McGuireWoods Advises Schneider in Acquisitions of Watkins & Shepard and Lodeso

June 13, 2016

McGuireWoods advised Schneider, a premier provider of transportation and logistics services, in its simultaneous acquisitions of leading shipping and logistics service providers, Montana-based Watkins & Shepard and Michigan-based Lodeso. The deals, announced on June 2, position Schneider as the nation’s foremost “first-to-final-mile” delivery provider of oversized goods for retailers and manufacturers.

The acquired companies provide customized home, commercial and retail delivery services that simplify the supply chain by leveraging continuous delivery tracking capabilities for delivery agents, customers and all parties.

Charlotte partner David Whelpley and associate Robert Crawford led the McGuireWoods team representing Schneider. Partners Jason Evans, Janet Peyton, Joel Spitz and Gerald Thomas, counsel Anna Reimers and Amanda Short, and associates Felicia Gardner and Curtis Griner worked with Whelpley and Crawford to handle the due diligence and negotiations for the transactions.

“We are honored to assist Schneider in this important growth of its final-mile business,” said Whelpley, chair of the firm’s Specialty Corporate Practices Department, which focuses on M&A and private equity transactions for various industries, including manufacturing and distribution. “These two acquisitions greatly expand Schneider’s final-mile capability and other services the company provides to consumers, retailers and manufacturers nationwide.”

Schneider provides truckload, intermodal and logistics services. A $4 billion company in operation for more than 80 years, Schneider offers the broadest portfolio in the industry with solutions that include regional, long-haul, expedited, dedicated, final mile, bulk, intermodal, brokerage, cross-dock logistics, supply chain management and port logistics.

Watkins & Shepard provides less-than-truckload shipping (LTL), truckload and logistics services for difficult-to-handle goods, such as furniture and floor coverings, across North America.

Lodeso provides final-mile logistics solutions specializing in delivery of heavy, oversized and difficult-to-handle goods. It uses proprietary technology to handle supply chain complexities.

McGuireWoods’ Mergers and Acquisitions Practice includes more than 100 lawyers who handle M&A, private equity and joint venture transactions for public and private companies. The firm has earned an international reputation for providing counsel on corporate matters worldwide, with its corporate and M&A lawyers recognized in prestigious guides on leading law firms, including Chambers Global, Chambers USA and Legal 500 Europe.

McGuireWoods’ transportation industry team comprises an interdisciplinary group of lawyers who advise domestic and international clients across all major sectors, including trucking, aviation, maritime, natural gas transmission and rail.