Services for Corporate Sellers The Liberty team helps business owners, private equity groups, and corporations sell companies and maximize their financial rewards. Whether the assignment involves the divestiture of a division or subsidiary, or the sale of an entire enterprise, each of Liberty’s sale engagements begins by our obtaining a clear understanding of our client's goals and objectives, both financial and otherwise. This is the case in every assignment that Liberty undertakes, but is especially critical in sale assignments. Selling your company is one of the most important business and financial decisions you will ever make. Our experience as entrepreneurs and business owners, as well as our transaction expertise, enables us to provide firsthand insights into this critically important process. Our sale engagement services include: - Understanding your financial and other objectives and how a sale will help you meet those objectives. You may not be certain whether now is the right time to sell your company. We will talk with you on a confidential, no-obligation basis to help explore your options. Based on your goals and objectives, we can help you determine if the time is right and, if so, the best type of buyer to maximize the value of your company.
- Reviewing your company’s financial, technical, product, customer, market, personnel, property, and other key characteristics.
- Analyzing tax, franchise, license, intellectual property, and other elements critical to appropriate deal structuring.
- Determining a realistic, fair market valuation for your company or business unit.
- Preparing sales information and materials. We will work with you to prepare a Confidential Information Memorandum and associated marketing materials that will highlight the strengths of your company and present your business in a professional manner.
- Determining financial and other screening criteria for acceptable buyers. Beyond financial resources, a high-quality buyer generally brings critical operational, technology, management, or other business synergies. We will help you identify high-quality strategic and financial buyers.
- Contacting potential buyers either directly or through select intermediaries.
- Maintaining confidentiality at all times through appropriate non-disclosure arrangements.
- Providing buyers with confidential marketing materials. We work closely with buyers to help them understand your business and how an acquisition will advance their strategies and objectives.
- Arranging introductory meetings, site visits, and supplemental information.
- Reviewing and analyzing initial proposals and offers.
- Participating in negotiations. We will work on your behalf to structure the best deal possible and will act as an intermediary to facilitate discussions and the flow of constructive ideas between the parties.
- Supporting you in due diligence in conjunction with your management team, consultants, attorneys, and other professionals.
- Assisting you in closing the transaction. We will work with you, your attorneys, accountants, and other professionals to successfully complete the sale.
Strategic acquirors versus private equity groups We often discuss the merits of strategic (i.e., industrial) versus financial (i.e., private equity or buyout group) buyers with prospective clients. Strategic buyers may appear to be the most likely candidate to acquire your business. However, private equity groups have become a major force in building businesses and in consolidating industries. In addition to our database of strategic buyers, we maintain contacts with numerous private equity groups, developing knowledge that is critical to both our funding and sale engagements. Private equity groups are more than just a source of deal financing. They often are looking to acquire specific businesses, either as an entrée to a new industry or as an addition to a specific company in which they already own an interest. They are professional buyers with access to capital and generally do not raise the same concerns (e.g., are they serious or just interested in a looking at my technology, customer list, key employees?) as strategic buyers. In addition, involving private equity groups often assists us in maximizing the value of a business in a sale process. For example, the involvement of a private equity group may discourage an obvious strategic buyer from undervaluing a target by creating a more competitive process. In addition, depending on your specific situation (e.g., if you have built a strong management team that would like to take the business forward), private equity groups may present distinct advantages over strategic buyers. Because of the varied and generally complementary attributes of strategic and financial buyers, we oftentimes recommend a sales process involving both select industrial buyers and targeted private equity groups. Please contact us To discuss a sale or divestiture project or to have a confidential, no-obligation discussion regarding your company, please contact us directly or take a moment to complete the following form:
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