Kate L. Bechen

Member

Buying, selling, and investment—three words that encapsulate Kate Bechen’s capital markets practice. She is a savvy legal advisor and common-sense business partner to clients ranging from early stage startups obtaining initial funding, to high-growth companies engaged in mergers and acquisitions, to public corporations securing large-scale financing. They rely on Kate to address every bump in the road and ensure even the most complicated deals get done on time.

The capital markets transactions Kate handles span various industries, although she has developed a niche representing physician groups, health systems, and health technology companies in mergers and acquisitions and regulatory compliance matters. Many deals she closes are often the most significant events in companies’ lifecycles. Because of close relationships she forges with clients during M&A, joint venture, IPO, venture capital financing, public and private placements, and SPAC transactions, she often continues to serve them as outside general counsel once the deals are done.

Kate gets her energy from working with companies in transition and leading first-in-class deal teams, and the two go hand-in-hand. Properly counseling clients in buy-sell-investment situations takes a group of talented, sometimes multidisciplinary groups of attorneys all rowing in the same direction.

Kate helps clients explore different pathways to their ultimate growth or exit objectives, assembling a capable crew of Dykema professionals to get them there. She’s also the managing member of the firm’s Milwaukee office.

In the healthcare space, Kate is a triple threat. Recognized as a top ranked corporate attorney in Wisconsin (Chambers USA 2023) for her skills and experience in SPAC mergers in the healthcare sector, Kate holds a master’s in health administration that has helped her understand an ever-growing, highly regulated industry. Her familiarity with corporate healthcare transactions and her deep knowledge of HIPAA privacy requirements and anti-kickback prohibitions make her even more exceptional.

“As a good business partner to my clients, I provide thoughtful guidance every day, which occasionally means having hard conversations. I can’t be an effective and truly valuable partner to my clients if I only tell them ‘yes.’ But I guarantee that if I have to say ‘no,’ I always have an alternative in mind.”

Education

- University of Iowa College of Law, J.D., with distinction
- University of Iowa, M.H.A.
- University of Iowa, B.A., with distinction

Bar and Court Admissions

Bar Admissions
- Wisconsin

Professional Recognition

- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Corporate Law, 2024
- Named a Wisconsin Leading Lawyer for Corporate/M&A by Chambers USA, 2023 and 2024
- Named a "Leader in the Law" by the Wisconsin Law Journal, 2022

Community

- Advocates of Ozaukee, Board of Directors
- American Heart Association Milwaukee Chapter, Board of Directors
- Girls on the Run of Southeast Wisconsin

Milwaukee 414-488-7333

Areas of client focus

Practices

Corporate and Finance Governance Healthcare Mergers and Acquisitions Private Equity Securities Capital Markets

Industries

Healthcare M&A Management Services Organization Veterinary Service Organizations (VSO)

Latest News and Insights

Press Releases3.3.25

Dykema Advises Wellgistics Health, Inc. on Nasdaq IPO

Congratulations to Dykema’s client, Wellgistics Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: WGRX), on the successful…

Press Releases2.27.25

Dykema Advises PowerUp Acquisition Corp. in Aspire Biopharma’s Nasdaq Listing

Congratulations to Dykema’s client, PowerUp Acquisition Corp., in its successful business…

Press Releases8.15.24

216 Dykema Lawyers Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 and Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch”

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that 216 of its attorneys, in multiple practice…

Represented AIRO Group Holdings in its acquisition of Aspen Avionics, Coastal Defense, Sky-Watch A/S, Jaunt Air Mobility, AIRO Drone, and Agile Defense. After completing the acquisitions Kate represented AIRO in an attempted IPO which has now shifted to a deSPAC transaction with Kernel Group Holdings, a public company listed on Nasdaq.
Guided Ocean Biomedical through all stages of going public including an attempted IPO and ultimate deSPAC transaction with Aesther Healthcare. Ocean is now a publicly traded company on Nasdaq and Kate continues to represent the company in all matters including financing, securities law and compliance, corporate governance, dispute matters and more.
Advised Oxbridge Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), in its merger with Jet Token Inc., a private aviation booking and membership platform. The combined company, Jet.AI Inc., is now listed and trading on Nasdaq and is focused on accelerating its AI software development and expansion of its aircraft fleet.
Guides companies through d-SPAC business combinations. Represented UpHealth Holdings, Inc. in its merger with GigCapital2, Inc (a special purpose acquisition company). This transaction involved: (i) the acquisition by UpHealth of five operating companies, one of which was a cross-border acquisition of an Indian target, and several involved extensive healthcare licensing and regulatory complexities, (ii) the negotiation of the business combination agreement with GigCapital2, (iii) a PIPE and convertible note round totaling $285M, and (iv) the additional merger with the SPAC of a sixth. At closing, the implied market capitalization was approximately $1.6B, making UpHealth one of the largest global digital health companies.
Guides companies through going-public corporate readiness projects.
Represents large, complex sellers in their exit transactions with private equity. Represented nationwide veterinarian practice with nearly 100 shareholders in its $250M sale to private equity buyer. The transaction involved numerous pre-closing acquisitions, which increased client value. Represented several significant regional specialty physician groups, each with approximately 75-125 partners, in the divesture to nationwide private equity backed platform company. Each of these transactions involved a number of complex issues including mid-deal acquisitions and divestures, significant corporate governance clean up, extensive compensation negotiations and other twists and turns. Consideration for all transactions was a combination of cash and rollover equity in parent of buyer.
Advises emerging businesses on entity formation, articles and bylaws, shareholder or investor agreements, operating agreements, joint ventures, governance issues and financing transactions.
Represents PE-backed platform companies in their formation, including initial capital rounds, growth phase with serial acquisitions of portfolio companies and positioning for exit, either to a strategic buyer or a going-public transaction.
Manages regular Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reporting obligations of publicly traded companies and advised on SEC compliance issues.
Assists privately held clients in raising capital with private offerings of securities pursuant to various exemptions from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 and state securities laws.
Represents healthcare systems in M&A transactions.
- Represented large regional healthcare system in $100M hospital acquisition from leading national health
- Represented Midwest health system in $50M animal laboratory sale, with one month from letter of intent to closing.
- Assisted regional nonprofit health clinic in multiyear pharmacy and clinic acquisitions and mergers as part of strategic growth plan.
- Represented seller in all aspects of $150M sale of a chain of rehabilitation hospitals, including state and federal licensing transfer and HSR filing.
- Represented health systems in the acquisition and divestiture of hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers and imaging centers.
- Represented health insurance company in launch of new health insurance plan that was joint venture with health system. Served key role in strategic planning and ultimate corporate structuring of new venture, drafted all corporate and transaction-related documents, and supported internal legal counsel on regulatory approval matters

