Articles

Market Update: Year-to-Date U.S. Mergers & Acquisitions Market

As of August, the trailing 12-month M&A deal volumes for the entire U.S. market have steadily increased. However, the aggregate deal values associated with these transactions have increased at an even higher rate over this same period, as can be seen in Figure 1 below. The increase in valuation metrics and deal volumes within the …

Photo: Axial CEO - Peter Lehrman

Interview with Axial CEO Peter Lehrman

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We recently interviewed Peter Lehrman, CEO of Axial, one of the most energetic and innovative companies providing advanced technology solutions to M&A and corporate finance professionals operating in the middle market. Speaking from the “Roosevelt Room” in Axial’s headquarters in the Flatiron District, Peter covers a good deal of ground and I highly recommend you listen.

Shazam! The World Still Turns Post-Alibaba

For US companies and investors, the September 19th IPO of Chinese technology conglomerate Alibaba truly is a “big ****ing deal,” to paraphrase Joe Biden. It also is the culmination of a behind-the-scenes battle of the exchanges, with the New York Stock Exchange victorious—delivering millions of dollars in fees to brokers, bankers, and attorneys.

An added …

Knowing When To Fold ‘Em

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If you’re a Baby Boomer, you remember well hearing Kenny Rogers’ iconic hit, The Gambler. If you’re like me, you’ve often wondered how Kenny’s advice might be applied to important business and investment decisions. If you’re a business owner who has survived our generation’s version of the Great Depression, you need good counsel now more than ever.

Pedal to the Metal: Consolidation in 2014

Sixteen years ago, after David Roberts and his partner, Matthew Ohrnstein, founded Caliber Collision, he wrote a series of industry articles that were presciently accurate. His subject then? “Shop Consolidation: Is It Inevitable?” His answer was an emphatic “Yes.” Over a period of 8 years as Caliber’s Chairman, Roberts helped lead the initial capital raises and the acquisition of its first 37 shops. Now a leading investment banker in the Automotive Services industry with FOCUS Investment Banking, Roberts has a unique 20-year perspective on the industry. With the dramatic growth of the large consolidators as well as many regional and local MSOs, we asked Roberts to update our audience on consolidation developments, their impact on the industry and how consolidation continues to evolve.
man multitasking using a smart phone and a laptop with different icons floating around the smart phone

How to Manage Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) in a GRC World

Governance, Risk, and Compliance Investment Banking

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Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) has been a catalyst for a new IT revolution. CNET TechRepublic’s BYOD Business Strategy Survey reveals that 62 percent of companies either allow Bring Your Own Device, or plan to by the end of 2013. However, the prospect of employees using their personal mobile devices to access corporate resources might seem contrary to existing Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) regulations.
multiple lines of code with a security lock in the centre

Use Data Masking as a GRC Solution

IT Investment Banking

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Data masking, sometimes called de-identification, obfuscation, or redaction, is data security technology that is an ideal fit into an overall Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance (GRC) strategy. It’s an economical method for creating an inauthentic but structurally similar version of business data for use in user training or software testing, thus reducing risk. The data masked version of the data is a completely functional substitute for corporate data and protects live production data.

Cyber Security for the Rest of Us*

There Are No Firewalls. There Is No Inside Or Outside. We Are All Swimming In The Same Cyber Sea—With Sharks Circling. We Have No Protective Cage. Bottom Line: In The Realm Of Cyber, Nothing Is Secure. Cyber security experts have cried wolf before—and the sky is still standing. But we have finally reached the tipping point. It’s time to get the word out about how vulnerable we all really are—and why we need to take an entirely new approach to networked security.