Ellsworth Court Advisors | M&A and Capital Markets Advisory

A man reading at a desk in a wood-shelved library

Fewer clients, closer attention

Ellsworth Court accepts a limited number of assignments each year. That choice lets our senior people do the work themselves instead of passing it to a junior team after the first meeting.

Those who hire us usually own or run an established private business, as founder, family member, or manager; others are companies and investors hoping to buy one. Most arrive with one question: what is the wisest next step for the business and for the people who own it?

Owner-side onlyWe never act for both the buyer and the seller in the same transaction.
Every route consideredSelling outright, selling a stake, bringing in equity, or borrowing: we weigh each before recommending one.
Quiet by defaultYour name, figures, and intentions are released only with your written consent.

What we do for owners

Six engagements cover most of our work. Open any row to read what it involves.

Where our experience runs deepest

Our bankers have advised owners across the industries below and know the buyers, lenders, and investors active in each one.

A dentist treating a patient in a bright clinic — **Healthcare services**Clinics, practice groups, and outsourced care

A large cutting machine in a factory hall — **Industrial manufacturing**Fabrication, machining, and engineered products

Warehouse racking stacked with boxed goods — **Distribution and logistics**Wholesale, warehousing, and supply chain services

Builders in hard hats on a scaffold of a building under construction — **Construction and engineering**Specialty contractors and engineering firms

A long aisle of server cabinets in a data center — **Technology and software**Managed services, software, and infrastructure

An aerial view of farmland in long strips of crops — **Food and agribusiness**Growers, processors, and farm suppliers

A craftsman holding a roll of leather in his workshop — **Consumer products**Specialty makers and branded goods

Professionals working at laptops along a wooden desk — **Professional services**Accounting, consulting, and business support

How an engagement unfolds

Five stages carry every assignment from introduction to signing. Choose a stage to see what happens in it.

Hands making notes in a notebook during a meeting

Stage 1 of 5

Assessment

We study the company closely: its financial record, customers, people, and standing in its market. You come away with a candid view of value and of the questions a buyer or investor will almost certainly raise.

A man reading and taking notes at a library table

Stage 2 of 5

Preparation

Before anyone outside the firm sees a page, the financial model is built, the offering materials are written, and a secure data room is organized, so the company is presented clearly and consistently.

Four colleagues listening closely in a meeting

Stage 3 of 5

Outreach

A short, deliberate list of acquirers, investors, or backers is approached under confidentiality. Everyone works to the same timetable, which keeps momentum up and the comparison fair.

Two businessmen shaking hands in a bright corridor

Stage 4 of 5

Negotiation

Proposals are weighed on value, structure, and certainty of closing. We press the strongest parties to improve and settle the main points in a letter of intent or a term sheet.

Hands holding a pencil over a printed agreement

Stage 5 of 5

Closing

Working beside your attorneys and accountants, we manage diligence and the final documents and resolve issues as they surface, until the transaction is signed and funded.

Polished stone columns between tall dark windows

Questions we hear first

Short answers to what owners usually ask before a first meeting.

Who are your typical clients?

Owners of established, profitable private businesses, most often founders and families, plus the companies and investors that want to acquire such businesses.

Do we need to have decided to sell?

Not at all. Many clients first speak with us a year or more before any transaction, to understand their options and what would strengthen value in the meantime.

Can you compare a sale with raising capital?

Yes. We work on sales and on financings, so we can lay the two side by side and show how each affects the money you receive, the say you keep, and how long it takes.

How is confidentiality protected?

Your company stays anonymous until each interested party has signed a confidentiality undertaking, and every further disclosure waits for your approval.

Is there a cost to an introductory conversation?

No. It is free, and you owe us nothing afterwards.

Marble columns and a carved stone stair rail on a neoclassical building

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.co
Email us

The owner’s side of the table