Clairfield International

Over 400 M&A and corporate finance advisors and industry experts at Clairfield provide our clients direct access to local know-how of regional offices worldwide and to specialized industry advisors. Clairfield’s high ratio of senior partners and directors to junior employees ensures that senior team members take an active role in all transactions.

Meet the team

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Clairfield focuses mainly on midmarket mergers, acquisitions, and disposals, designing and executing transactions largely between EUR 15 and 500 million enterprise value.

As an independent boutique advisory firm, we are able to provide wholly objective and pragmatic advice on strategic options for clients ranging from corporates to professional investors to family businesses. Every transaction team is composed of professionals with experience in the relevant industry, as well as professionals with honed project management and analytical skills. Unlike other firms, Clairfield involves senior partners at every step of the process for every assignment we take on.

Sell-side advisory

Clairfield has been helping businesses create successful outcomes since its establishment in 2004, boasting a proven track record in managing sell-side transactions, be they domestic or cross-border. Clairfield advises on divestures of non-core corporate activities and sales of businesses for corporate clients, private equity firms, and family businesses. Since every sale process is unique, we tailor our transaction strategies specifically to meet our client’s needs, from discreet private processes to public auctions. A strong network is essential for any strategic transaction. Clairfield works with financial sponsors and strategic buyers across the globe to make sure our clients are able to find the right match for their needs. We provide committed transaction support from senior partners who leverage their connections and expertise to achieve the optimal price for every client.

Buy-side advisory

Clairfield provides advice on acquisition strategy and execution. On the buy-side, we coordinate organic and sustainable growth strategies to be implemented via acquisitions for corporate clients or portfolio companies of private equity clients, to enable companies to continue to thrive long after negotiations have ended. We begin the process by defining a clear acquisition strategy, calling on our international resources to create a tailored target list. With partners in every major economy, we have the capacity and connections to approach local targets and ascertain interest. Our specialized research analysts and the combined industry expertise of our partners bring unparalleled insight and market intelligence to even the most complicated cases. Our services range from advising on strategy, transaction management, and sources of financing to negotiating acquisition terms.
Clairfield offers M&A services including:

Execution of sell side mandates including searching for domestic and international strategic buyers and financial sponsors

Management of LBO’s and MBO’s

Definition of acquisition strategy

Design, initiation, and execution of international and domestic acquisition opportunities

Due diligence and negotiations

Advisory on mergers and joint ventures

DEBT & CAPITAL ADVISORY

Clairfield’s Debt & Capital Advisory team specializes in debt advisory assignments and project finance. Through our Debt & Capital Advisory practice, Clairfield is able to serve our clients on every step of their business journey and to enable early detection of financing and strategic needs. We offer advisory on both structured finance and fundraising & capital structure:

Project finance initiatives

Public private partnerships

Fundraising advisory

Strategic financing

Acquisition financing

Leveraged finance

The team offers expertise in advising boards, CEOs, CFOs and shareholders in strategic decisions and has a track record of landmark transactions.

VALUATIONS, FAIRNESS OPINIONS & STRATEGIC ADVISORY

Clairfield offers independent valuations of entire companies, business units, or individual assets for transaction, tax, impairment, and investment purposes. Our valuations are based on proprietary research as well as industry expertise from our partners and international senior advisor network. Capabilities include:

Identifying transactions with the maximum probability of success

Scenario analyses

Strategic options analyses

Valuations and fairness opinions

Employee stock option plans

Regulatory advisory

FAMILY BUSINESS ADVISORY

Family businesses are a pillar of the economy worldwide and play an important role in the M&A market.

Clairfield International believes deeply in the power of family owned businesses and we pride ourselves on our extensive history in facilitating better outcomes for individuals, families, and firms alike. Family businesses offer a business dynamic unique from any other type of company; recognizing and embracing these distinctions, Clairfield always seeks to balance the business interests of the company with the interests of the owners, skillfully aligning the ideas and priorities of different family members.

With strong local connections and a profound understanding of family business dynamics, Clairfield advisors are equipped to handle any challenges your business might face.

We assist companies in:

Understanding their asset base

Valuing wealth

Addressing questions of governance, succession, and best practices

Assessing growth prospects and risk factors

We provide advisory on a variety of topics such as:

Public or private capital market options

Potential buyers

Valuation of businesses

Process requirements

Information sharing and sensitivity

Transition process

FUNDRAISING

The need for capital to finance growth is a natural step in the life cycle of a company but presents many challenges, from finding the right investor, to structuring the transaction.

Clairfield works with family offices and private investor groups, as well as other minority or majority investors to connect businesses to the capital they need to continue to prosper. Due to the disintermediation in the banking markets, more investors are turning to direct lending or private credit alternatives to invest in the credit markets.

With extensive knowledge of financial providers, we handle:

Analysis of client’s current and optimal future investor base

Assessment of investors’ attributes, allocations, and dynamics

Identification, recommendation, and approach of investors

Market plans, due diligence, and investment process

Raising equity and debt finance, venture capital, and growth capital

RECOVERY & RESTRUCTURING

Clairfield has expertise in distressed M&A transactions with a track record of many successful restructurings and insolvencies.

Transactions involving distressed companies differ from ordinary M&A processes in terms of speed, accelerated schedules, and information available, which is often abbreviated or incomplete. The recovery and restructuring processes require complex project management skills and a clear understanding of the industry involved; Clairfield’s international network and experience in the field ensures that any company at any stage in any industry will have the support it needs to tackle the challenges it faces. Finding the right strategy and procedure in restructuring and insolvency situations is key for success, be it a share or a typical asset deal.

We work with administrators, stakeholders, and other advisors with services including:

Refinancing existing debt

Structuring financing of acquisitions and growth strategies

Lender negotiations

Recapitalizations and capital raisings

Distressed M&A and special situations

Creditor representations

Please consult our transactions' track record on the following link:

http://www.clairfield.com/en/transactions/

Business services

The services sector is a strong one that consistently outperforms the market. Services companies are attractive for international M&A. Clairfield is perfectly positioned to help clients take advantage of market conditions.

Cleantech, energy & resources

Clairfield´s global practice supports its clients, from start-ups to large corporations, in seizing the huge business opportunities presented by the dynamic shift to a resource-efficient and low-carbon global economy.

Consumer goods & retail

Perhaps no other industry has such an intricate relationship with external factors as the consumer sector. Climate, inflation, and globalization of brands create complex scenarios where expert advice is needed.

Financial Institutions

We focus on the following segments: financial services providers, insurance brokers, lending institutions, consumer credit businesses, foreign exchange services providers.
Healthcare

With healthcare experts located around the world, Clairfield understands this complicated sector and is perfectly positioned to help clients take advantage of market conditions, focusing on the several specific segments.

Industrials

Our team has contacts to management at the major global players in industry and solid inroads to local market players through our industry advisors. Clairfield members have been actively involved in advising on many M&A transactions in the midcap segment.

Technology, media & telecom

With experts located around the globe in 23 countries, our TMT sector team focuses on advisory to midcap technology and media clients, whether advising on a growth strategy, fundraising, or on selling a business.
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