Hire the Best Mergers & Acquisitions Specialists
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I like to hustle, I learn quick, and I'm here to help you get the job done quickly and efficiently. I currently work as a distressed credit research analyst primarily focused on special situations and distressed or restructuring companies. Previously, I spent 8 years at Moody's in New York City in both the Corporate Finance Group covering oil & gas companies (5+ years), and the Financial Institutions Group covering global systemically important banks (2 years). The skills I've learned on Wall Street make me the perfect person to help you build financials models, raise money from investors, or understand your business. My competencies are: ▸building comprehensive 3-statement financial models ▸DCF and valuation modeling ▸utilizing excel for data analysis ▸creating pitch decks using PowerPoint ▸operating in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines.

I am a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA®) and private-company valuation specialist. My work is built around the purpose of the assignment—tax, litigation, partner disputes, acquisitions, retirement plans, financial reporting, strategic planning, or another defined need. I help business owners, attorneys, CPAs, investors, buyers, and lenders answer a deceptively difficult question: What is this business actually worth—and can the conclusion be defended? Over the past 15+ years, I have analyzed thousands of privately held small and midsize businesses, including complex assignments requiring judgment, financial normalization, and reconciliation of multiple valuation approaches. My principal focus is BUSINESS VALUATION. CERTIFIED BUSINESS VALUATION I am a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA®) through NACVA, Business Certified Appraiser (BCA®), and Certified Machinery & Equipment Appraiser (CMEA®), with an M.S. in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University and an M.S. in Finance from George Washington University. There is no one-size-fits-all valuation report. Scope depends on the purpose, standard of value, valuation date, ownership interest, evidence, and intended user. The deliverable may be a valuation memo, calculation, or full narrative report. I prepare valuations for: 🤝 Partner Buyouts & Shareholder Disputes — buyouts, minority interests, buy-sell agreements, and disputed ownership interests. 🧾 Estate, Gift & Tax Valuation — estate tax, gift tax, IRS Fair Market Value (FMV), Revenue Ruling 59-60, ownership transfers, and tax-reporting valuations. 🏛️ ROBS, 401(k) & Retirement-Plan Valuation — ROBS employer stock, annual/termination valuations, distributions, and self-directed IRA interests. 👥 ESOP & Employee Ownership Valuation — employer-stock and employee-ownership valuation. ⚖️ Litigation & Economic Damages — litigation business valuation, lost profits, economic damages, business divorce, and personal vs. enterprise goodwill. 🏦 Acquisition, SBA & Exit Valuation — acquisition valuation, SBA 7(a), succession planning, exit planning, and transaction support. 🚀 Startup, IRC 409A & Intangible Asset Valuation — startup/pre-revenue valuation, IRC 409A, intellectual property, goodwill, and promissory notes. 📊 Financial Reporting Valuation — ASC 805 purchase price allocation, ASC 820 fair value, ASC 350 goodwill impairment, and ASC 718 stock-compensation valuation. 🚚 Machinery & Equipment Valuation — desktop appraisal of machinery, vehicles, and equipment. COMPLEX VALUATION ASSIGNMENTS I specialize in assignments requiring judgment, reconstruction, and multiple layers of analysis: 📉 Inconsistent, Declining, or Limited Profitability 🧮 Complex EBITDA, SDE & Owner-Compensation Normalization 📊 Minority & Noncontrolling Interests | DLOC & DLOM 👤 Personal vs. Enterprise Goodwill & Key-Person Risk 🔗 Related-Party Transactions & Multi-Entity Structures ⚠️ Distressed Businesses or Unusual Debt & Capital Structures 🏭 Machinery, Equipment, IP & Other Intangible Assets ⚖️ Tax & Litigation Valuations with Complex or Unclear Financials A valuation should not be a spreadsheet that produces a number. It should explain the economics, assumptions, valuation approaches, and why the conclusion is reasonable. For disputed or high-scrutiny assignments, I clearly document the evidence, adjustments, and reasoning so sophisticated readers can follow the analysis. WHAT AN UPWORK CLIENT SAID “He understands business valuation forwards and backwards…” — IRS-Compliant Business Valuation Client REAL-WORLD TRANSACTION EXPERIENCE My perspective is not purely academic. I have personally invested in, operated, acquired, and sold private businesses—and I have made and lost money doing it. That experience changed how I evaluate sustainable earnings, add-backs, working capital, capital expenditures, concentration risk, debt service, and valuation assumptions. QUALITY OF EARNINGS & M&A DUE DILIGENCE Valuation is my primary focus, but I also assist buyers and investors with: 🧮 Quality of Earnings — reconstruct sustainable EBITDA/SDE and evaluate seller adjustments. 💵 Proof of Cash — compare reported revenue with deposits and cash activity. 🔄 Working Capital — estimate normalized operating working capital and a defensible working-capital peg. 🏦 SBA & Acquisition Analysis — evaluate debt-service coverage, financing structure, seller notes, equity requirements, and acquisition risk. FIXED-FEE VALUATION ENGAGEMENTS Most valuation reports are quoted on a fixed-fee basis. After a brief scope review, I provide a defined scope, professional fee, and delivery timeline before work begins. If you need a valuation for a specific purpose—even if it is not listed above—send me the assignment, intended use, and deadline. I can recommend the appropriate valuation scope and report type.

