Help Protect and Maximize Business Value
Reduce owner dependence
Confirm adequate insurance
Strengthen alignment between owners and employees
Enter into strategic buy-sell agreements
Readiness to Purchase and Sell
Keep records of business decisionsDocument and protect business assets, including intellectual property and other intangibles
Make business agreements transferable
Valuation
Coordinate with a valuation professionalBe aware of material factors that affect value
Contingency planning to preserve value
Financing
Debt vs. equity financingTraditional or SBA-backed loans
Secured vs. unsecured debt
Personal guarantees
Due Diligence
Coordinate with accounting and other professionals
Legal, financial, and operational fact-checking
Identify required third-party consents
Assess litigation and other liability risks
Transition Path Selection
RecapitalizationFamily succession
Strategic buyer
Management buyout
Structuring an M&A Event
Stock sale vs. asset sale
Evaluate tax-free reorganization options
Purchase price escrows, earn-outs, and adjustments
Tax planning (special elections, installment sales, like-kind exchanges, adjustments of basis)
Deducting vs. capitalizing costs
Definitive Agreements
Allocation of risk between buyers and sellersEstate tax planning and reduction
Philanthropy/charitable giving