Middle Market M and A

An in-depth and practical exploration of middle-market mergers and acquisitions from leading experts in the field

In this Second Edition of Middle Market M & A: Handbook for Advisors, Investors, and Business Owners, M&A experts Kenneth H. Marks, Christian W. Blees, Michael R. Nall, and Thomas A. Stewart deliver a comprehensive overview of mergers, acquisitions, and divestiture transactions of privately held companies with annual revenues between $5 and $500 million.

This handbook is a practical, field-tested reference and playbook for selling, buying, and recapitalizing businesses with private equity and strategic buyers in mind. Middle Market M&A is written to provide a real-world roadmap for middle-market transactions. Rather than a purely academic treatment, it focuses on the actual frictions of privately held deals: imperfect information, tax complexity, financing constraints, and post-closing issues.

 You’ll learn how to:

• Prepare a middle-market business for sale and avoid mistakes that diminish value
• Design a sell-side process that attracts the right buyers
• Navigate deal structures, rollover equity, and management incentives
• Anticipate tax, legal, and financing issues that can derail middle-market transactions

This is an excellent guide for owner transitions and exit planning. Grounded in extensive transaction experience and industry knowledge, this handbook provides proven strategies, frameworks, perspectives, and concepts to improve the likelihood of getting a middle market transaction completed while preserving and enhancing value. It is a go-to resource for attorneys, accountants, investment bankers, M&A advisors, exit planners, investors, corporate development, and business owners.

KENNETH H. MARKS is Founder and Managing Partner of High Rock Partners, a boutique firm of strategic and M&A advisors. He is an expert in mergers, acquisitions, and financing of emerging growth and middle market companies.

CHRISTIAN W. BLEES is President and CEO of BiggsKofford Certified Public Accountants and BiggsKofford Capital Investment Bank. He is the lead instructor of the Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA) credentialing program.

MICHAEL R. NALL is Founder of Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors and a recognized speaker on the valuation, growth, and sale of middle market companies.

THOMAS A. STEWART served as Executive Director of the National Center for the Middle Market, and Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of Harvard Business Review.