• