Buy-Side Representation
Growth you actually chose.
The best AEC targets are never for sale. Buy-side work is origination: building the relationship with an owner years before there is a process, and knowing which firms are worth that patience.
Who we work with
Regional AEC firms making their first or fifth acquisition, private-equity-backed platforms working an add-on strategy, and sponsors evaluating the sector. The common thread is a buyer who would rather approach the right firm directly than compete in a banked auction against six others.
Many of our buy-side clients are firms that have grown organically for thirty years and are acquiring for the first time. That is a different engagement than advising a serial platform, so we run it differently. Slower, with more explanation, and with a bias toward one well-chosen deal over a busy pipeline.
We also say no. If the targets are too small to move your numbers, if integration costs more than the synergy is worth, or if winning requires paying more than the firm earns, that is a finding worth paying for, not a failed engagement.
Process
How a buy-side engagement runs.
Buy-side timelines are less predictable than sell-side. Origination is a pipeline business, and the right conversation can take a year to become a transaction.
Thesis and criteria
What are you actually buying: a discipline, a geography, a client list, or a leadership team? We turn that into screening criteria narrow enough to disqualify most firms in one call.
2–4 weeksMarket mapping
A ranked universe of firms matching the criteria, with ownership structure, approximate scale, discipline mix, and licensure footprint. Most of this is not in any database; it comes from the phone.
4–8 weeksProprietary outreach
Direct, discreet contact with owners who are not in a process. The first conversation is about their plans, not your offer. Some become deals this year, some in three years, most never.
OngoingValuation and structure
What the target is worth to you specifically, including synergy that a financial buyer cannot claim. Structure to bridge price gaps: earnouts, rollover, retention tied to the licensed staff you are actually buying.
3–5 weeksDiligence
Coordinated financial, legal, and operational review with emphasis on the AEC specifics: backlog verification, contract assignability, professional liability history, licensure transfer by state.
8–14 weeksIntegration
The first hundred days decide whether the thesis survives. Staff communication, client transition, systems, and the retention structures that keep the people you paid for.
Post-closeWhere acquisitions fail
The AEC-specific ways a good deal goes wrong.
| Risk | How it shows up | How it gets managed |
|---|---|---|
| Key-person flight | The relationships that generated the backlog leave within a year | Retention tied to individuals, not just the seller |
| Licensure gaps | Work cannot be signed in states where licenses do not transfer | State-by-state verification before signing |
| Backlog quality | Anticipated work presented as contracted | Contract-level verification against the pipeline |
| Culture and utilization | Chargeability falls as the acquired team resists new systems | Integration sequencing that leaves delivery alone at first |
| Client overlap | The combined firm loses a shared client to conflict or fatigue | Overlap analysis before outreach, not after close |
Build the pipeline before you need it.
Origination compounds. The firms worth acquiring in three years are worth meeting now.
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