Consulting

Looking for a new perspective on your business? Or the extra brain power and objectivity that an as-needed CFO brings? Many of our clients use our services to sculpt, facilitate and implement forward- thinking strategic plans with actionable tactics that yield higher and more sustainable performance.

• Business plan preparation
• Forecast and projections
• Outsourced CFO services
• Benchmarking
• Management transition and succession planning
• Emerging companies planning and financing
• Lender relations and financing assistance
• Strategic planning
• Strategy retreat facilitation

Do you need more time to focus on sales and operations, strategic planning initiatives or a potential acquisition but find yourself resolving, performing or held back by day-to-day accounting activities?  We work with your senior management team to help stabilize accounting functions; restore financial reporting integrity, timeliness and analysis; implement efficient and appropriate accounting policies and procedures; and if needed, assist with a reorganization of financial management. 

• Financial reporting compliance with GAAP
• Trial balance account analysis
• Reconstruction and restatement of prior period financial statements
• Review of financial statement and management report formats
• Development and implementation of accounting and reporting policies, procedures and controls
• Review of accounting and finance organizational structures
• Implementation of effective cash management policies and assistance with creditor relationships
• Design and implementation of financial models and analysis
• Accounting system conversion planning
• Capital restructuring initiatives

As a business owner, you may want to sell or enter into a merger or acquisition at some point in your company’s life cycle. We analyze the big picture, evaluating alternatives, determining strategy and identifying risks and opportunities while understanding your personal goals and objectives in order to present a compelling and transparent picture to potential buyers.

As a strategic or financial buyer or creditor, you want to know whether the target’s financial information driving the deal is real or illusory; whether the initial value proposition remains as attractive.  We provide an independent assessment of the accuracy of the financial information and offer insight on what the financial information indicates about the business.

• Preparation of sales packages or memos
• Transaction structure documentation and review
• Due diligence
• Transaction negotiations
• Liquidation or reorganization
• Buy-sell agreement terms
• Allocation of acquisition price
• Evaluation of prospective financing, including preparation of financing packages
• Post-transaction integration
• Projections and forecasts
• Required tax filings

Knowing the economic value of your business is important to your short-term and long-term financial goals.  Whether your needs include tax compliance, financial reporting, or corporate valuations, we are here to help by objectively valuing your business and preparing you for the future.

Tax Compliance

• Closely held stock for estate and gift tax planning and compliance
• Charitable deductions
• Corporate restructurings
• Family limited partnerships and limited liability companies
• Connection with Subchapter S status

Financial Reporting

• Purchase price allocation studies
• Goodwill and intangible impairment studies
• Employee stock options
• Related valuation and consulting services

Corporate Valuation

• Buy/sell agreements
• Asset and equity allocation
• Annual ESOP valuations

Your financial aspirations, personal or company-wide, are realized by our investment advisors.  Our team creates objective competent investment solutions customized to meet the needs of individuals, corporate retirement plans, endowments and foundations.

Investment Management and Consulting

• Establish clear and reasonable goals
• Determine appropriate risk profile, time horizon and cash flow needs
• Formalize asset allocation and portfolio management parameters
• Ongoing performance review and monitoring of investments within portfolio
• Monitor economic conditions, taxes, expenses and results toward meeting defined goals

Portfolio Management

• Develop broad strategic asset allocation (stocks, bonds, cash) to meet risk and return objectives
• Tactical allocation to asset classes within equity and fixed income markets
• Select appropriate managers, indexes and exchange-traded funds to implement overall strategy
• Defined review process of market conditions, adjustment of investment selections and rebalancing of portfolio as needed

Financial Planning

• Review and evaluate income needs, asset allocation, liabilities, insurance coverage, investment portfolio and estate planning
• Establish and prioritize “financial life” goals
• Ongoing monitoring and measurement of progress towards meeting “financial life” goals and objectives

Qualified Retirement Plan Consulting/Fiduciary Consulting

• Fiduciary Review Financial Advice Program
• Education Services
• Right Path^SM  Financial Advice Program

You have a vision of where you would like to take your business.  Our team is here to help you achieve this vision successfully.  Our investment bankers assist clients by helping define shareholder objectives, developing options, devising financial strategies and executing those strategies on the best available terms.  Our team stays current with market trends and creates a variety of customized capital structures that support your company’s business plan and financial objectives.

Defining shareholder objectives

• Growth
• Stability
• Value creation
• Value preservation
• Exit

Raising growth capital

• Debt
• Mezzanine financing
• Structured financing
• Equity

Advising on significant transactions

• Full or partial sale
• Recapitalization
• ESOP
• Management buy-out
• Acquisition of another company
• Restructuring

Despite their low public profile, Employee Stock Ownership Plans are quite prevalent; however only when they have a connection to a poor outcome do they grab the headlines.  As a result, ESOPs are highly misunderstood.  Our professionals can help demystify an ESOP and help you determine whether an ESOP may be right for your company.

• Feasibility study
• Coordinate full transaction
• Negotiate with ESOP trustee
• Source external financing
• Structure seller financing
• Negotiate seller warrants
• Develop a Management Incentive Plan
• Manage process through closing

Litigation can have a negative impact on companies — draining resources and stalling growth. We work alongside attorneys digging deeper into the economic and financial aspects of the case, and in the courtroom with expert testimony. 

Services

• Synthesize economic and financial issues underlying a business dispute or divorce and suggest economic scenarios for settlement options
• Investigate and analyze financial data
• Quantify business value, lost profits or other economic damages
• Present findings and provide input to settlement negotiations
• Provide expert reports and witness testimony
• Identify liability issues in financial reporting, SEC compliance, auditing and accounting matters
• Rebut opposing experts

Experience includes:

• Buy/sell agreements
• Dissenting shareholder actions
• Breach of contract, trust and embezzlement
• Family law and marital dissolution
• Intellectual property and infringement damages
• Business termination and interruption
• Accounting and financial reporting disputes
• Dealer, franchise and post-merger disputes

Proactively preventing or identifying fraud, theft or accounting irregularities protects your business from potential devastation.  Whether you have experienced fraud or are trying to safeguard your company against it, our team which includes Certified Fraud Examiners, acts quickly and comprehensively to provide the solutions you need.

• Analyze business records
• Conduct interviews
• Determine lost profits, income, assets or damages
• Implement corrective measures
• SEC investigation assistance
• Audit committee assistance

As part of an assurance agreement the utilization of a CISA-certified technology and security assessment can drive your business in the right direction. 

• Audit
• SAS 70 audit
• IT assessment
• IT risk assessment
• Financial accounting system evaluation

Mitigating risk is a way to safeguard your business and keep you focused on moving it forward.  Unfortunately, financial risk is abundant and may sneak up on you when you least expect it.  Our risk management team is here to help you head off issues and seize opportunities.

• Internal audit
• Internal controls
• Sarbanes-Oxley
• IT risk management solutions

In business, you want to receive the full benefit from your investment.  That is exactly what our highly experienced team helps you do through cost segregation studies.  We assist with maximizing tax depreciation deductions for federal and state income tax purposes after construction, renovation or the purchase of a building.  By coupling our deep construction industry experience with a comprehensive knowledge of tax allowances, we focus on reducing your taxes and improving your cash flow.

Property Types Benefiting from Cost Segregation Studies:

• Newly constructed buildings
• Existing building purchases
• Existing buildings undergoing significant renovation or expansion
• Leasehold improvements