Freeman & Co. has leveraged its specialized knowledge and capabilities within the Financial
Services industry to expand its traditional strengths of M&A advisory and strategic management
consulting into additional products, including:
With its independent status, Freeman & Co. is uniquely positioned to expand its role in providing
Fairness Opinions for transactions involving financial institutions. Companies involved in large,
complex transactions often require a Fairness Opinion to demonstrate that the economic terms of the
transaction are fair to shareholders. Traditionally, the investment bank that advised on a transaction
has also provided the Fairness Opinion for its client since it was believed that this financial advisor
possessed the most knowledge regarding the company and the terms of the transaction. This practice has
recently been called into question as the investment bank that advised on a transaction stands to benefit
from a completed transaction, and as such is potentially conflicted from writing an unbiased Fairness
Opinion. As an outside party with a deep knowledge of the financial services industry and extensive experience
with complex transactions, Freeman & Co. is uniquely qualified to provide truly unbiased Fairness Opinions.
Freeman & Co. will work with a company's financial advisor to provide a Fairness Opinion that is in the best
interest of the shareholders.
Capital Raising/Private Placements:
Through its extensive relationships, Freeman & Co. is able to raise capital and arrange capital
commitments for firms within the financial services sector, including: Private Equity, Mezzanine Debt,
High Yield, Bank Loans and 2nd Liens. Additionally, Freeman & Co. can help attract specialized capital
commitments for unique situations such as the inter-generational exchange of equity at private investment
management firms.
Valuations:
Drawing on its in-depth M&A advisory and strategic consulting experience Freeman & Co. is well
suited to assist private companies in valuing their businesses. Private companies may need to value
their business for a number of reasons, including, but not limited to:
For valuation purposes, Freeman & Co. can support its extensive transaction experience with proprietary
valuation data, which includes comprehensive asset management and broker-dealer acquisition databases that
contain information on over 1,600 industry transactions and public company comparables. Through its strategic
management consulting practice Freeman & Co. has gained an in-depth knowledge of specific industry operating
margins and compensation levels that allows it to assist its clients in generating realistic growth projections
and budgeting forecasts.
Restructuring Advisory:
Freeman & Co. leverages its specialized industry knowledge and relationships to provide advisory support for
distressed companies. Freeman & Co. can help
distressed companies through a variety of means, including:
+ Renegotiating existing credit facilities
+ Consummating exchange/tender offers/consent solicitations
+ Obtaining covenant waivers and amendments
+ Traditional Chapter 11 bankruptcy
+ Sale of non-core assets, or the entire business
+ Providing expert valuation and court testimony
+ Providing fairness opinion & litigation support
+ Disposition of investment/loan portfolios
Investment banking services are provided by Freeman & Co. Securities LLC
