Contact Us
Banister Financial, Inc.
1338 Harding Place, Suite 200
Charlotte, North Carolina 28204
Phone: (704) 334-4932
Fax: (704) 334-5770
George Hawkins, ASA, CFA
Managing Director
Send e-mail to George
Outlook v card file: 
Gary Gerlach, ASA, CFA, CPA
Senior Vice President
Send e-mail to Gary
Outlook v card file:
Inquiring About a Potential Business Valuation
When you contact us about a potential business valuation, we will chat with you about the following types of issues in order to provide you an estimate of the costs and timing involved in meeting your needs:
Financial Information Needed for a Cost Estimate
We will need you to provide us a recent detailed annual financial statement (preferably an audited, reviewed or compiled report prepared by the company's CPA, along with notes- if the company does not have its accounting firm prepare these type of financials, the latest annual, internally prepared, detailed income statement and balance sheet will suffice) and federal tax return (with all attachments) for us to determine if there are any unusual complexities. Without a review of this financial information we cannot provide a meaningful cost estimate. We keep all information submitted confidential.
If You Engage Banister Financial to Prepare a Business Valuation
If you decide to move ahead with a valuation we will prepare and send you an engagement letter outlining the services we will provide and the associated costs. This is to be signed and returned to us along with an initial deposit.
Once engaged, we will prepare a detailed list of information to compile and send to us to get the valuation underway. Every company is unique, so we will prepare a list targeted at the specific company at issue based on its industry, company specifics, and based on a review of initial company financial information provided. Once the information is received and reviewed by us, we then set up a time to come to the company for our detailed interview of management. If the matter involves litigation and a company interview is not possible, we will instead prepare a detailed list of questions for your attorney to ask in a deposition of management. Alternatively, if the valuation is for a confidential potential sale and our presence would create concern by employees, we are glad to make alternative arrangements for the interview. In some asset holding entities a site visit may not be needed. For a good overview of the general types of issues covered in a valuation interview read our article on the subject, The Effective Valuation Interview.
Upon completion of the interview, Banister Financial then prepares its detailed analysis of the company and valuation report, submitting a full, preliminary draft to the client for review. After making any necessary revisions (if any), we then issue the final, signed and bound valuation report.
When you contact us about a potential business valuation, we will chat with you about the following types of issues in order to provide you an estimate of the costs and timing involved in meeting your needs:
- Purpose of the valuation (e.g., estate, gift, ESOP, purchase or sale, divorce, shareholder dispute, business damages, etc.).
- Parties involved (if the matter is litigation-related this will also be necessary for us to do a conflict check).
- Interest to be valued (e.g., a 30% minority interest, a 100% controlling interest, a non-controlling membership interest in an LLC, etc.).
- Standard of value to be used (e.g., fair market value, fair value, etc.- if you don't know we will figure that out).
- Valuation date- the date the value is be determined as of (e.g, date of death for estate, date of separation in a divorce, etc.).
- Project timing- When the completed valuation report is needed. If the matter is litigation-related, we will need to know when valuation reports by the experts must be exchanged, the date (if set) of the trial, etc.
- General overview of the company/practice/partnership/LLC to be valued- What it does, where it is located, size (e.g., annual revenues, profits), presence of any subsidiaries or affiliates, corporate form (C or S corporation, LLC, limited partnership, general partnership), does it own any real estate, etc.
- Engaging party- Who is the client that would be engaging us if you move ahead (e.g, company, estate, party making gifts, specific shareholder, law firm)? Regardless of the purpose of the valuation, sometimes a law firm will be the engaging party so that the valuation report might be provided some protection from discovery due to attorney-client privilege. Ask your attorney for recommendations on this issue.
Financial Information Needed for a Cost Estimate
We will need you to provide us a recent detailed annual financial statement (preferably an audited, reviewed or compiled report prepared by the company's CPA, along with notes- if the company does not have its accounting firm prepare these type of financials, the latest annual, internally prepared, detailed income statement and balance sheet will suffice) and federal tax return (with all attachments) for us to determine if there are any unusual complexities. Without a review of this financial information we cannot provide a meaningful cost estimate. We keep all information submitted confidential.
If You Engage Banister Financial to Prepare a Business Valuation
If you decide to move ahead with a valuation we will prepare and send you an engagement letter outlining the services we will provide and the associated costs. This is to be signed and returned to us along with an initial deposit.
Once engaged, we will prepare a detailed list of information to compile and send to us to get the valuation underway. Every company is unique, so we will prepare a list targeted at the specific company at issue based on its industry, company specifics, and based on a review of initial company financial information provided. Once the information is received and reviewed by us, we then set up a time to come to the company for our detailed interview of management. If the matter involves litigation and a company interview is not possible, we will instead prepare a detailed list of questions for your attorney to ask in a deposition of management. Alternatively, if the valuation is for a confidential potential sale and our presence would create concern by employees, we are glad to make alternative arrangements for the interview. In some asset holding entities a site visit may not be needed. For a good overview of the general types of issues covered in a valuation interview read our article on the subject, The Effective Valuation Interview.
Upon completion of the interview, Banister Financial then prepares its detailed analysis of the company and valuation report, submitting a full, preliminary draft to the client for review. After making any necessary revisions (if any), we then issue the final, signed and bound valuation report.
Brochures, Qualifications, Contact Info. Vcards (All in One Place)
Click on any of the following to download the associated information:
Banister Financial Information:
Qualifications:
Vcards for Use in Microsoft Outlook, Entourage and Other Contact Managers (contains phone, email, address and related information):
Click on any of the following to download the associated information:
Banister Financial Information:
Qualifications:
- George Hawkins, ASA, CFA, Managing Director
- Michael Paschall, ASA, CFA, JD, Managing Director
- Gary Gerlach, ASA, CFA, CPA, Senior Vice President
Vcards for Use in Microsoft Outlook, Entourage and Other Contact Managers (contains phone, email, address and related information):
© 2009, Banister Financial, Inc. Fair Value is a registered trademark of Banister Financial, Inc.