Joshua G. Bass

Josh is a partner in Taft’s Cleveland office and a member of the firm’s corporate group. His practice focuses on advising private equity sponsors, their portfolio companies, founders, real estate sponsors, family offices, and other public and private businesses in structuring, negotiating, and executing complex business transactions, including domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures, recapitalizations, and other strategic corporate matters. In addition to transactional work, Josh also advises management teams on day-to-day legal and operational issues that arise in running and growing their businesses. He is also a trusted counsel to venture capital funds and emerging growth companies.

Josh is known for his practical, solutions-oriented approach, working closely with management teams and investment professionals to navigate high-stakes deals on tight timelines. Clients value his ability to stay calm under pressure, coordinate across stakeholders, and keep transactions moving efficiently from term sheet through closing. Before joining Taft, Josh worked in the corporate group at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago, where he focused on private equity and other complex M&A transactions.

Private Equity and M&A

• Representation of private equity sponsors and independent sponsors in multiple platform acquisitions, add-on acquisitions, recapitalizations, and exit transactions across the manufacturing, industrials, chemicals, software and technology, healthcare, business services, financial services, and many other sectors.
• Representation of public companies and their subsidiaries in multiple acquisition and divestiture transactions.
  Representation of founder- and family-owned businesses in buy-side and sell-side transactions, including sales to private equity sponsors, strategic buyers, and public companies.
• Ongoing representation of private equity portfolio companies in connection with bolt-on acquisitions, internal restructurings, corporate matters and all strategic transactions.

Growth, Strategic Investments, and Minority Transactions

• Representation of private equity funds, strategic investors, and issuers in growth equity investments, minority investments, and other strategic financings.
• Advises clients on transactions involving rollover equity, earn-outs, seller financing, and other complex deal structures.

Real Estate and Data Infrastructure

• Representation of private equity sponsors, operators, and developers in acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, and development transactions involving industrial, multifamily, and other commercial real estate assets.
• Representation of one of the largest data center developers in the United States in connection with acquisition, joint venture, and development transactions across multiple markets.

General Corporate and Day-to-Day Advisory

• Acts as outside general counsel to family businesses, corporations, private equity firms and their portfolio companies and other private businesses on matters including governance, financing, employment, commercial contracting, and ongoing operational matters.

• “Thinking of practicing law? Cleveland makes a strong case,” Cleveland Jewish News, June 12, 2025.