; continue to advise the company under Partners Group ownership on an additional 14+ acquisitions, serving as primary M&A counsel throughout the platform’s multi-phase growth strategy.
• Represented EEC Acquisition, LLC (dba Smart Care Equipment Solutions), a formerly Audax-backed provider of commercial kitchen equipment maintenance services, in its secondary buyout by Zone Mechanical, a Wind Point Partners portfolio company; subsequently served as lead counsel on 17 add-on acquisitions supporting the platform’s continued expansion.
• Represented Colony Hardware Corporation, an Audax-backed jobsite distributor of construction materials and supplies, in multiple strategic acquisitions across the construction supply and industrial safety sectors, supporting the company’s national expansion through targeted add-on growth.
• Represented Thermogenics, an Audax-backed provider of full lifecycle solutions for commercial and industrial boilers, in a series of strategic acquisitions across North America, expanding the platform’s service, maintenance, fabrication, and installation capabilities within the boiler and industrial combustion sectors.
• Represented Flow Control Holdings, an Audax portfolio company and provider of sanitary-flow components to the pharmaceutical, food, and beverage markets, in a series of U.S.-based acquisitions expanding the platform’s capabilities across stainless steel fittings, valves, washdown equipment, and sanitary aftermarket parts.

Education

• Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium, LLM, International and Comparative Law, 2003, honors
• Hamline University School of Law, J.D., 2002, magna cum laude
• Minnesota State University Moorhead, 1999, B.A., magna cum laude
• University of Portsmouth, 1995, United Kingdom

Admissions

• Minnesota, 2005
• New York, 2003

Clerkships

• Law Clerk, Judge Donovan W. Frank, U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, 2003-2005

• Minnesota Lawyer POWER 30 Top M&A Attorney, 2025
• Up and Coming Attorney, Minnesota Lawyer, 2007
• Fulbright Scholar, 2002-2003

Professional Activities

• Minnesota State Bar Association, New Lawyer’s Section Liaison to the Business Law Section

Community

• Nellie Stone Johnson Steering Committee, Board Member