December, 2016     
MidMarket Talk:
Welcome
New Members
Please join us in welcoming our new members   to the Alliance community!

 

Visit our Member Directory to find Alliance Members near you! 

Join Today!
Why Become a 
Member of  The Alliance?
  • Gain access to valuable 
    MemberBenefit technology platforms
  • Gain a valuable network of M&A expert resources
  • Be featured in our Member Directory, accessible to the public
  • Receive discounted rates to AM&AA events

Attend a Chapter Meeting Near You!
Gulf Coast Chapter Meeting
Thursday, January 12th 
Registration Coming Soon! 

Central PA Chapter Meeting
Wednesday, February 22nd
Registration Coming Soon! 

DC/VA/MD Chapter Meeting
Wednesday, February 22nd
Registration Coming Soon! 

The following chapters are in the development stages. Want to be more involved with a new chapter in your area?

Email  Ronnie Lyall to set up a call with our Director of Member Services, David Belew for more information:
  • North
  • South Carolina
  • Florida
  • Rocky Mountains (Denver)
  • Northern California
  • Central Valley California
  • Southern California
  • Brazil
  • China
  • Puerto Rico
Register for 2017 CM&AA Class!
 
February 27 - March 3
May 8 - 12
September 18 - 22
October 23 - 27

The Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA) Certification has become the "Gold Standard" for Middle Market Corporate Financial Advisors. The 5-day program builds on your existing skills providing you with the necessary framework--and network--to further advance your professional and financial goals as well as those of the clients you serve.

Register  here.

We are pleased to introduce you to the latest group of Alliance members who have earned their CM&AA credentials. Please help us congratulate them on receiving their CM&AA designation.

Click here for list.

Industry Events


Palais des Festivals
Cannes, France
January 25-27th 2017

Structured as a marketplace to foster business opportunities between private and institutional investors, investment funds, service providers and business owners seeking to support their company's development, the International Private Equity Market (IPEM) is the worlds' biggest Private Equity tradeshow to gather the whole value chain of the PE industry. 

Alliance Members can save 15% by using the code: AMAA17

For more information and registration click here
 
Build Your Brand 
  







The Alliance is excited to expand our Website with the addition of a Speakers Bureau page. The Alliance reaches out to members to speak at various events and programs and in turn we often receive inquiries for speaker suggestions on various M&A and financial topics. Inclusion in the Speakers Bureau page is an excellent opportunity to build brand recognition and help grow the M&A ecosystem of the future. As a reminder, speaking opportunities also count toward CPE credits for our CM&AA credentialed members. For inclusion in the Speaker Bureau page launch, please complete this short form by December 30, 2016. Click here to begin.

Recognizing Members

With over 33,000 subscribers, MidMarket Talk is a great place for Alliance members to be featured! Members, s ubmit your articles and media trades to  Tracy Flack.
  • Send us your completed deal tombstones
  • Tell us about your speaking engagements
  • Send us your articles or white paper summaries

Thank You Alliance Members and 
MidMarket Talk S ubscribers!


On behalf of the Alliance staff, I want to thank all of our members and subscribers for another fantastic year. We are gratified that the MidMarket Talk newsletter and Alliance initiatives continue to be viewed as valuable resources to the M&A community. Due to the dedication and commitment of our members and subscribers, in 2016 we saw:
  • Tremendous growth in Chapter activity. We have grown from 8 chapters at the end of 2015 to 14 active chapters today. We have 10 more chapters in formation across the country and project that Chapter growth will continue to ramp up in 2017 as members recognize them as opportunities to grow strong networks and build their business connections
  • On the Global Front, with the cooperation with an alliance partner IR Global and member input we produced a research white paper on Cross Border M&A in the private middle market. We met with many International members at the Europe Chapter Meeting in Amsterdam.     
  • An important milestone with the Alliance's offering of the 50th Certified M&A Advisor (CM&AA) credentialing program. 52 CM&AA classes have now been presented, and graduates of this industry leading program have distinguished themselves as M&A professionals who have mastered a comprehensive body of essential knowledge and also have committed to staying abreast of continuing new developments.
  • Another successful year of conference programming for the Alliance's bi-annual Conferences and famous Deal Bash, which features over two hours of networking with middle market intermediaries and investment bankers who are coming to Deal Bash with solid transactional opportunities. We are especially excited to announce the Thought Leader of the Year Award at our 2017 Winter Conference, February 1-3 at the Bellagio, Las Vegas were we are expecting more deals and more investment bankers than ever. 
These accomplishments and many more would not be possible without you and we want to express a special thank you for being part of the Alliance community . As we begin our 19th year, we look forward to an exciting 2017 and wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday.

Sincerely,
David Belew
Director, Member Services

Congratulations to our
Thought Leader of the Year Finalists!
 
