Advisory

Helping organizations with successful growth deals throughout their business life cycle

Transactions are significant events in the life of a business – a successful deal that can have a lasting impact on the future shape of the organizations involved. As the stakes are significantly high for both buyers and sellers; experience, determination and pragmatism are required to bring deals safely through to conclusion.

From deal strategy, through due diligence and to the integration of a new business, we help clients solve problems, manage risk and seize opportunities to unlock their potential for growth. Our teams offer specialist solutions in the following areas:

Due diligence

• Financial due diligence: We provide buy-side and sell-side due diligence and vendor assistance, as well as acting as reporting accountant.
• Operational deal services: We provide operational diligence, IT due diligence, carve out and post-deal integration services.
• Commercial and exit readiness: We provide commercial due diligence and exit readiness to enhance business value through operational improvements.

Financial modelling

We spend time understanding the value drivers. This allows us to build integrated models for pricing and structuring deals that focus on the issues of greatest impact. We quantify returns, risks and sensitivities to provide a clear point of view to help clients make better decisions. Our credible track records help to rebuild lender and investor confidence.

Need to put value on your business? We blend technical expertise with a pragmatic approach to deliver thorough, unbiased valuations.

Independent valuations need a blend of analysis, experience and professional judgment in order to excel over the scrutiny to which they will be subjected.

Valuations might be needed for various reasons. For organizations involved in a transaction, a dispute, or embarking on a restructuring, the value of the business involved and its assets will be an important commercial consideration. A robust and reasoned opinion on value is essential. For litigants, a professional valuation is often the key to securing a fair settlement. In any such situation, independent strategic advice will help you make an informed decision.

Grant Thornton uses robust methodologies. Experts with deep experience of valuations, across many different industries and types of companies, use the methodology that will get to the right answer. That answer takes account of national and international regulatory issues.
Valuations include advice on:

• Financial reporting valuation and reserve analysis
• Financial instruments valuation and reporting
• Industry oriented valuation
• Mergers and acquisitions
• Tax planning and compliance
• Purchase price allocations
• Fresh start accounting valuation
• Valuations based damages in litigation or alternative dispute resolution

As risk is inevitable but manageable, we deliver relevant, timely and practical advice to aid organizations in managing risks and improving business performance

The relationship between a company and its auditor has changed. Regulatory enactments continue to alter the corporate governance landscape. Organizations are held accountable for accuracy and integrity in their business operations and they must have effective and reliable governance and compliance procedures in place. Additionally, they must understand and manage risk and seek an appropriate balance between risk and opportunities.

Helping clients mitigate corporate level risk and opportunity

We work with our clients to assess their corporate level risk, identify areas of greatest risk and develop appropriate work plans and audit programs to mitigate these risks. Our internal audit services includes co-sourced and outsourced internal audit and effectiveness reviews, which provides you with independent and objective support in the design, implementation and operating effectiveness of controls. Said internal audit services include:

• Outsourcing and co-sourcing services
• Establishing an internal audit function
• Strategic performance review of internal audit
• Comprehensive business risk assessments
• Best practices reviews of internal audit
• Internal audit staff recruiting
• Internal audit training
• Audit committee advisory
• Loaning staff to clients
• Quality assurance reviews of internal audit departments
• Reporting on internal controls

At Grant Thornton, we provide investigative, and expert dispute advisory, data acquisition and analytics and forensic accounting solutions to the business and legal community when they are faced with complex litigation, arbitration, investigations or regulatory inquiries. Our teams assists clients with gathering facts and analyzing issues, resolving legal and commercial challenges, maximizing compliance with corporate policies and minimizing risk.

Expert dispute resolution and advisory – We provide independent experts experienced in advising on commercial, civil and criminal matters involving contract breaches, partnership disputes, auditor negligence, matrimonial, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and international arbitration for corporations, the public sector and individuals.

Fraud solutions - assists with fraud investigations, fraud training and risk management, asset tracing, criminal defence and open source business intelligence investigations.

Insurance solutions - assists with the resolution of insurance claims including business interruption, subrogated claims, product recall, personal injury, fraudulent claims and desk top claims review for the insured and the insurer.

Legal technology solutions / digital forensics - provides in-depth computer forensic analysis, data acquisition and analysis, e-discovery and data analytics.

Corporate Intelligence & Asset Tracing - assists you with background checks, corporate intelligence and asset tracing solutions that help you identify and verify persons, companies and assets that you or your organization intends to do business with.

In all our work, our principal purpose is to preserve or create value for stakeholders. To achieve this, we utilise solutions that cover turnaround, operational and financial restructuring and insolvency, always approaching situations with understanding and respect to support you through difficult circumstances.

We are able to work with a wide variety of different clients and stakeholders such as individuals, banks, corporate entities, creditors, courts and government agencies.

We also provide specialist advice in distress situations when and where you need it. Every situation is different and we will ensure you get the right advice for your situation.

Our solutions

Insolvency: Sometimes situations may have reached a critical stage where it may require the use of a formal insolvency process to deal with personal or corporate debt or to recover value for stakeholders.

Crisis stabilisation and turnaround: Diagnostic analysis provides stakeholders with a clear understanding of the causes of underperformance and the strategic potential of a business – both crucial when assessing turnaround potential.

Operational and financial restructuring: Financial distress could be either in its early stages with a fall in revenue or profitability, or more acute with increasing cash pressures - struggling to meet financial commitments. Companies challenged by underperformance often need support in identifying options for financial or operational restructuring.

Accelerated Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A): In circumstances of business fragility, an Accelerated M&A process can be a vital tool to realise value for shareholders or creditors without damaging the underlying business.