Buy Side Advisory
Driving growth through acquisition
Acquisition Consulting & Advisory for Insurance Brokerage & Wealth Advisory Firms
ACHIEVING GROWTH IS A FUNDAMENTAL CORNERSTONE OF CREATING VALUE.
Acquiring an agency can be a means to drive growth, create opportunities and leverage economies of scale. MarshBerry’s M&A Buy-Side Advisory services bring you intrinsic expertise and market reach you can’t get on your own. Contact MarshBerry for acquisition consulting and advisory services for insurance brokerage and wealth and retirement plan advisory firms.
Buy Side M&A Advisory: TIME TO ACQUIRE
Growing your firm through acquisition requires a keen understanding of market conditions and trends. MarshBerry is the trusted buy side advisor you need for finding the right agency to achieve your growth goals.
MarshBerry Helps You:
- Develop strategic rationale for acquisition
- Identify economies of scale and analyze book of business to determine profitability
- Structure the deal with accurate agency valuation
- Find the right agency fit
- Position your firm as a buyer; ensure Due Diligence and Quality of Earnings are included
- Leverage debt to acquire the firm and grow your business
- Complete the closing
- Develop Continuity Planning and Business Integration for post-deal management
Buy Side Advisory Strategic Objectives
A well designed approach to maximize your value and achieve strategic objectives.

STRATEGY
- Acquisition Planning
- Capital Raising

REPRESENTATION
- Buy Side Representation
- Buy Side Search & Screen
- Letter of Intent/Negotiation

EXECUTION
- Diagnostic & Confirmatory Due Diligence
- Intangible Asset Allocation for GAAP
- Fairness Opinion
- Definitive Agreement

ANALYTICS
- Market Comparables/Benchmarking
- After Tax-Return Optimization
- Return & Earnings Per Share Analysis

POST DEAL MANAGEMENT
- Post Closing Integration
- Goodwill Impairment Testing
- Peer-to-Peer CEO Exchange
DUE DILIGENCE FOR INSURANCE BROKERAGE & WEALTH ADVISORY FIRMS CREATING BETTER PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE BUYING COMMUNITY.
MarshBerry’s history of working with insurance and financial services firms provides clients with a unique perspective on the complexities of the insurance and wealth management markets. Serving as an extension of your acquisition team, MarshBerry advisors ensure your acquisition targets align with your business goals. This approach provides confidence and helps guide buyers through successful transactions.
Due Diligence Check List
- Establish timeline and push to preserve momentum
- Coordinate responsibilities of due diligence players
- “Walk-through” of information request list
- Set up virtual data room and coordinate access and data assimilation
- Gather requisite information
- Coordinate timing, location and agendas for on-site work
- Details financial statements and general ledger review and reconciliations
- Review of Management’s quality of earnings analysis and support for proposed adjustments
- Preparation and analysis of the employee roster including advisor compensation structure
- Concentration Analysis: advisors and clients
- Analysis of retention rates, client demographics, advisor demographics, new/lost business, net new assets, and growth drivers
- Balance sheets and working capital analysis
- Review of material agreements: advisors, clients, referral sources, vendors, custodians
- Key risk assessment for on-site review
- Management to provide an overview of the business including firm’s competitive market position
- Detailed walk-through of income statement and balance sheet
- Quality of Earnings review
- Review of revenue analysis to understand growth drivers and explore any potential areas of risk
- Review of advisor compensation and other employee expenses
- Other deal-relevant considerations
- Follow-up on open items
- Documentation of analysis and procedures performed as part of due diligence
- Review of risk assessment
- Risk mitigation for key issues
- Definitive agreement protection
- Additional disclosures
- Warranty and indemnification
- Assess client consent requirements
- Adjust consideration, working capital peg, escrows, hold-back, and/or earn-out
- Recommendation of resolution process
- Reconcile and adjust balances
- Locate missing documentation
- Institute appropriate procedures