- I've been doing Web development for over 20 years - Co-founded a few technology startups over the same period - Sold one to Private equity - Purchased over 20 digital assets (mostly B2B SaaS applications) - Now, I help others with small business acquisitions (from sourcing to growth)

As the director of Strategic Finance & Investor Relations at a publicly traded company as well as having over a decade of experience at bulge bracket investment banks (Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley) in New York working in Equity Research and Investment Banking, and consulting with hedge funds and investment funds, I am your go to Excel and financial modeling expert and investor relations professional. I am also highly experienced in creating deep dive investment research and content including pitch decks and fund raising presentations. Expertise includes: - Fully integrated and dynamic three statement models - Publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) models made from SEC filings - Discounted Cashflow (DCF) models - Leveraged Buyout (LBO) models - Internal Rate of Return (IRR) models - Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) models - Real Estate Net Asset Value (NAV) models - Return on Investment (ROI) and Net Present Value (NPV) models - Pitch decks - Fund raising presentations - Sell-side and buy-side financial due diligence - Investment and equity research - KPI buildouts - Investor relations - Business case writing and preparation - Investment content - Business and research writing - Financial analysis - Valuation - Investor presentations - Real estate market research - Accounting - Fractional CFO My prior freelance experience (outside of Upwork) includes: - I was solicited by a hedge fund with over $500mn in AUM to build bespoke advanced financial models with scenario analyses. - I was solicited by a REIT-dedicated hedge fund to create bespoke research notes based on fundamental and technical analyses. - I was solicited by a special situations value oriented investment fund to build bespoke models including DCF and LBO analyses. - I was solicited by a quick service restaurant franchise owner to provide fractional CFO services. I am deadline driven, and I aim to consistently exceed my clients’ expectations. Furthermore, all work is completed by me. Providing quality wok and clear communication is important to me. I look forward to working with you! Certifications: - Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), CFA Institute ID: 8373047 - Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA), Charter ID: 71391 - Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the state of New York, License No: 135195 - CFA Institute’s Certificate in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing - Previous FINRA Series 7, 63, 86, and 87 holder Colleague Recommendations: “I had the pleasure of working with Kevin for two years at Goldman Sachs. He was a big contributor in my development as I ramped up as a first year analyst. Kevin is analytical, intellectually curious, disciplined, and a real team player. I happily recommend him and am sure he will be a valuable asset to any organization he is part of.” “Few people have the opportunity to work with someone as ‘teamwork oriented’ as Kevin. I had the pleasure of working with Kevin on several teams in courses we enrolled in during our undergraduate and graduate studies and on teams representing our alma mater in national competitions. Kevin’s ability to motivate and work with others was unlike any I’ve seen before and made a dramatic increase in the morale and focus of these various teams. As a team member or a leader, Kevin earns my highest recommendation.”

