Dowling Hales offers a range of advisory services, including traditional M&A (sell-side and buy-side) advice, capital raising, valuations for perpetuation and estate planning purposes and strategic consulting. Dowling Hales’ broker/dealer, Dowling & Partners Securities, LLC, a member of FINRA/SIPC, executes all securities-related transactions including fairness opinions, private placements of equity and subordinated debt securities for its middle-market insurance clients nationwide.

Whether you are (i) buying a business, (ii) selling part or all of your business or (iii) seeking capital to grow your business or buyout a partner, the tasks required to execute these transactions are complex and time consuming.

Through our expertise and dedicated approach to superior client service, we have assisted hundreds of insurance organizations in achieving their financial and non-financial goals and objectives.

Dowling Hales possesses the experience and expertise to advise and help navigate you through a transaction. And, every transaction has unexpected challenges. Our professionals also have the persistence to work through them tirelessly to help you achieve a successful outcome.

Our clients represent a diverse mix of insurance distribution, underwriting, risk management, administration and technology-related businesses:

• Property / casualty retail brokers

• Life / health / benefits retail brokers

• Wholesale brokers

• Managing general agencies

M&A Advice

Are you considering selling your business? Are you considering buying a business? The process on either side can be more complex and challenging than you think.

We offer a variety of services, including:

• Identifying potential buyers

• Positioning the business to achieve the highest price, including preparing confidential memoranda describing your business

• Assisting with financial analysis and financial modeling

• Managing a competitive process

• Negotiating financial terms

• Reviewing transaction documentation rendering fairness opinions

Capital Raising

We assist in arranging the placement of corporate debt and equity, including private equity and venture capital.

We have strong relationships across various investment groups and assist our clients with:

• Analyzing immediate and long-term financing requirements

• Determining optimal capital structure alternatives

• Assisting in preparing a business plan and descriptive memoranda

• Identifying, evaluating and contacting appropriate capital sources

• Preparing management presentations for financial institutions

• Soliciting financing proposals

• Evaluating financing proposals for suitability, and negotiation of term sheets

• Negotiating of loan and equity commitment terms

• Managing the due diligence and lender wrap-up processes to ensure timely and smooth transaction closure

All securities-related transactions are conducted through Hales Securities, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.

Valuation

We provide full valuation services to private business for perpetuation and strategic planning purposes and can also provide expert advice on benchmarking practices to enhance long-term agency valuation.

We offer the following valuation services:

• Mergers & acquisitions

• Gift / estate tax planning

• Buy sell agreements / perpetuation planning

• Equity compensation plans

• Shareholder disputes

• Expert witness testimony and litigation support

• Transaction fairness opinions

• ESOPs

• Purchase price allocations / intangible asset valuation

A full narrative report is complete with supporting exhibits prepared in full compliance with applicable standards for each valuation.
If a full narrative report is not required, other customizable deliverable options are available.