Investment Banking: Corporate Finance

Capital Raising (both debt and equity): Eccles Associates (EA) works on the client's behalf to obtain an offer of funds from one or more financing sources. EA advises the company on the overall strategy for raising either/both debt and equity capital from venture capitalists, commercial banks, institutional investors and other sophisticated investors in the market. EA strategically positions the company with investors to create interest in the company's offering of debt and/or equity, ensuring that the company achieves the best terms and conditions as well as price for its debt and/or equity offering through competitive bidding. EA negotiates key covenants and other critical agreement terms on behalf of the company to assure that the company achieves the optimal financing package to achieve its future financial objectives.

MBOs/MBIs: Management buying their company from an owner or holding company is a Management Buy Out, while outside management buying into an existing company is a Management Buy In. Eccles Associates assists management in both cases by: raising capital for the acquisition of the target company, determining the optimal financial structure for the transaction, valuing the target company, and advising on the legal documentation which adds significant value to management teams. In the case of an MBI, Eccles Associates assists outside management with its due diligence on the target company.

Sales of Non-Core Assets: EA assists clients to sell non-core assets to management or strategic buyers by valuing the assets, sourcing interested buyers, advising on structuring the transaction, and sourcing funds for the buyer, if necessary.

Financial Structuring: Determining the appropriate mix of debt and equity to minimize the total cost to the client, and then assisting the client to source the funds on the most advantageous/optimal terms. EA consults with a company to understand its financial objectives for the short, intermediate and long term. After understanding the company's financial goals and objectives, EA advises the company of the optimal capital structure to achieve these stated objectives. Assuring that the company has the proper mix of debt and equity is paramount for the company to achieve its financial goals. When seeking debt for a company, EA negotiates on the client's behalf with prospective lenders and institutional investors for maximum flexibility on key covenants to assure that the company is able to achieve its future business objectives. When seeking equity for a company, EA negotiates on the client's behalf with prospective venture capitalists, shareholders and institutional investors for the highest level of capital commitment for the lowest level of shareholding.

Company Valuations: The value of a company is the price agreed between a willing seller and a willing buyer. There are several methods of arriving at a company's value, such as: multiple of operating profit, discounted cash flow, and asset value. Eccles Associates assists the client in selecting the appropriate mix of valuation methods, and bridging any value gap between buyer and seller. EA, as an outside advisor, provides an independent objective valuation of a company and is prepared to represent the buyer or seller in negotiations where the valuation will be used to determine a price for which a company will be bought or sold. Having an independent and objective valuation from a third party is often required to consummate a transaction.

Due Diligence (Potential Acquisitions/Capital Raising): Reviewing all aspects of the target company's business to uncover any potential risks (business, credit, financial, legal, operating, environmental, regulatory, market), and to validate the agreed-upon value of the target. The due diligence process can be undertaken when considering a potential acquisition or in the event a company needs to raise capital for expansion or a potential acquisition. EA undertakes due diligence in consultation with a team of professionals, including accountants and lawyers. EA accesses its internal financial expertise to assess the company's business, operating, credit, and financial risks. EA coordinates and manages the inputs from other professionals including accountants, lawyers and management consultants where needed to assure a full and comprehensive due diligence is undertaken for the benefit of the client.

Advice on Legal Documentation: Reviewing all legal documents relating to a transaction, such as a purchase and sale agreement, loan documents, and/or shareholder agreements, to determine their financial impact on the client. EA has a substantial level of understanding and knowledge of key business covenants that are often negotiated within the legal documents that are used in most typical business transactions. EA's understanding of the nuances of the legal clauses, the business implications and the parameters by which the various clauses can be negotiated is a key service for a client seeking to build, grow or restructure its business.

Introductions to Overseas Joint Venture Partners, Investors, or Agents: As a global firm, EA has a network of contacts which it uses to source investors, partners, or agents for clients. EA positions the client with international companies operating in its industry for growth and expansion in international markets. EA provides an international client with a customer profile and local industry perspective with an international view that can accelerate and heighten EA's clients in the international market.

Project Briefs and Country Experience