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"She is an experienced and smart critical thinker and a strong addition to our team."

Chambers USA 2023

Overview

Kirstin learned early in her legal career that she loved closing business transactions. The clients’ satisfaction was rewarding, and she could see exactly how she had helped further their business goals.

She quickly came to focus on mergers and acquisitions, and over time she focused on the industries where her clients operate: manufacturing; distribution; and healthcare.

More than 25 years later, Kirstin’s focus is still clients and their business objectives. In addition to transactional and strategic guidance on mergers and acquisitions, she advises on securities law compliance, joint ventures, governance issues, private equity and venture capital investments, and other complex contractual arrangements. She leads the firm’s Corporate and Securities & Corporate Governance teams.

Kirstin tends to divide her practice between representing private equity firms in both acquisitions and divestitures, business founders and owners seeking to monetize their organizations through a sale, and large-scale corporations and public companies in the midst of strategic acquisitions and divestitures. She most often handles deals with values between $25 and $500 million. Her experience includes:

  • Representing AMC Theatres in $1.1 billion acquisition of Carmike Cinemas;
  • Representing a U.K.-based engineering company with the sale of its U.S. division for more than $100 million;
  • Representing a private equity firm in its sale of a manufacturer and distributor of production assembly tools and material handling equipment and several follow-on acquisitions, including one cross-border acquisition;
  • Representing a large not-for-profit health system in a joint venture to build and operate a psychiatric hospital; and
  • Counseling a large hospital system on a $200 million financing transaction.

Kirstin is known for her creative problem-solving and practical dedication to getting deals done. Her priorities are to find ways to say “yes” to client objectives and to make her clients’ lives easier. As a corporate attorney, Kirstin is used to working with in-house counsel, and she strives to help in-house clients shine.

"She is an experienced and smart critical thinker and a strong addition to our team."

Chambers USA 2023

Industries

Services

Recognition

  • The Best Lawyers in America®
    • Corporate Law, 2025
    • International Mergers and Acquisitions, 2019-2025
    • Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, 2023
    • Mergers and Acquisitions Law, 2025
  • Missouri Lawyers Media
    • POWER List for Mergers & Acquisitions, 2023 and 2024
    • POWER List for Sports & Entertainment, 2024
    • Top 100 POWER List for Mergers & Acquisitions, 2023
  • Chambers USA, Corporate/M&A, 2020-2024
  • The Legal 500 United States
    • M&A: middle-market (sub-$500 million), Recommended attorney, 2023 and 2024
  • IFLR 1000 United States
    • M&A (Nationwide), Notable Practitioner, 2018-2019
    • M&A (Missouri), Highly Regarded, 2022-2024
  • Missouri Lawyers Weekly, Business Practitioner Award, 2013
  • Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, 2013-2015

Education

  • J.D., Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
    • cum laude
    • Order of the Coif
    • Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Note and Comment Editor
  • A.B., Duke University
    • magna cum laude

Admissions

  • Missouri
  • Indiana
  • Kansas

Professional Memberships and Certifications

  • American Health Law Association
  • Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Securities Law Section
  • National Association of Corporate Directors
  • Society of Corporate Securities & Governance Professionals
Featured Experience

A Last Minute Renegotiation

Just as AMC Theatres was preparing for a $1.1 billion stock and cash acquisition of Carmike Cinemas, executives at both companies walked away from the deal on the eve of signing. When a new AMC CEO arrived nine months later, the company chose to pursue the acquisition again—only with renegotiated terms and a new price to satisfy key shareholders. Kirstin managed a complex renegotiation at the eleventh hour, and the acquisition went ahead.

A Rapid, Key Acquistion

After putting down $1 million in earnest money, a group of investors preparing to make a major acquisition from a public company found that they didn’t have the appropriate financing to complete the deal. Kirstin’s client hoped to step into their place. It was an opportunity to acquire two platform companies, but the client would have to execute the deal, including full diligence on financing, within a two-week period. Kirstin quickly put together a skilled team of Husch Blackwell professionals to manage the deal and served as lead transaction counsel, ensuring that the client was able to make an acquisition that proved key in building their organization.