 
We were extremely fortunate this year to have an abundance of strong nominees. Our five finalists had a tremendous impact on the middle market M&A field and represent some of the finest work and research in the market.  For the 2016 Middle Market Thought Leader of the Year, our judges have selected the following five finalists:
  • Kalle Kilpi, Founder, Midaxo, developed an M&A management software that manages M&A deal pipelines, proceed through due diligence and integration activities.
  • Kenneth Marks, Founder/Managing Partner, High Rock Partners, Inc, offers a "how to" guide for maximizing the full potential of your business in less than 50 pages in his book "Value Levers".
  • Christopher Snider, President/CEO, Exit Planning Institute, empowers business owners and advisors to proactively embrace exit planning as a management and life planning system that enables best-in-class performance in the owner's financial, business and personal life in his book "Walking to Destiny".
  • Bill Snow, Managing Director, Jordan, Knauff & Company for his articles on "Misconceptions and Realities When Hiring an Investment Banker" and "How to Check an Investment Banker's References."
  • Richard Zytkowicz, Managing Director, LM+Co adds insightful metrics and a pulse on the market in his report "Middle-Market Investment Banking"
We hope to see you at the 2017 Winter Conference, February 2nd at the Bellagio, Las Vegas where the winner will be announced during the Networking and Thought Leader of the Year Awards Luncheon!

2017 Winter Conference
Early Bird Rate Extended &  Sponsorship Benefits
 
 
2017 Winter Conference
The First Great Deal of the Year!

Join fellow champions in the M&A MidMarket place on February 1, 2017 to celebrate the strength of the market. We're upping the ante this year by kicking things off with  Deal Bash  on Wednesday afternoon. Make the deal of your life and lay the pipeline for your future at this coveted event. Times have never been better to make a deal - strike while the iron is hot!  The odds are in YOUR favor at the 2017 Winter Conference in Las Vegas.  
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Our Gift to You - Early Bird Rates Extended!

Save $200 On Standard Rates When You Register By
Thursday, December 22, 2016 
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Benefits of Sponsorship!

Are you utilizing the AM&AA community and its resources to the best of your ability?  How can you do this? Simple... Become a sponsor at our Winter Conference!
 
As a sponsor you will be able to benefit from the Winter Conference in a number of ways both personally and professionally:  
  • Enhance your professional network. With over 400 attendees at the Winter conference every attendee will be a vetted and qualified member of the community providing the perfect platform to connect.
  • Raise brand awareness.  With access to a booth or our deal lounge you will have a sophisticated and dedicated area to discuss your company, its benefits, and potential business opportunities with others in the industry.
  • Continued Education. Surrounding yourself with the leading professionals of the industry alongside the tools and platforms they use you will ensure you and your company are following all market trends leaning towards future success. 
Register here to become a sponsor for the Winter Conference. The sponsor space is limited and it will be first come first serve. 

Member Highlight


 

Members Share Their Expertise:
Matthew Lea on Retention Funds
Riverside Escrow Limited
It is common for business acquisitions to contain one or more of the following elements: i) deferred consideration; ii) retention funds (e.g. against warranty and indemnity claims); or iii) an earn out. Whilst the three elements differ in their nature, they all have one thing in common and that is they require funds to be released following completion of the acquisition, either on an agreed date or on the fulfillment of certain criteria (e.g. a warranty claim).
 
For full article click here.
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Members Share Their Expertise:
Scott Whitaker on Leadership
Global PMI Partners
  For many companies, an M&A event is the one of the most intense and seemingly chaotic periods they will ever experience. Think of all of the things that are can be "in play" when planning an integration:
  • The company's strategic direction and business focus
  • Corporate leadership and governance structures
  • Individual roles & and responsibilities
  • Policies, processes, and business practices
  • Corporate office and facility locations
  • Financial performance
  • Reprioritization of business investment and capital allocations
  • Product and service portfolios
  • IT and operating infrastructures
  • Suppliers and customer mix
For full article click here


James Hill  
(1953  2 016)


Longtime member and friend,  James Hill, a former managing partner at regional Cleveland law firm  Benesch  well-known for his work in the private equity sector, died on Tuesday, December 13, according to the firm. He was 63.  Hill was a partner at Benesch for nearly 30 years, having joined the firm in 1987.

In a message shared by the firm, Hill was heralded as a "consummate deal maker with exceptional business acumen."  The Alliance extends its deepest sympathies to Jim's family and friends. 
Interested in Becoming A Member?

Members of the Alliance of M&A Advisors (The Alliance) represent businesses ranging from $5 to $500 million in transaction value. Membership with The Alliance provides access to a worldwide network of 1,000 Independent M&A Professionals, exclusive pricing on conferences, certification and training opportunities, special discounts on cutting edge software, as well as speaking and publishing opportunities. 


 
Thank You to Our Partners

For Sponsorship Opportunities, call 312-856-9590 or email info@amaaonline.org
  

Contact Us
222 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60601
 
The Alliance of M&A Advisors® 
(The Alliance) is the premiere International Organization serving the educational and resource needs of the middle market M&A profession. Formed in 1998 to bring together CPAs, attorneys and other experienced corporate financial advisors, the Alliance's 1000+ professional services firms - including some of the most highly recognized leaders in the industry-draw upon their combined transactional expertise to better serve the needs of their middle market clients worldwide.