Transactions and activities undertaken as well as operations carried out by North American public companies face unprecedented levels of scrutiny from regulators, shareholders, staff, competitors and the media. Ensuring that such transactions, activities and operations are within the corporate governance guidelines and newly created national and international legal frameworks (e.g., U.S. Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002) requires in-depth experience and knowledge from a wide range of advisers. Evans & Evans provides just that.
This is important because the modern business world is characterized by the accelerating pace of change. Companies and stakeholders are facing more complex challenges and increasing financial pressures. This need to optimize business processes to achieve growth in shareholder value is constant. Under-performance can result in financial difficulties or even a crisis that can lead to insolvency. Evans & Evans' approach combines traditional merger and acquisition (M&A) skills of identifying, valuing, structuring and negotiating for and on our clients’ behalf with micro-cap to mid-sized market expertise and knowledge.
Evans & Evans' Public Company Advisory Group has a wide range of experience advising many different clients on diverse regulated transactions including:
- Public offers for limited companies (i.e., whether it be hostile or recommended) and/or bid defense work.
- Providing independent and non-conflicted advice to our clients' boards.
- Introducing our clients to equity and debt groups that provide and undertake fundraising of both debt and equity.
- Strategic advisory assistance. Often, numerous opportunities exist to increase or maximize shareholder value, including alliances and partnerships, potential sale of the company, divestitures or spin-offs of non-core divisions, as well as the potential to expand existing business and implement new innovations. Evans & Evans possesses the reputation and expertise to provide assistance to optimize the way companies can capitalize on such opportunities.
- Sponsorship of RTO and Reverse Merger transactions on Canadian stock exchanges.
- Micro-cap company advisory services. Often large-cap equity advisors note that many micro-cap “orphans” exist. Orphans are small and mid-cap public companies whose valuations are adversely impacted by small market capitalization, low trading volume, low float, limited research sponsorship and lack of institutional investors. Enhancing shareholder value requires a well-conceived strategic approach and superior execution. Evans & Evans excels in helping the micro-cap and mid-sized public company firms. Evans & Evans can execute a full spectrum of orphan advisory engagements including the merger of equals, sell-side advisories, buy-sides, tender offer defense, sponsorship deals and special committee assignments.
- Major acquisitions and disposals which require shareholder approval.
- Related party transactions and advice and structuring of such.
- Strategic reviews, including corporate reorganization and restructuring. Capital structures can sometimes impede growth or endanger the very survival of a company. Evans & Evans can work closely with management, the board of directors, or strategic entities in restructuring a company's financial structure to alleviate restrictive debt covenants, lower interest expenses and/or debt service, and preserve shareholder value in turnaround or insolvency situations. Evans & Evans' ability to offer customized capital solutions, whether through high-yield underwritings or private placements, affords companies flexible, expedient means of achieving their goals. A recapitalization is an effective means for shareholders of a closely held company to achieve partial liquidity, gain growth capital, and position the company for an eventual IPO. Recapitalizations are typically leveraged transactions and, with proper guidance, can involve a multitude of flexible, creative structures to meet the needs of existing shareholders and new investors.
- “Go Private” public-to-private transactions and related services. Many requirements exist to take a public company private and Evans & Evans can advise on the best strategies and tactics to do this.
- Corporate governance services. The issue of corporate governance has assumed even greater relevance in the post Enron and 9-11 business and financial world. Corporations today have a vested interest in making full and plain disclosure and providing mechanisms to ensure accurate and thorough corporate measurement. Unfortunate rampant early 2000's corporate corruption and corporate mis-governance has alienated many investors form corporations. This is the last thing that public companies can afford in an era of instant communication and globalization and has lead to more urgency in implementing good governance practices. This “crisis of confidence”, created by these previous actions and unforeseen events, has severely jeopardized public companies' abilities to attract investment, in particular national and foreign investment, which is so vital to bring about corporate growth and transformation. Evans & Evans' team of long-time public practice professionals can help firms create “best-of-breed” practices.
Evans & Evans has, therefore, the practical hands-on expertise to help assist your firm to carry out thorough and professional public company advisory services at very favorable rates and within set budgets and timeframes. |
PUBLIC COMPANY ADVISORY SERVICES
