Home▻Insights▻Articles

Articles

We have compiled a library of articles written by the professionals of Mercer Capital. This library contains our most recent articles, as well as older pieces for your information.

Buy-Sell Agreements

Mercer Capital is the leading provider of buy-sell agreement valuation services in the nation. Business owners, attorneys, and other business advisors who are either subject to a buy-sell or shareholder agreement or draft these agreements will find the content here helpful.
 

View All

Latest Article

The Level of Value: Why Estate Planners Need to Understand This Critical Valuation Element of a Buy Sell Agreement

Business appraisers retained pursuant to the operation of buy-sell agreements are normally bound to prepare their valuations in accordance with the kind of value described or defined within the agreements. Confusion over an appraiser’s basis of value, either by appraisers or by users of appraisal reports, can lead to the placing of inappropriately high or low values for a buy-sell agreement transaction. Therefore, it is essential that business appraisers and the parties using appraisals are aware of the correct basis (level) of value.

Case Review

Reviews of Tax Court and other court cases addressing valuation issues of importance to shareholders and professional advisors to business are contained here.

View All

Latest Article

Kaufman v. Commissioner – Part II: Back to School on Fair Market Value

In April 1999, the Tax Court issued a decision authored by Judge David Laro in Alice Friedlander Kaufman v. Commissioner.

Corporate Valuation

Corporate valuation articles cover a broad range of topics of interest to business owners and their professional advisors.

View All

Latest Article

The Management Interview: Why It’s Important and What You Should Expect

One critical part of the valuation process is the management interview or, as it is sometimes called, the due diligence visit. The management interview provides the business appraiser with an opportunity to integrate many sources of information about a business into a logical and consistent whole. The interview also helps to complete an overall understanding of how a particular business operates. The process of preparing for and conducting a management interview requires the appraiser to develop a command of the facts and circumstances of this particular valuation case.

ESOPs

Mercer Capital understands ESOPs because we are an ESOP-owned firm. Articles included are written for Trustees and other professional advisors to ESOP companies and address a broad range of ESOP valuation issues.

View All

Latest Article

Fairness Opinions in ESOP Transactions

In our experience as financial advisors to ESOP trustee, and as an ESOP-owned company, every ESOP situation usually has unique circumstances that require specific assessment.

Financial Institutions Articles

Focusing primarily on banks, the articles contained here cover a wide array of topics, including valuation basics, financial reporting issues, transaction issues, and industry commentary.

View All

Latest Article

View from Wall Street: Rodgin Cohen at the 2012 AICPA Bank and Thrift Conference

This article summarizes Mr. Rodgin Cohen's presentation at the 2012 AICPA Conference on Banks and Thrifts on the range of complex issues affecting the banking industry.

Financial Reporting Valuation

We have broad experience with fair value issues related to public and private companies, financial institutions, private equity firms, start-up enterprises, and other closely held businesses. CFOs, controllers, and auditors, among others, will find the articles here useful.

View All

Latest Article

Valuation of Customer-Related Assets

The Appraisal Foundation recently released a discussion draft for “The Valuation of Customer-Related Assets” This article examines attributes of customer-related intangible assets and their valuation.

Industry-Related

Mercer Capital’s industry articles cover a broad range of topics of interest to business owners and their professional advisors.

View All

Latest Article

Valuation of Contingent Consideration in Medical Device M&A Transactions

Companies often use contingent consideration when structuring M&A transactions to bridge differing perceptions of value between a buyer and seller, to create an incentive for sellers who will remain active in the business post-acquisition, and other reasons. In the medical device industry, contingent consideration is most often used to manage risks related to the uncertainty of the future performance of development-stage technologies.

Litigation Support

Mercer Capital brings over 30 years of experience to the field of dispute analysis and litigation support. These articles are written to assist attorneys and other stakeholders when facing a dispute.

View All

Latest Article

Five Litigation Support Services We Provide That Might Surprise You

Business appraisers provide support to attorneys working on cases involving valuation and business damages.

Tax Compliance

Mercer Capital has been providing objective valuations for tax compliance since 1982. Estate planners, business owners, and other professional advisors will find these articles of interest.

View All

Latest Article

The Top 10 Things Estate Planners Should Know About Business Valuation

A “top 10” list of things every estate planner should know about business valuation & list of helpful resources.

Transaction Advisory

Mercer Capital has been successfully executing mergers & acquisitions for a broad spectrum of middle-market companies since the mid-1980s, as well as providing fairness opinions and other transaction-related consulting services. The articles here address topics of interest to business owners who are seeking to transition their businesses and to shareholders interested in transaction issues.

View All

Latest Article

The Importance of Fairness Opinions in Transactions

A fairness opinion is provided by an independent financial advisor to the board of directors of selling companies in many transactions today, especially those with a significant number of minority shareholders.