Represented health care providers in ongoing business activities and growth.

- Advised health systems, hospitals, academic medical centers, group practices, surgery centers, imaging centers, fitness and wellness businesses and healthcare technology companies on business structure and governance, contract negotiation and drafting, medical staff and clinical care issues, HIPAA and consumer privacy concerns, licensure and scope of practice, clinical trials and institutional review board (IRB) compliance, and regulatory compliance matters (including Medicare, Medicaid, Stark and Anti-Kickback).
- Advised on strategic alignment options between physician groups and private equity investors, taking the form of management agreement arrangements, stock sale transactions and asset sale
- Served as legal counsel to a health system's institutional review board (IRB). Attended IRB meetings; provided legal guidance; reviewed clinical trial agreements and reviewed IRB fee agreements, business associate agreements and nondisclosure agreements. Served as legal counsel to academic medical center's joint venture entities, including independent diagnostic testing facility, fertility clinic and ambulatory surgery centers.

Milwaukee 414-488-7333

Areas of client focus

Practices

Corporate and Finance Governance Healthcare Mergers and Acquisitions Private Equity Securities Capital Markets

Industries

Healthcare M&A Management Services Organization Veterinary Service Organizations (VSO)

03.03.25

Dykema Advises Wellgistics Health, Inc. on Nasdaq IPO

Press Releases

Congratulations to Dykema’s client, Wellgistics Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: WGRX), on the successful completion of its initial public offering (IPO). Wellgistics’ common stock began trading on the Nasdaq…
02.27.25

Dykema Advises PowerUp Acquisition Corp. in Aspire Biopharma’s Nasdaq Listing

Press Releases

Congratulations to Dykema’s client, PowerUp Acquisition Corp., in its successful business combination with Aspire Biopharma Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASBP), a developer of patent-protected disruptive…
08.15.24

216 Dykema Lawyers Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 and Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch”

Press Releases

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that 216 of its attorneys, in multiple practice areas and markets, have been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 guide and the Best…
07.26.24

Dykema Guides TRxADE in Another Acquisition

Press Releases

Dykema congratulates TRxADE Health, Inc. on its business combination with Scienture, Inc.
06.06.24

Dykema Earns 16 Practice Area Rankings and 33 Individual Rankings in Chambers USA 2024

Press Releases

Dykema, a leading national law firm, announced today that it received 33 individual attorney rankings and 16 practice area rankings in the 2024 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for…
05.16.24

Special Purchase Acquisitions Companies and Reverse Takeovers: Public Alternatives to Traditional IPOs

Speaking Engagements

Kate Bechen and Peter Waltz will serve as featured presenters at the Association of Corporate Counsel Wisconsin 2024 Annual Conference and Meeting of Members on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Osthoff…

View All

Milwaukee 414-488-7333

Areas of client focus

Practices

Corporate and Finance Governance Healthcare Mergers and Acquisitions Private Equity Securities Capital Markets

Industries

Healthcare M&A Management Services Organization Veterinary Service Organizations (VSO)

Kate L. Bechen

Bar Admissions

Contact

Areas of client focus

Practices

Industries

Latest News and Insights

Contact

Areas of client focus

Practices

Industries

Dykema Advises Wellgistics Health, Inc. on Nasdaq IPO

Press Releases

Dykema Advises PowerUp Acquisition Corp. in Aspire Biopharma’s Nasdaq Listing

Press Releases

216 Dykema Lawyers Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 and Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch”

Press Releases

Dykema Guides TRxADE in Another Acquisition

Press Releases

Dykema Earns 16 Practice Area Rankings and 33 Individual Rankings in Chambers USA 2024

Press Releases

Special Purchase Acquisitions Companies and Reverse Takeovers: Public Alternatives to Traditional IPOs

Speaking Engagements

Contact

Areas of client focus

Practices

Industries