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Introduction to “Levels of Value” in Business Valuation

Statutory Fair Value and Business Valuation Series #2

In the initial post in this series on statutory fair value, we introduced the ideas that fair value is, in part, an equitable concept, and that appraisers are not in a position to make “equitable” decisions.

Appraisers cannot decide matters of equity, but we can provide good and clear valuation evidence to courts in statutory fair value matters. In this post, we will address what appraisers call “levels of value.” Courts are generally familiar with some of the concepts, but I do not believe that most courts are familiar with the growing understanding of the levels of value concept in the appraisal profession. This lack of understanding creates confusion and increases the difficulty of presenting valuation evidence in statutory fair value proceedings.

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Introduction to Statutory Fair Value from a Business Appraiser’s Perspective

Statutory Fair Value and Business Valuation Series

This is the first in a series of posts on the topic of Statutory Fair Value and Business Valuation. In this post, we examine the concept of statutory fair value, especially as it is defined in the state of Delaware as well as the difference between the concepts of “fair value” and “fair market value.”

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Chipotle: A Growth Story Ended (for Now at Least) by E. coli

When I see stories in the financial press I often think of what lessons business owners can learn from the experiences of others. Perhaps there is a lesson to pay attention to basics in the emerging situation at Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. In this post, we consider Chipotle’s growth, decline, and the valuation relationship between expected growth and risk in light of the circumstances.

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Chiu, a Top Ten Business Divorce Case in 2015

Peter Mahler writes the New York Business Divorce blog. Last week, he published his eighth annual list, the Top Ten Business Divorce Cases for 2015. I was interested and pleased to discover that the number one case on the list was that of Chiu v. Chiu, a case in which I testified as an expert witness in 2012.

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11 Potential Private Company Dividend (or Distribution) Policies

Your Company Does Have a Dividend Policy

Two standard questions business appraisers ask clients in the management interview process include: What has been your dividend (or distribution) policy leading to the present?  Now this is something of a trick question, because we can infer what the dividend policy has been in the past based on examining financial statements. What do you expect […]

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Leveraged Dividend Recapitalizations and Leveraged Share Repurchases

Understand the Similarities and Differences and Which Transaction May be Right for Your Company

Leveraged dividend recapitalizations and leveraged share repurchases are two corporate finance tools that are available to owners of private companies. These tools can be used to create liquidity outside the ownership of private businesses. Interestingly, as we will see, leveraged dividends and leveraged repurchases have very similar impacts on companies (assuming similar companies and same-sized transactions), and quite different impacts on the owners of the companies. In this post, we will illustrate the impact of a leveraged share repurchase and a leveraged dividend on the same company. This analysis will enable us to see the impact leverage has on the company and also, the different impacts the transactions have on owners.

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Volkswagen’s Emission Scandal is Expensive and Tragic

The moral compass at Volkswagen was evidently not set to true north. The easy way or the cheapest solution in the short run may well be the most difficult way and the most expensive in the long run. Let the example at Volkswagen be a call for all of us to reexamine our moral compasses, both as individuals and as those compasses get translated within our companies. Some of the best decisions are made when we simply say no to the easy road.

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Is Your Business Ready for Sale?

First in a Series on This Important Question

“Is Your Business Ready for Sale?” is one of the most pressing question facing business owners today. And the question is important for advisers to businesses, since we are instrumental in asking hard questions and, indeed, have the responsibility for asking hard questions of our private company clients. At the outset of a new series of posts, let me say categorically, I am not, not, not suggesting that your business should be up for sale. Bear with me while we focus on the actual question of “Is Your Business Ready for Sale?”