Defying Convention in M&A: Howard Turk on Industry Focus and Workflow-Driven Deals | Ep. 158

What happens when an attorney who never accepted the status quo builds an M&A firm? On this episode of The M&A Mastermind Podcast, host Nick Olsen talks with Howard Turk, founder and managing director of Turk & Company. Howard started his career running a high-volume real estate conveyancing law firm in Canada and later became a title insurance executive. He went on to build the leading M&A firm for the title insurance industry and has since added a health sciences practice. He explains why sector expertise helps advisors find the “small leaks” that sink great deals, and how a workflow-driven process took his firm’s largest deal from engagement to close in five months. He also explains why a blog with a 40%+ open rate brings in more clients than chasing them does.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

  • How Howard went from practicing law to title insurance to building an M&A firm
  • Why sector-specific bankers can spot risks and value that generalists miss
  • Industry checks Howard uses during diligence, including escrow loss ratios and asking for the seller’s training manual
  • How asking “why” five times led to a simpler, faster deal process
  • Why Howard uses a short summary and a two-stage data room instead of a long marketing book
  • How pairing industry experts with investment bankers improves valuation, buyer lists, and diligence
  • How thought leadership and a well-written blog attract clients without chasing them
  • How Howard decides which clients to take on and which to turn away
  • How pre-sale consulting on margins, integrations, and vendors can raise a company’s value
  • How to close large deals remotely, and when meeting in person still matters
  • Why emotional intelligence and communication matter more than financial skill

About the Guest:

Howard Turk is the founder and managing director of Turk & Company. Turk & Company is a FINRA-registered investment bank that offers M&A, capital raising, and strategic advisory services to businesses in title insurance, settlement services, appraisal management, and health sciences. Howard is a real estate attorney turned investment banker with more than 30 years of experience in the title industry in the U.S. and internationally. He previously ran a high-volume real estate conveyancing law firm and served as head underwriter for First American’s direct lender business. Turk & Company has completed more title industry transactions than any other independent firm in the U.S. Howard is also a best-selling author, columnist, and frequent speaker at industry events, including ALTA ONE. Learn more at turkandco.com or connect with Howard on LinkedIn.

About the Show:
The M&A Mastermind Podcast provides actionable insights and effective strategies tailored for dealmakers in the lower middle market. Hosted by Nick Olsen, the show features conversations with leading industry experts who share valuable knowledge on topics such as industry intelligence, deal management, collaborative successes, and specialized expertise. Listeners who support small to medium-sized business owners will find practical tactics and advice they can immediately apply to advance their mastery in mergers and acquisitions.

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