EXPERIENCE

Bill Steffan a CPA with an MBA and his team has M&A transactional experience ranging in size and complexity from small- and mid-size transactions within a single national or regional market to multimillion dollar cross-border transactions.  Bill's greatest strength is the one-on-one attention, care and service regardless of the size of the deal.  This includes not only the transaction but more importantly - after the transaction. 

Bill's 40 years of operational and administrative experience gives a unique perspective on the strategy after the transaction.  His approach includes the "First 100 days" after the transaction.  The first 100 days are very critical because the start of the transaction life cycle will ultimately determine whether the transaction evolves from promise to performance.

What You Can Expect:

• Assistance is determining the strategy for the transaction 
• • Why?
  • What?
  • How?
  • Plan?
• Deep M&A experience
• Resources in all the disciplines that are available
• A comprehensive "First 100 Days" Plan

Eclipse-Partners will: (i) position the selling company as a strategic fit for target buyers; (ii) present the opportunity to numerous logical and capable buyers; and (iii) manage the process along a defined and orderly timeline, in order to generate the highest premium possible.  We typically identify what we are responsible for in our engagement letters as follows:

• Conduct a review of the company in order to better understand the nature of its  
  operations and value proposition to prospective partners including:
• • A review and analysis of the historical and future financial results of the company;
  • A review and analysis of operational, marketing, technical and other information regarding the factors that influence the cash flow prospects and risk dynamics of the company;
  • Discussions with management regarding the operations of the company;
  • A review and analysis of public information and other available information pertaining to the company and the industry in which it competes, and
  • A review and analysis of transactions that have taken place in recent years among businesses whose operations are similar to those of the company.
• Prepare company overview materials in consultation with the company, which will provide prospective partners with an understanding of the nature of the company and allow them to assess value;
• Conduct a search to identify suitable potential partners, guided by any criteria 
  provided by the company;
• Contact and screen potential partners;
• Assist the company in the preparation of due diligence documentation, a
  management presentation and related materials for review by possible partners;

The whole process may take six to eight months and the M&A team will spend somewhere between 300 and 500 hours on a file.  Eclipse-Partners have a lot of familiarity with legal documents and tax issues, but ultimately lawyers may be required in the areas of due diligence, purchase and sale contracts, and tax planning.

Competitive bidding between several eager buyers can result in an extraordinary price but, a completed divestiture relies on a foundation of thorough planning and process with an experienced advisory team.