Michelle R. Generaux named to LA Times 2026 Private Equity and M&A Visionaries list

Murtaugh LLP Co-Managing Partner Michelle R. Generaux was named to Business by LA Times Studios’ 2026 Private Equity and M&A Visionaries list on Aug. 19, 2026. The honor spotlights her deal work for architecture, engineering and design firms across California, as well as her decade leading the Southern California law firm.

Why it matters: - The recognition puts a spotlight on a niche M&A lawyer whose work affects how architecture, engineering and design firms are bought, sold and handed off in California. - Generaux’s practice sits at the intersection of dealmaking, ownership succession and regulatory issues that can shape whether a professional services firm grows, exits or survives. - The honor also reinforces Murtaugh LLP’s position in middle-market transactions for design professionals.

What happened: - Murtaugh LLP said Co-Managing Partner Michelle R. Generaux was named to the 2026 Private Equity and M&A Visionaries list by Business by LA Times Studios. - The list recognizes private equity and M&A leaders involved in middle-market liquidity, corporate turnarounds and enterprise transformation across the region. - Selection was based on professional achievements and significant transactions completed over the previous 24 months. - The announcement was made Aug. 19, 2026, in Irvine, California.

The details: - Generaux has spent more than a decade at Murtaugh LLP. - She served as the firm’s sole managing partner for 10 years before moving into a co-managing role with Marin T. Bradshaw. - Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity sales, strategic acquisitions and internal ownership succession. - Generaux has advised architecture and engineering firms on mergers, acquisitions and ownership transitions. - She recently represented a nationally recognized architectural firm with more than 750 employees in its acquisition of design service assets from a publicly traded international real estate company. - In that deal, Generaux led drafting and negotiation of the asset purchase agreement and advised on transition planning across offices, personnel and active projects. - She also served as lead counsel to a California-based infrastructure contractor in its sale to a private equity firm. - That transaction involved the stock purchase agreement, related financing documents, diligence, valuation and risk allocation. - Generaux has represented engineering firms in sales of ownership interests to publicly traded engineering companies. - Her work in those matters has included equity and stock purchase agreements, F-reorganizations, and lender and rollover financing coordination. - She also helps clients design shareholder agreements, buy-sell agreements and financing structures for internal succession. - Beyond deal work, Generaux serves as outside general counsel to multiple architecture and engineering firms. - Her advisory work covers pre-claim risk management, contract negotiation, employment matters and multi-jurisdiction licensing and regulatory compliance. - She is a frequent speaker at American Institute of Architects and American Council of Engineering Companies events. - Generaux also presented at the 2026 CASI Accessibility Summit. - Michael J. Murtaugh, founding senior partner of Murtaugh LLP, said few deal lawyers in Southern California understand how a design firm makes money, how licensing works across state lines and what founders need to hear when deals become personal. - Murtaugh said Generaux understands those issues and that clients keep returning to her. - Generaux is president and a board member of the Notre Dame Club of Orange County. - She founded the Notre Dame Professionals of Orange County, a network of more than 140 members. - She served as executive director of the ND2OC Community Service Endowment. - Her community involvement also includes leadership work with United Way’s 211OC project. - Murtaugh LLP was founded more than 45 years ago. - The firm provides business transactional and litigation services to architects, engineers and other professional services firms, as well as individuals and families. - Murtaugh LLP also handles complex trust and estate planning, probate, and trust and estate litigation. - The firm’s website is More information. - Murtaugh LLP’s LinkedIn page is the firm’s social profile.

Between the lines: - The honor signals that specialized legal expertise can be as important as pure deal volume in middle-market M&A. - Generaux’s focus on design professionals suggests the firm is competing on industry depth, not just transactional breadth. - Her mix of deal, general counsel and community leadership roles positions her as both a legal operator and a visible regional figure.

What's next: - Generaux is likely to continue advising architecture, engineering and contractor clients on acquisitions, ownership transitions and succession planning. - Murtaugh LLP can use the recognition to strengthen its profile with middle-market clients seeking specialized M&A counsel. - The award may also help support the firm’s broader brand in Southern California professional services markets.