Business Lawyer Master Class Series: Mergers & Acquisitions 2026

Paul T. Rushton, Esq. is a partner with the law firm of Rosenn, Jenkins & Greenwald, LLP and is the Chair of its Business & Finance Department. Paul practices exclusively in the areas of corporate law and mergers and acquisitions and frequently advises clients on governance issues and preparing for the sale of their business. Paul is a member of the Title 15/Business Associations Committee of the Section on Business Law of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Section’s Council and the Section’s Closely Held Business Committee. Paul is the current Vice Chair of the Business Law Section and Chair of the Section’s Closely Held Business Committee. He regularly presents seminars and prepares articles about corporate issues affecting closely held businesses.

Michael D. Ecker is Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Business Law Section and serves as a course planner for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s Business Lawyer Master Class Series, successor to the PBA BLS’s long-standing Business Law Institute. A frequent lecturer and author, he has presented numerous continuing legal education programs on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, business transactions, healthcare law, technology licensing, and emerging business issues. Mr. Ecker retired from Eckert Seamans following more than four decades of corporate and transactional practice representing entrepreneurs, closely held and emerging businesses, financial institutions, healthcare organizations, and other business clients. He continues to advise a limited number of long-time clients on selected business law matters. An active leader in the Pennsylvania legal community, Mr. Ecker has served in numerous leadership positions within the Pennsylvania Bar Association Business Law Section and is committed to advancing the education and professional development of business lawyers throughout the Commonwealth. Outside his legal practice, Mr. Ecker serves on the Board of Directors of Children’s Guidance Resource Centers, Inc., and volunteers with First Tee and Wissahickon Trails. Mr. Ecker earned a B.A. in Economics from Northwestern University and a J.D./M.B.A. from Emory University. He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and before the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Pennsylvania and holds an AV® Preeminent™ peer rating from Martindale-Hubbell®.Mr. Ecker can be reached at [email protected].

Ernest D. Holtzheimer is a member of the Business Division at the Philadelphia office of Eckert Seamans. An experienced transactional attorney, he has assisted numerous U.S. and international clients in transformative mergers and acquisitions and complex commercial transactions valued in excess of $2.5 billion across multiple industries, including manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, food and beverage, e-commerce and retail, education, software, and industrial and business services. Ernie serves as outside general counsel to a number of emerging and middle market companies, advising such clients on their entity formations, capital raises (convertible debt, SAFEs, and priced financings), restructurings, supply and services agreements, material vendor contracts, loan documentation, and merger and acquisition activities. He also often assists clients with ownership disputes and succession planning transactions. Outside of his practice, Ernie serves as the Managing Director of an institutional venture fund and as an adjunct professor, teaching classes such as Contract Drafting, Technology Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship & Innovation. He is a graduate of Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law, cum laude (JD); Rowan University, William G. Rohrer College of Business (M.B.A., finance specialization and B.S., Entrepreneurship and Business Management); and University of California, Berkeley School of Law and National Venture Capital Association (VC University Certificate Program). He is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Bob founded Murphy McCormack Capital Advisors in 2005 after a successful career in financial services. He is the former president & chief executive officer of SunBank, a regional financial services company with more than $1 Billion in assets. As CEO, he negotiated and implemented numerous acquisitions. With more than 25 years of financial services experience, Bob also has extensive financing expertise and contacts. As a former head of commercial lending and as a former commercial loan relationship manager, Bob witnessed first-hand the need in the market for professional merger & acquisition services and transition planning assistance, particularly with privately-held, middle market companies. This led him to establish Murphy McCormack Capital Advisors. Bob has attained the designations of Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Merger & Acquisition Master Intermediary (M & AMI), and Certified Business Intermediary. Bob is a Registered Representative of and securities are offered through Ceiba Financial, LLC. Member FINRA/SIPC. Murphy McCormack Capital Advisors and Ceiba Financial, LLC are separate and unaffiliated entities.

Michael Mufson has almost 30 years experience as an investment banker to middle market companies. Prior to the founding of Mufson Howe Hunter in 2004, he served as the founder and head of equity capital markets for Commerce Bancorp (now TD Bank). His prior role as managing director and head of investment banking for Janney Montgomery Scott LLC oversaw the growth and development of investment banking from a few professionals to a significant regional investment banking group. Mr. Mufson was a founding partner of the Philadelphia investment bank Foley Mufson Howe & Company, acquired by Janney Montgomery Scott in 1994. He started his investment banking career with Butcher & Singer (now Wells Fargo/Wachovia) in 1981 and became head of investment banking and under his leadership built its corporate investment banking group to be among the most active and prominent regional investment banks. Mr. Mufson started his career with Arthur Young & Company (now Ernst & Young) in their national management consulting group. Mr. Mufson has extensive transactional experience having completed hundreds of merger & acquisition transactions, private placements, recapitalizations, IPO’s, follow-on financings, and advisory assignments. During his career, Mr. Mufson has served as a director of numerous public and private companies and has acted as general partner in venture capital and private equity funds. He received his B.A. and M.B.A. degrees from George Washington University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Jonathan M. Schor is a Director at Mufson Howe Hunter & Company. Prior to joining the firm, he was with LBC Credit Partners as a Vice President. Mr. Schor primarily advises sell-side and recapitalization transactions in our four industry verticals: business services, consumer products & e-commerce service, industrial & manufacturing and technology services. Additionally, Jonathan directs the firm’s debt placement practice to support our clients growing needs in the credit markets. Mr. Schor received his B.B.A. from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.

Erika Miller focuses her practice on corporate law and real estate transactions, representing small and large businesses, financial institutions, real estate developers and investors, as well as private clients. She assists with drafting and due diligence in financing, real estate, corporate reorganizations, and M&A transactions. She has negotiated transactional documents, including loan agreements, security instruments, purchase and sale agreements, and commercial leases, representing borrowers, banks, buyers and sellers. She works with clients to understand their issues and anticipate their needs. Problem-solving and getting work done quickly and correctly are some of her greatest assets.