The SPAC Podcast
🎙️ Welcome to The SPAC Podcast — your front-row seat to the dynamic world of Special Purpose Acquisition Companies.
Hosted by Michael Blankenship, a leading capital markets attorney and partner at Winston & Strawn LLP, and Joshua Wilson, executive producer and capital markets advisor, The SPAC Podcast brings you candid conversations, insider insights, and sharp analysis from the people shaping the future of the SPAC market.
Whether you’re a sponsor, investor, founder, attorney, banker, or just curious about the mechanics and momentum behind SPACs — this show is your go-to source for education, strategy, and real-world stories from the dealmakers behind the deals.
🚀 What You’ll Hear
In each episode, we’ll unpack:
- The structure, lifecycle, and mechanics of SPACs — from IPO to de-SPAC
- Legal and regulatory insights that matter to sponsors and targets
- Interviews with founders, investors, and advisors who’ve navigated successful transactions
- Trends and forecasts from the front lines of capital markets
- Lessons learned, deal strategies, and ways to leverage SPACs as a growth vehicle
We’re not just watching the SPAC market — we’re talking to the people building it.
🎧 Meet Your Hosts
Michael Blankenship is the Office Managing Partner of Winston & Strawn LLP (Houston) and Co-Chair of the firm’s Capital Markets practice. He has represented over 100 public companies, private equity firms, and SPACs in IPOs, M&A, de-SPACs, and securities offerings. Known for his clarity, legal acumen, and deal fluency, Michael brings unmatched insight into the regulatory, transactional, and strategic forces shaping the SPAC space.
Joshua Wilson is experienced in investment banking and the founder of multiple media brands, including The Investor Relations Podcast. With over 2,000 interviews under his belt and deep experience in real estate, private capital, and investor engagement, Josh brings a fresh voice and strategic lens to every conversation — helping connect deals with the stories and people behind them.
Together, they bridge law, finance, and media — guiding listeners through the world of SPACs with clarity, credibility, and curiosity.
🌎 Who This Show is For
- SPAC Sponsors & CEOs
- Institutional and Private Investors
- Investment Bankers & Corporate Attorneys
- Venture-backed Founders and Startups
- Private Equity & Family Offices
- Finance Professionals and Capital Markets Enthusiasts
🔔 Subscribe, Follow, and Join the Conversation
This isn’t just a show — it’s a platform for education, connection, and business development in the SPAC ecosystem. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube. New episodes drop weekly.
Follow us on LinkedIn and share the show with colleagues, clients, and fellow capital markets pros.
The SPAC Podcast
Where sponsors meet stories, markets meet momentum, and strategy meets execution.
The SPAC Podcast
The Shift in SPAC Deal Fee Structures
In this episode of The SPAC Podcast, James Graf, CEO of Graf Global Corp., shares his perspective on how backend deal costs and promote economics are evolving for SPAC sponsors and founders. With over a decade of experience leading multiple SPACs and a background in investment banking at Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch, James brings a seasoned view on what’s driving competitive changes in the market.
From the traditional three-and-a-half to four percent deferred IPO fee structure to today’s environment where reputable sponsors are negotiating little or no backend fees, James explains how this shift is impacting competition and deal-making dynamics. Whether you’re a current SPAC sponsor, prospective founder, or capital markets professional, this discussion sheds light on the practical realities of winning deals in 2025’s SPAC landscape.
Connect with the Guest:
James Graf – Learn more about his background:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-graf-745191/
View all of their episodes here:
https://www.thespacpodcast.com/guests/james-graf/
Connect with the Hosts & The SPAC Podcast:
Michael Blankenship LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeblankenship/
Joshua Wilson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Thespacpodcast
#SPACs #CapitalMarkets #SPACDeals #SponsorEconomics #DealStructures #SPACPodcast #InvestorEducation
Contact The SPAC Podcast:
https://www.thespacpodcast.com/contact/
Disclaimer:
Michael J. Blankenship is a licensed attorney and is a partner at Winston & Strawn LLP. Joshua Wilson is a licensed Florida real estate broker and holds FINRA Series 79 and Series 63 licensure. The content of this podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal, financial, or compliance advice. The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of any regulatory agency, law firm, employer, or organization.
Listeners are encouraged to consult their own legal counsel, compliance professionals, or financial advisors to ensure adherence to applicable laws and regulations, including those enforced by the SEC, FINRA, and other regulatory bodies. This podcast does not constitute a solicitation, offer, or recommendation of any financial products, securities transactions, or legal services.
Let’s Connect on LinkedIn:
👉 Michael J. Blankenship - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeblankenship/
👉 Joshua Bruce Wilson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabrucewilson/
To Contact Us or Collaborate:
Mike (00:00): How are backend deal costs and promote economics changing for sponsors and founders?
James (00:04): It's huge. I don't know if the end result is much different from the past, but the deferred IPO fee is probably the biggest issue we're seeing these days. It used to be that everybody had three-and-a-half or four percent, or eight or ten million dollars or more, in deferred IPO fee. Everybody had that, and you would go to the target and say, “This bank's going to work with us. They're going to help us market the story. We've got a good relationship. We're going to do another SPAC with them.”
If you had a billion- or two-billion-dollar deal, it was a rounding error — it didn’t matter. But if you had a smaller deal, a ten million dollar deferred IPO fee was pretty meaningful. What's different today, in the last year or so, is that you've got high-quality sponsors doing their IPOs with little or no backend fee. There are reputable banks doing these deals for very little upfront and nothing or a very small number on the backend, or a jump ball on the backend.
If I'm competing with a reputable repeat sponsor and I've got $9.8 million in deferred IPO fee while they’ve got zero, it makes it almost impossible to win that. It’s disqualifying in some cases. Almost everything we're looking at — even if it's a personal relationship and a deal I brought to the table myself — they will explore the market and talk to other folks. I get calls on every deal saying, “Hey, this guy showed up and he's got no backend fee.”