I help founders, investors, fund sponsors, and established companies buy and sell businesses, raise capital, form funds and joint ventures, and negotiate the agreements that protect their transactions. I am a New York- and Texas-licensed corporate attorney, former senior associate at Clifford Chance and Thacher Proffitt & Wood in Manhattan, and Top Rated Plus on Upwork. During more than 20 years in practice, I have worked on over $100 billion in domestic and cross-border transactions involving startups, private and public companies, investment banks, private equity sponsors, and investment funds. Clients engage me for sophisticated legal drafting and analysis combined with direct attention, practical business judgment, responsiveness, and cost-conscious execution. My JD/MBA background enables me to evaluate legal provisions in their commercial context—not merely explain what the contract says. M&A AND BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS • Buy-side and sell-side acquisitions • Asset purchase agreements, stock purchase agreements, and membership interest purchase agreements • Letters of intent, term sheets, due diligence, disclosure schedules, and closing documents • Earnouts, rollover equity, escrows, indemnification, and purchase-price adjustments • Founder and member buyouts, business separations, and succession transactions • Domestic and cross-border M&A SECURITIES AND CAPITAL RAISING • Rule 506(b) and 506(c), Regulation D, Regulation S, Regulation A, and Regulation CF offerings • Private Placement Memoranda (PPMs), subscription agreements, investor questionnaires, risk factors, and offering materials • SAFEs, convertible notes, promissory notes, bridge notes, and warrants • Form D filings, Blue Sky compliance, and offering-process advice • Securities-law review of pitch decks, websites, investor communications, and placement arrangements FUNDS, SPVs, AND JOINT VENTURES • Private funds, real estate funds, special-purpose vehicles, and project joint ventures • LLC operating agreements, subscription documents, investment agreements, and governance provisions • Distribution waterfalls, sponsor economics, management compensation, and investor protections • Investment Company Act and related structural considerations CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL COUNSEL • Company formation, capitalization, shareholder agreements, and operating agreements • Board, shareholder, and member consents; governance policies; and corporate records • Customer, vendor, services, licensing, confidentiality, and independent-contractor agreements • Contract drafting, review, negotiation, and risk analysis • Outside general counsel and strategic advice to founders, executives, and boards MY APPROACH • Business-minded: I explain what matters commercially and how the legal terms affect the transaction. • Practical: I distinguish genuine risks from points that do not justify unnecessary time or expense. • Responsive: I communicate clearly, meet deadlines, and keep transactions moving. • Flexible: I offer hourly representation and defined fixed-fee scopes where appropriate. “Joe helped me buy back my company from my former partners and navigate difficult waters. He saved my business.” If you are buying or selling a business, raising capital, forming a fund or joint venture, or negotiating a high-stakes agreement, send me a message describing the transaction, jurisdiction, timeline, and available documents. I can then recommend an appropriate scope and next steps.

Profile * Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), certified with the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts (NACVA) since September of 2014. * I write well-written, accurate and thorough business valuation reports for gift tax, estate, mergers & acquisitions, divorce and other scenarios. I have experience with complex international/multi-jurisdictional valuations as well as relatively simple "what's my small business worth" engagements. * Much of my work -- gift tax, estate, charitable contributions of a business, etc. -- has been reviewed by the IRS and my work has yet to be challenged even once by the agency. * Expert witness on matters pertaining to business valuation (divorce, partnership disputes, etc.), IP valuation, IP infringement, business damages/lost profits, etc. * Past clients include Westinghouse, Honeywell and Alpine Global Partners. * Aside from U.S. clients, I have served clients in many other countries, including Mexico, Canada, Japan, France, Belgium, and Nigeria. * Bestselling author of The Einstein of Money (biography of the life and methods of value investing pioneer Benjamin Graham, for which I interviewed Warren Buffett and other renowned value investors), A Brief History of Entrepreneurship (endorsed by business guru Brian Tracy), and co-author of From Lifeguard to Sun King, the biography of the founder of the Banana Boat sun care brand.