Founder-owners
The business carries your name or your years of work, and its next owner deserves to be chosen with equal care.
Mergers & acquisitions
We act for owners selling a stake or the whole business, and for acquirers in pursuit of a target, from the first assessment until the funds are wired.
Preparation sets the price
Owners who sell well rarely do so by accident. The strongest outcomes come from a company that is ready to be examined, a field of buyers chosen with purpose, and a process that keeps them competing until the very end.
Our first task is to understand what a good result means to you. Price is central, but so are the buyer’s plans for your people, the terms of any role you keep, the balance between cash at closing and deferred payments, and the after-tax outcome.
Next we examine the company as an acquirer would. Questions about earnings quality, customer concentration, and management depth are settled before they can be turned against you at the negotiating table.
For acquirers, the work runs in reverse: a clear thesis, patient research, discreet first contact with owners, and the valuation discipline to walk away once the price stops making sense.
Who we work with
The clients we most often represent in M&A.
Families and shareholder groups
Several relatives or partners hold shares, and the deal must satisfy people with different goals and time horizons.
Strategic and financial acquirers
Growth through acquisition is your plan, and you need an adviser who can find the right company and secure it on sensible terms.
M&A services
Six mandates, every one run by a senior banker. Open any row for the full description.
The path to closing
Most sales close within nine months of engagement. Below, each stage with its typical length and the part you play.
- 1
Assessment
Weeks 1 to 4Your financial statements, customers, contracts, management, and competitors are reviewed, and you receive a frank range of value along with the issues bidders are likely to probe.
From you: open records and a few long working sessions.
- 2
Preparation
Weeks 4 to 10Valuation work, the confidential information memorandum, and the data room are all completed here, and the approach list is agreed line by line with you.
From you: documents on request and a careful read of each draft.
- 3
Marketing
Months 3 to 5Bidders receive an unnamed profile first. Signing a confidentiality agreement earns each one the full memorandum, a meeting with the leadership team, and a deadline for first-round proposals.
From you: rehearsal time and a seat at each management presentation.
- 4
Selection
Months 5 to 6Every offer is ranked on value, structure, and certainty. Leading bidders are pushed to improve, and terms are agreed with the preferred buyer.
From you: your call on which trade-offs to accept.
- 5
Closing
Months 6 to 9Confirmatory diligence and the purchase agreement are coordinated with your counsel and accountants until signatures are in place and funds are transferred.
From you: fast replies, and monthly results that stay on plan.
What you can rely on
Four commitments to every M&A client.
Senior attention
The senior banker in your first meeting stays on your deal to the last day.
Honest timing
If waiting would improve the result, we will tell you so.
Weekly updates
Regular reports on bidder interest and the next steps.
Aligned fees
We are paid mostly when, and only if, your sale completes.
Questions from sellers
Answers to what owners ask most often once a sale is on the table.
How is my company valued?
Buyers look at earnings, growth, customer mix, management strength, and what the company could achieve under their ownership. We give you an early range and show which factors move it.
When should I start preparing?
Twelve to twenty-four months ahead is ideal, giving room to tidy the financial records, reduce dependence on key customers or on you personally, and choose the right market moment.
Will employees and customers find out?
Only when you decide. Bidders sign confidentiality agreements before learning your identity, and we plan any announcement with you.
Which buyers will you approach?
Strategic buyers in your industry or adjacent ones, private equity sponsors, and family-controlled investment companies. The list is tailored to the company and to your priorities.
Is a partial sale possible?
Yes. A partial sale lets you realize value now, keep an equity stake, and usually continue leading the business.
Will I need to stay on?
Expect to help the new owner settle in for a while; how long is written into the agreement before anyone signs. Owners who keep equity often stay longer by choice.
What does due diligence involve?
The buyer verifies your financial, legal, commercial, and operational information before closing. Good preparation shortens this phase and limits surprises.
What do you charge?
Two parts: a modest fee each month during preparation, and the main fee on completion, scaled to the result. Both appear in the engagement letter you sign at the outset.
Write to Ellsworth Court
A few lines about the business and the step you are weighing are enough to begin. A senior banker replies personally, and nothing you send is shared.
info@ellsworthcourt.coEmail us