Overview
Amanda Bennis is a Shareholder in the firm’s Corporate & Securities Department. Her practice focuses on mergers & acquisitions, commercial and asset-based lending, banking and financial institutions, capital markets, commercial transactions, life sciences, corporate law, securities and compliance and corporate governance.
Representative Experience
- Represented BPD (formerly Brown Parker & DeMarinis Advertising), a Florida-based hospital and health system marketing agency, and its founder, Jason Brown, in connection with a recapitalization and strategic investment from WindRose Health Investors LLC, a New York-based healthcare private equity firm. Jason Brown and the BPD management team will continue to lead BPD and remain significant equity-holders in the company.
- Represented BMC – The Benchmark Management Company, LLC in a merger of “co-equals” with Pyramid Management Holdings (“Pyramid), two companies in the hospitality and hotel management business. After the merger transaction, the combined Benchmark Pyramid hotel management business became the third largest independently managed hotel management company in the U.S., with a worldwide portfolio of 210 properties and annual operating revenue under management of more than $3 billion. Concurrently with the merger transaction, Benchmark consummated a recapitalization and reorganization transaction pursuant to which Benchmark’s parent company obtained subordinated debt provided by Certares-Knighthead (“CK”). The proceeds of the CK facility were primarily used to redeem Benchmark’s then current preferred equity investor – Colony Capital – and to provide liquidity to etc.venues, which is a Benchmark affiliate that manages and operates conference, event, training and other venues throughout the world. In addition to the financing with CK, the transaction also required the consents or amendments to credit facilities of various parties to the transaction, including Ares as the primary lender to Pyramid and Gulf Capital, which provided a “main street loan” to Benchmark.
- Represented BBX Capital Corporation in the acquisition of IT’SUGAR for a purchase price of approximately $57 million, net of cash acquired. IT’SUGAR is the largest specialty candy retailer in the United States with 95 locations in 26 states. The acquisition expanded BBX Capital’s retail confectionary footprint, which includes Hoffman’s Chocolates.
- Represented large affordable housing developer in connection with the issuance of bonds on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
- Represented TotalBank in the merger of TotalBank with and into City National Bank of Florida. Following the acquisition, City National Bank was the third-largest Florida-based bank with nearly $14 billion in assets.
- Represented members of the Feldenkreis family in the merger taking Perry Ellis International, Inc. private. Also acted as Florida local counsel for Feldenkreis Holdings LLC and its members during and after the going private transaction, including in connection with the financing of the transaction.
- Represented the principal shareholder and chief executive officer in the sale of a state chartered bank.
- Represented BBX Capital Corporation in the spin off its subsidiary, BBX Capital Florida LLC, in order to separate the business, activities and investments into two separate, publicly-traded companies. As a result of the spin-off and transactions consummated in connection with the spin-off, BBX Capital Florida LLC was converted into a Florida corporation and BBX Capital Corporation changed its name to Bluegreen Vacations Holding Corporation.
- Represented BBX Capital, Inc., as parent to Renin Holdings, LLC (“Renin”), in connection with Renin’s acquisition of all of the assets of Colonial Elegance (a supplier and distributor of building products) and the acquisition financing.
Professional & Community Involvement
- United Way Miami
- Young Leaders
- Women’s Leadership
- Greater Miami Jewish Federation, Leadership Development Institute
- Florida Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division
- Florida Bar Association
Recognition
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, 2023-Present
- International Financial Law Review 1000 (IFLR1000), Rising Star – Florida, Banking, 2018-Present
Publications & Presentations
Publications:
Realism About Remedies and the Need for A CDA Takedown: A Comparative Analysis of § 230 of the CDA and the U.K. Defamation Act 2013
Florida Journal of International Law|August 2015
Newsroom
In the Media:
Stearns Weaver Names 11 New Shareholders Across Fla.
October 2022
Firm Announcements:
Stearns Weaver Miller Names 11 New Shareholders
October 2022
In the Media:
WindRose Backs Marketing Agency BPD
Deal Pipeline|August 2022
In the Media:
WindRose Health Investors Makes Strategic Investment in BPD
Yahoo Finance|August 2022
Firm Announcements:
Stearns Weaver Miller Attorneys Recognized in Thirtieth Edition of International Financial Law Review 1000 (IFLR1000)
October 2020
Firm Announcements:
Stearns Weaver Miller Attorneys Recognized in International Financial Law Review 1000 (IFLR1000) 2019
June 2019
Firm Announcements:
Stearns Weaver Miller Attorneys Recognized in International Financial Law Review 1000 (IFLR1000) 2018
August 2018