Mergers and Acquisition Advisory
Exclusive Sale Engagements
Fort Dearborn Advisors brings a combination of the rigor, professionalism and institutional quality approach of large investment banks and the personal attention and hands-on management of a boutique firm to our clients. Our professionals deliver a level of talent, experience and sophisticated transaction execution rarely found in the middle market.
We are experts at running a competitive marketing process that generates interest among a variety of buyers and investors. Our proven process continually generates the best prices, terms and conditions available in the market. Hallmarks of our comprehensive process include:
Intensive Preparation. Our operating experience enables us to gain a deeper understanding of our clients and a better feel for the universe of potential investors, buyers and financing sources. We are often able to identify and address key deal issues early in the process, thereby avoiding problems later. Many times, we are also able to recommend strategies and tactics that improve operating performance and create value during our process.
Compelling Introductory Materials. We are passionate about understanding and communicating the investment thesis of our clients. We write memoranda that are exciting and informative, but also factual. We bring credibility to the process through our command of financial data and through reliable and well-supported forecasts.
Competitive Environment. Our process is designed to create a dynamic environment where buyers or investors are compelled to make their absolute best offers. For example, we require investors or buyers to qualify for successive rounds. Firm deadlines reinforce the competitive nature of the process and continue momentum until closing. Creating and maintaining this competitive environment results in superior terms for our clients.
Persuasive Management Presentations. The management presentation is often the first time in our sale process that our clients meet face-to-face with potential acquirers. We work with management to craft convincing presentations that are tailored to emphasize the unique and attractive aspects of each client and where appropriate, the synergies available with each particular investor or acquirer.
Front-Loaded Investor or Buyer Due Diligence. Every company has concerns that need to be addressed and resolved during a transaction. We disseminate information on these items while we still have multiple suitors evaluating an opportunity so our competitive process keeps leverage in favor of our client during this critical time. This important step helps identify and resolve issues quickly, optimizes price and terms and helps avoid renegotiation.
Senior Banker Involvement Through Closing. There is no substitute for experience in a transaction. Our Managing Directors and Senior Vice Presidents give our clients close attention during every step of an engagement. While larger firms may leverage their staffs by assigning junior people to more modest sized transactions, we believe every client is important and deserves partner-level attention.