Professional and discreet M&A mediation and consultancy in relation to the purchase and sale of businesses, including but not limited to, classic sales to third parties as well as management buyouts and buy-ins (MBO/MBI), leveraged buyouts (LBOs), owner buyouts (OBO), family buyouts (FBO)

Our sales advice and guidance is initiated with a tailored business transfer report. This report is driven by a specific situation, objectives are formalised and the business is analysed, which is translated into clear and practical advice, including a professional valuation with advice to optimise the value and marketability of the company.

Further assistance with the implementation of the advice to optimise the (future) sale may be provided if required.

Once the first step is taken towards selling the company, we create a professional information memorandum and, in conjunction with our clients, start discretely and proactively looking for suitable potential buyers and then negotiating until the final transfer of the business.

We can provide support and added value in the following situations:

You want to sell (sell-side)

• You are the owner/shareholder and wish to sell to third parties:
  
  • employees or managers of your company (MBO) or the existing co-shareholders;
  • external managers or management buyin candidates (MBI);
  • a (family) investment group, wealthy individual or a (smart) private equity investor;
  • a competitor, sector peer, customer, supplier (trade sale);
  • a combination of the above.
• You are the owner/shareholder and wish to sell to a professional investor but you want to stay operationally on board and keep a majority or minority equity stake after the transaction. You realise a portion of the company's equity now which can be justified from a diversification point of view or for other personal reasons (LBO/OBO)

You want to buy (buy-side)

• You are a co-owner/shareholder and wish to buy out one or more existing co-shareholders;
• You are currently involved in the company but want to increase your equity stake (MBO);
• You are considering buying into a company in which you are not currently a shareholder (MBI);
• You are the owner/manager of a domestic or foreign company and wish to accelerate your growth via further add-on acquisitions, requiring advice on a market search and in identifying, analysing and anonymously approaching interesting (Belgian) acquisition targets;
• You are a professional investor and wish to build a portfolio of investments, by way of a buy & build strategy, in a particular industry or niche market.

Advising on and supporting a family business succession strategy taking into account the interests and needs of all family members involved within the relevant inheritance and legal framework.

We facilitate and coordinate the family business transfer process and involve all existing counsellors. We add the appropriate specialists into the process if required. Crucial in any family business transfer process is to take into account personal and family issues, as well as strategic, financial, tax, legal and inheritance issues. We therefore use a 360-degree approach in which all these aspects are taken into account.

We deliver a tailor-made family business transfer plan with all possible transfer scenarios. All pros and cons are identified and applied to the specific situation of the company and family.

Our objective and independent review of the situation is often appreciated, as it is not always easy to make a distinction between personal & family issues and business matters.

If requested, we can also assist and coordinate the implementation of the family business transfer plan.