About Us
Mercer Capital is a valuation and advisory firm. For more than forty years, we have served as a trusted and independent resource for owners, boards, management teams, fiduciaries, and professional advisors on matters such as valuing a company, evaluating a transaction, resolving a dispute, planning for succession, or assessing the financial aspects of strategic decisions.
Founded in 1982, we have grown into one of the leading independent valuation and advisory firms in the country, built on a platform designed for long-term stability, technical rigor, and integrity.
From our earliest days, Mercer Capital has emphasized clear, well-supported analysis delivered with independence and supported by a team that understands both the technical and strategic dimensions of financial decisions. Over time, the firm has expanded from a regional practice to a national, multi-specialty firm serving clients across a wide range of industries and in the U.S. and internationally. Our mature ESOP ownership model supports continuity, broad participation, and a culture in which professionals take responsibility for the quality of the firm’s work.
Today, we operate as an integrated platform that combines service-line expertise, industry specialization, and collaborative teamwork.
Our Services
Mercer Capital provides a comprehensive suite of valuation, financial reporting, transaction advisory, dispute resolution, and family business advisory services.
Corporate Valuation
Gift, estate, and income tax compliance - Valuations prepared in accordance with IRS requirements, supported by decades of experience navigating tax-related valuation issues for closely held businesses, family enterprises, and high-net-worth individuals. Our work is built to withstand regulatory scrutiny and provide clarity to taxpayers and advisors.
Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP) valuations - Annual and transaction-related ESOP valuations that reflect the complexities of employee ownership, fiduciary requirements, and evolving regulatory expectations. We assist trustees, boards, and plan sponsors with objective analyses and ongoing guidance.
Buy-sell agreement valuation - Independent valuations performed in accordance with the terms of existing buy-sell agreements, providing shareholders with a clear and defensible determination of value. When disputes arise, Mercer Capital is frequently engaged as the third appraiser to deliver an objective conclusion that helps resolve valuation disagreements in contested or litigated situations.
Financial Reporting Valuation
Portfolio valuation services - Valuations of illiquid or hard-to-value investments, including debt, equity, and alternative assets, delivered with transparency and audit-ready documentation for fund managers, investors, and financial institutions.
Purchase price allocations - Comprehensive analyses of acquired assets and liabilities under ASC 805 to help acquirers record transactions accurately and meet audit and regulatory expectations.
Goodwill impairment testing - Independent valuations for Step 0 and Step 1 impairment tests under ASC 350, supported by industry and market analysis to help management teams meet reporting deadlines with confidence.
Equity-based compensation valuation - Objective valuations of stock options, profits interests, RSUs, and other equity awards under ASC 718, informed by market data, option-pricing models, and company-specific performance expectations.
280G golden parachute valuation - Detailed analyses for companies undergoing change-in-control events, providing clear documentation and defensible conclusions for 280G safe harbor determinations and shareholder approvals.
Transaction Advisory
M&A advisory for closely held and family-owned businesses - Sell-side and buy-side advisory grounded in decades of transaction expertise, industry focus, and a deep understanding of the unique dynamics of privately held companies.
Fairness and solvency opinions - Independent opinions that help boards, special committees, trustees, and fiduciaries fulfill their duties by evaluating financial fairness and post-transaction solvency with objectivity and analytical rigor.
ESOP advisory - Support for feasibility analyses, transaction structuring, and stakeholder education, helping business owners and boards understand their alternatives and move confidently through ESOP-related transactions.
Quality of earnings analyses - Buy-side and sell-side QoE engagements that provide insight into the sustainability of earnings, working capital requirements, and financial drivers which is critical information for pricing, negotiation, and closing.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Shareholder disputes, corporate restructuring, and dissolution - Independent valuations and analyses that bring clarity to contentious matters involving ownership interests, governance challenges, and structural changes.
Tax-related controversies - Independent valuations and documentation for clients and advisors in disputes with the IRS or state taxing authorities.
Family law and divorce matters, including forensic accounting - Business valuation, income analysis, tracing, and forensic accounting, and expert testimony.
Business damages and lost profits - Quantification of economic damages arising from breaches, interruptions, and commercial disputes.
Valuation, labor, and contract disputes - Objective analysis of ownership interests, compensation matters, and contractual disagreements.
Consultation, testimony, and support - Comprehensive litigation support, including expert testimony, clear reporting, and strategic consultation as appropriate.
Family Business Advisory Services
Shareholder surveys and education - Tools and programs designed to assess alignment among family shareholders, foster communication, and enhance understanding of business fundamentals, valuation, and governance.
Dividend and redemption policies - Analyses and frameworks that help families balance shareholder liquidity needs with the capital requirements and long-term goals of the business.
Capital structure and capital budgeting - Valuation-informed guidance to support disciplined decision-making around leverage, reinvestment, major expenditures, and long-term financial planning.
Performance measurement and benchmarking - Financial and operational benchmarking to help families evaluate performance, set expectations, and improve transparency between management and shareholders.
Our Core Values
Four core values guide everything we do:
Collaboration - We approach our work collaboratively, drawing on service-line and industry expertise to address complex assignments.
Integrity - We maintain independence and place a strong emphasis on producing work that is credible and well supported.
Employee growth - We support the development of our professionals through training, specialization, and opportunities for increased responsibility.
Client service - We focus on delivering quality work, clear communication, and timely responses throughout an engagement.
Why Clients Choose Mercer Capital
Clients turn to Mercer Capital for independent analysis, clear communication, and a disciplined approach to complex financial questions. Our structure and culture support work that is technically sound, objective, and delivered with the level of care these engagements require.
Independence you can rely on - Our commitment to objectivity helps ensure that engagements are conducted without conflicts of interest. Independence is central to our work and our role in providing reliable analysis.
Client service - We focus on responsiveness, clear communication, and steady engagement throughout the process.
Institutional knowledge backed by thousands of engagements - Over four decades of experience across industries and diverse types of engagements allow us to apply informed judgment to complex assignments.
A respected brand rooted in integrity - Our work and approach have led to long-standing professional relationships and referrals from attorneys, accountants, fiduciaries, and valuation colleagues.
Long-term continuity - We emphasize stability, specialization, and sustainable careers, which supports continuity of service over time.
Thought leadership - Our advanced thought leadership demonstrates the depth of our expertise and provides ongoing insight, not just deliverables.
What This Means for You
When you engage Mercer Capital, you receive analysis that is independent and grounded in careful evaluation. For assignments requiring objectivity, such as valuations, fairness and solvency opinions, and litigation support, we provide conclusions supported by established processes.
When the engagement is advisory in nature, whether in M&A, ESOP transactions, or family business consulting, we work with owners, boards, and management teams to assess alternatives and navigate transitions.
In either capacity, independent or advisory, we focus on providing clear communication and analysis informed by industry and technical experience.