The SPAC Podcast: Special Purpose Acquisition Company
🎙️ 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
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The SPAC Podcast
Where sponsors meet stories, markets meet momentum, and strategy meets execution.
The SPAC Podcast: Special Purpose Acquisition Company
What an Ideal SPAC Board Should Look Like
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Chris Cottone explains how SPAC sponsors should think about board composition. From NASDAQ independence requirements to the importance of financial, legal, and M&A experience, he breaks down why a lean, well-balanced board is critical for governance and deal execution.
Disclaimer: Michael J. Blankenship is a licensed attorney and 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 for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, financial, or compliance advice. All views and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of any regulatory agency, law firm, organization, or employer. Listeners should consult their own legal counsel, compliance teams, or financial advisors to ensure adherence to applicable regulations, including SEC, FINRA, and other industry-specific requirements. This podcast does not constitute a solicitation or recommendation for any financial products or services. Let's
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Mike B: When I do form this SPAC entity and, and need a board, um, what's in your view an ideal, uh, board look like
Chris C: you have for, for NASDAQ rules, you're gonna have to have some independent board members, and typically you want the majority of your board to be. Uh, independent board members. So I like to see, we don't, you don't want a highly cluttered board on a SPAC because you're not really, you don't have operations at that point.
So, uh, a typical recommended number is a board of five, where you have two that are non independent and then three that are independent directors, and of that independent director pool. I think it's good to have some financial expertise because you need to have an audit committee. Right. Even though you're, and, and, and.
Uh, essentially a shell entity. You still need to have, pursuant to NASDAQ rules a, uh, an audit committee. So having a financial person usually doubles as a chair to the audit committee. I also think it's good to have some legal expertise, right? Just, you still, you're still gonna have contracts, um, NDAs, uh, you know, corporate policies surrounding the SPAC that need to get followed.
So it's good to have some legal oversight. On your board as well. Beyond that, I think it's great if you can have some, uh, some entrepreneurs that have gone through large m and a transactions, because that's ultimately what you're looking to do in a spac. And, uh, I mean, every now and then we, we have a SPAC where we get some star power, right?
And star power, you know, the guys that have just done the billion dollar mergers and they have the name in the market and it's, uh, it's good if you could have that. It's not required, but it's, it's, it's always helpful.