The Right Team for the Deal
When Practus attorney Mark Belongia’s client faced selling their company, Beyond Academics, he brought in fellow Practus partner Maxi Lyons, a mergers and acquisitions attorney, to help structure the deal and execute the transaction to closing. “It was a perfect combo,” says Belongia, “because Maxi’s a great technician. We worked hand in hand. Each of us has a different skill set. So, we weren’t duplicating efforts; we were complimenting each other.”
“From the outset, we had to determine how to structure the transaction so that our clients received the contingent value that was central to their objective,” says Lyons. “That component represented a substantial portion of the deal’s economics, and Mark was closely involved early on to ensure the structure met their needs while considering the tax implications for them.”
Belongia adds, “We were always on the same page, which I think is critically important for achieving the client’s objective. You remain focused on the objective, but you’re coordinating to accomplish that objective.”
When Urgency Met Delay
Despite having his attorneys perfectly aligned, Joe Abraham, managing partner of Beyond Academics, says the company’s acquisition by Core Education hit serious roadblocks. Although Core Education wanted the deal to close before the end of 2025, Abraham says its legal team was “dragging their feet.”
According to Lyons, “When key materials came in later than anticipated, our timeline immediately compressed. We moved quickly and prepared a fully responsive agreement over the weekend that incorporated our client’s input, helping ensure their position remained clearly communicated despite delays in both the delivery and review processes on the other side.”
Because of the delay, Abraham adds, “We had to agree to move everything into the new year, which meant another round of negotiations that had to be done. But rather than a simple lift and shift, opposing counsel came back with materially different language – essentially taking out all the work our legal team had done in the compressed timeline to capture the original intent of the deal.”
That meant Lyons and Belongia had to keep pressing the acquiring company to push its counsel to move the deal forward. But not everyone on the opposing side was aligned, which Belongia says created delays.
Lyons agrees. “The transaction documents we received from their junior counsel did not incorporate the deal structure, terms, and provisions our respective clients mutually agreed upon. We had to go back and coordinate with their senior counsel again, to ensure the drafts accurately reflected prior negotiations and resolve what appeared to be an internal communication gap on their side.”
Staying Steady at the Table
Abraham says there were times he and his partner were ready to walk away, but “Maxi was really excellent in providing guidance, pointing out which things were deal breakers and which deal points were less consequential – and worth giving in on. Based on how their counsel was behaving, there were several times where Maxi could have completely lost her cool, but she just kind of maneuvered the whole process really, really well, keeping us in the driver’s seat as much as possible.”
With Belongia’s strategic guidance and Lyons’ architecture and execution of the transaction, the deal got done. Core Education acquired Beyond Academics in early 2026. Abraham says, “It was the teamwork of the two of them that got us through. And we were up against a big brand firm that acted as such. But there was never a moment where our attorney team did not have an equal or greater seat at the table. I think these two did exponentially better than the other side. I won’t do another transaction without them.”
Why the Practus Model Mattered
For Belongia and Lyons, the transaction highlights how Practus attorneys collaborate across practice areas to help clients navigate complex deal dynamics, stay focused on business objectives and close under pressure.
Abraham agrees, saying, “The way Practus operates is different than any other firm I’ve dealt with. I didn’t have layers of junior associates and legal assistants to deal with. I was dealing with my partner at all times – and that is priceless when going through a transaction like this. And it didn’t matter if it was 10 p.m. on a Saturday night or the Christmas holidays—Maxi was there because she recognized that time was of the essence, and that level of care was incredibly valuable to us. The guidance and advice were invaluable, and when it was time to sign the documents, we did so with confidence – knowing that our legal team had seen around all the corners, considered all the possibilities, and positioned us for the best outcomes.”
More About Maxi Lyons and Mark Belongia
More About Maxi Lyons
Maxi Lyons is a Practus partner whose practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate transactions and strategic business counseling. She helps clients structure and negotiate deals with a practical focus on business objectives, risk allocation and closing execution.
More About Mark Belongia
Mark Belongia is a Practus partner who advises business clients on strategic transactions, corporate matters and tax-sensitive deal structures. In this transaction, he worked closely with Lyons to help the client navigate business, tax and negotiation dynamics from start to finish.