Additional Experience

PE Deals

  • Represented private equity firm in sale of manufacture and distributor of production assembly tools and material handling equipment.
  • Represented private equity firm in sale of portfolio of cell towers.
  • Represented private equity company in sale of company that leases and sells ground support equipment for airports and aircraft maintenance equipment.
  • Represented owner of manufacturer of medical storage equipment.
  • Represented a specialty pharmacy in a sale to a PE backed strategic buyer.
  • Represented private equity backed Accent Care in acquisition of KindStar.
  • Represented private equity firm in acquisition of water filtration company and several follow-on acquisitions.
  • Represented private equity firm in acquisition of manufacturer of dock, warehouse and industrial safety equipment manufacturer and several follow-on acquisitions, including one cross-border acquisition.
  • Represented private equity firm in acquisition of distributor of assembly line equipment.
  • Represented the shareholders of healthcare software company in sale to private equity firm.
  • Represented private equity firm in acquisitions of telecommunications and IT solutions provider and several follow-on acquisitions.
  • Represented private equity firm in acquisition of a window component manufacturer.
  • Represented private equity-backed provider of home healthcare services in strategic acquisition of home health providers in Texas and Tennessee.
  • Represented private equity-backed provider of home healthcare services in acquisition of home healthcare provider in Texas and Oklahoma.
  • Represented private equity company in acquisition of value added distributor of "hard-to-find" electronic and hardware components.
  • Represented private equity firm in sale of full-service technology and telecommunication provider to a strategic buyer.
  • Represented sale of technology repair and reuse company to private equity backed buyer.
  • Represented private equity company in acquisition of a leading designer and manufacturer of extraction pumps and landfill accessory products.
  • Represented private equity back portfolio company in add-on acquisition of manufacturer of water treatment systems.
  • Represented private equity backed portfolio company in add-on acquisition of a manufacturer of a liquid filtration and separation system.
  • Represented private equity backed portfolio company in add-on acquisition of engineered products that enhance the productivity and safety of manufacturing environment.
  • Represented private equity backed company that leases airport support and maintenance equipment with add-on of a distressed company in the U.K.

AMC Deals

  • Represented AMC Theatres in $1.1 billion stock and cash acquisition of Carmike Cinemas.
  • Represented AMC Theatres in $1.2 billion acquisition of Odeon & UCI Cinemas.
  • Represented AMC Theatres in $172 million cash acquisition of Starplex Cinemas.
  • Represented AMC in $45 million divesture of interest in Screenvision.
  • Represented AMC in acquisition of Bow Tie Cinemas.
  • Represented AMC in significant investment in virtual reality technology.

Hospital and Healthcare Deals

  • Represented large not-for-profit health system in joint venture with private equity backed company providing emergency healthcare services in Colorado.
  • Assisted provider of mobile healthcare services in executing growth strategy through acquisition of strategic targets.
  • Counseled hospital systems on numerous financing transactions.
  • Counseled hospital system on financing for construction of several ambulatory surgery centers.
  • Counseled large hospital system on $200 million financing transaction.
  • Advised not-for-profit hospitals on variety of transactions, including long-term operating leases, joint ventures and transfers of control.
  • Represented multi-specialty physician practice with over 60 physicians in a combination with Essentia health.
  • Represented hospital system in complicated joint venture to bring needed medical services to community.
  • Represented retailer of medical scripts and ancillary supplies in sale to strategic private equity backed buyer.
  • Represented large not-for-profit health system in joint venture to build and operate a psychiatric hospital.
  • Represented Dierbergs in sale of retail pharmacy to Mercy Health.

Other Deals

  • Represented insurance company in spin-off of ancillary workers compensation company.
  • Represented UK-based engineering company with sale of U.S. division for more than $100 million.
  • Advised one of North America's largest less-than-truckload shippers in sale of division.
  • As key member of the firm's CARES Act resource team, advised clients on accessing COVID-19-driven financial assistance, including Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Main Street Lending Program.
  • Serves as "outside general counsel" for several manufacturing and healthcare companies.
  • Represented cement company in formation of $60 million importing joint venture.
  • Represented seller in $100 million sale of online business to public company.
  • Represented mezzanine lenders with investments in industrial chain manufacturer, food ingredient manufacturer and student-authored book publisher.
  • Counseled plastic injection molding company on various contracting and employment matters, buyout of investor and refinancing of working capital loans.
  • Advised angel investors on investment in biotech company developing cancer immunotherapy treatments.
  • Advised cement manufacturer on buyout of joint-venture partner and lease of shipping dock.
  • Represented industrial coating manufacturer in strategic acquisition of complimentary coatings producer.
  • Advised early-stage companies in obtaining angel and venture capital investments.
  • Represented low-voltage wire and cable company in various corporate transactions, including supplier issues and buyout of investor.
  • Regularly advise boards and committees on regulatory requirements and fiduciary duties.
White Papers | November 01, 2023
Legal Insights for Manufacturing: Outlook for 2024

With each passing day it becomes more apparent the world that entered the COVID-19 pandemic is not the world that emerged from it.

Legal Updates | April 19, 2021
Modernizing the Private Placement Framework
Legal Updates | February 4, 2021
FAQ: CARES Act SBA Loan Programs
Legal Updates | August 05, 2020
SBA Issues FAQs on PPP Loan Forgiveness
Legal Updates | July 06, 2020
SBA Releases PPP Loan Recipient Information
Legal Updates | April 23, 2020
I've Received my PPP Loan. Now What?
Media Mentions | September 2020
Ingram's: Structuring the Deal
News Releases | November 19, 2019
Kirstin Salzman Recognized by Ingram's as Top Rainmaker

Salzman is recognized on this list of "top-performing female lawyers" in the Kansas City area.

Outside the Office

Kirstin loves to travel, especially to places where she can enjoy the outdoors. She and her family enjoy the beach and national parks, with Yellowstone being her favorite destination to date.

Community Leadership
  • The Ina Calkins Board
  • Powell Gardens, Development Committee
  • Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art