Nicholas J. Bakatsias Printer-Friendly

Nick Bakatsias has a broad based business and corporate transactional practice which includes assisting businesses and individuals with capital formation matters, mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, private equity ventures, and private placement offerings and related capital raising efforts.  Much of his practice is dedicated to strategic business planning for his clients and preparing shareholder agreements, LLC/partnership operating agreements, private placement memoranda, purchase contracts, noncompete agreements, finance documents, and similar business contracts necessary for the implementation of such strategic plans. 

Formulating tax-planning strategies and representing both individuals and businesses in state and federal tax controversies is also a focus of Nick’s legal practice. “Tax is like a puzzle,” he says. “I enjoy working through the different outcomes to arrive at the best solution for our clients.”

Having grown up working in restaurants owned and operated by his family, Nick has a special interest in assisting closely held businesses. In fact, he says it was Carruthers & Roth’s knowledge of, and experience with, closely held businesses that first attracted him to the firm.

Representative Cases

• Assisted a family-owned business sale its retail tire sale business to a publicly traded corporation in a $87 million dollar transaction.
• Assisted a real property developer client raise over $6 million in connection with a private placement offering conducted in accordance with Rule 506(b) of Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933.
• Obtained innocent spouse relief from the Internal Revenue Service for a client thereby relieving her from close to $300,000 of tax liabilities.
• Helped a closely-held regional perfusion services company sell its business to a national healthcare competitor for more than $7 million. The transaction involved negotiating an attractive consulting and employment contract so the selling shareholders could continue working in the perfusion services field.
• Helped a multimillion dollar restaurant conglomerate restructure in order to recapitalize and streamline governance of more than 10 restaurants.
• Assisted an entrepreneur with the business and tax planning involved in opening, purchasing and selling numerous independent pharmacies and nutritional centers throughout North Carolina.
• Helped negotiate and structure a taxpayer-favorable settlement with the Internal Revenue Service that included a waiver of more than $1 million in penalties so the taxpayer’s business operations could continue.
• Helped a taxpayer save tens of thousands in self-employment taxes by convincing the North Carolina Department of Revenue that S corporation distributions to its shareholder employees were reasonable compensation.
• Helped a multinational corporate client refinance a $120 million multicurrency revolving credit facility secured by collateral in the United States.

Bar and Court Admissions

• North Carolina, 2005
• Tax Court, 2006

Professional Memberships and Activities

• Greensboro Bar Association, Board of Directors
• Greensboro Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section, Past President
• North Carolina Bar Association Business Law Section, Past Secretary and Current Board Member
• North Carolina Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division
• Karpenisi Legal Council
• Leadership Greensboro, 2010-2011 

Awards and Recognitions

• Business North Carolina: Legal Elite, 2018
• North Carolina Super Lawyers: 2022
• North Carolina Super Lawyers: Rising Star, 2012-2013, 2018-2020

Community Service

• Club Red (Red Cross Affiliate), Board Member
• Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro Future Fund
• Nat Greene Kiwanis Club of Greensboro
• North Carolina Lawyers for Entrepreneurs Assistance Program (NC LEAP)
• Ask-a-Lawyer, Child Safety Day, Wills for Heroes, Greensboro Urban Ministry and other Young Lawyers Division service initiatives