Merger & Acquisition Advisory

Often, the best way to support a growth strategy is through acquisitions; alternatively, joint ventures or alliances with "partner organizations" can provide a combination of market access, products, or services that extend a business line.

At other times, the need to focus resources on growing business lines mandates a divestiture, "private label" or outsourcing strategy.

Sterling's M&A team of senior level executives has a successful track record of over 20 years in managing these types of confidential transactions. Our combination of market experience, in depth knowledge of the Institutional Retirement Services Industry, access to business leaders, and a clearly defined methodology that we bring to M&A engagements maximizes the opportunity for our clients, while minimizing business risk.

Recent M&A assignments we have conducted for our clients include:

  • Strategic evaluation, including full P/L impact analysis, of over a dozen potential acquisitions of books of business available for sale
  • Advisor services in support of several completed transactions (purchase or sales) of blocks of retirement services business lines
  • Strategic business assessments in support of potential investment or divestiture decisions for several leading retirement service providers

Our M&A experience includes the full range of capabilities required to manage business combinations, outright purchases and/or business sales, as well as “partnering” opportunities, such as outsourcing technology and/or client services, and build ups of product delivery capabilities ranging from investment content through “back office” operations and web information portals.

Our transactional M&A experience encompasses a wide range of expertise and includes, retirement services companies, trust organizations, and defined contribution and/or defined benefit product lines. We work closely with the investment banking resources and managing executives of our clients to offer:

  • Advice and assistance in deal making and all other aspects of specific transactions
  • Assistance completing purchase and sales transactions of business entities or major product lines