Mergers & acquisitions
For deals that are bigger than a listing sheet
Strategic buyers, competitor combinations, and private-equity conversations follow a different playbook than a main-street sale. This is that playbook.
Engagements
Where M&A advisory applies
Typically companies with two to twenty-five million in revenue, multiple locations or product lines, or a management team already in place.
Sell-side representation
A targeted, competitive process. Rather than listing publicly, we identify strategic and financial acquirers who have a specific reason to pay a premium, then run them on a common timeline so you are comparing real offers side by side.
Buy-side representation
Search, outreach, and negotiation on behalf of an acquirer. Most of the best targets are not for sale — they are simply open to the right conversation with the right buyer.
Strategic and roll-up acquisitions
Add-on acquisitions for an operating company or platform: territory expansion, capability tuck-ins, and competitor consolidation, with an integration plan drafted before the offer goes out.
Partner buyouts and recapitalizations
Ownership transitions that are not a full exit — buying out a partner, bringing in a minority investor, or taking chips off the table while staying at the helm.
Deal structure
Price is one line in the agreement
Two offers with the same headline number can differ by hundreds of thousands of dollars in what actually reaches you.
Cash at close vs. deferred
Seller notes, earnouts, and holdbacks shift both timing and risk. We model what each structure pays out under realistic performance, not just the best case.
Working capital peg
The target working capital left in the business is negotiated, not assumed — and it is one of the most common places where value quietly leaks at closing.
Stock vs. asset sale
The choice drives tax treatment, liability transfer, and contract assignment. We coordinate with your CPA and attorney before the letter of intent locks it in.
Timeline
A typical engagement
- 01
Weeks 1–4: Positioning and materials
Financial review and recasting, quality-of-earnings preparation, and a confidential information memorandum that presents the company the way an acquirer underwrites it.
- 02
Weeks 4–8: Targeted outreach
A curated buyer list — strategics, platforms, and funds with a stated thesis in your space — approached under NDA on a coordinated schedule.
- 03
Weeks 8–14: Management meetings and offers
Interested parties meet leadership, then submit indications of interest. Competing interest is what turns a single offer into a negotiation.
- 04
Weeks 14–20: Letter of intent
Terms, exclusivity, and structure are negotiated in detail before diligence begins, so the deal you sign resembles the deal you close.
- 05
Weeks 20–30: Diligence and close
Financial, legal, and operational diligence is managed through a controlled data room, with weekly checkpoints to keep the timeline honest.
Timelines vary with the complexity of the business and the depth of the buyer pool. Regulated industries, multi-entity structures, and real estate components typically add time.
Discuss an M&A engagement
Whether you are exploring a sale, planning acquisitions, or restructuring ownership, start with a confidential conversation.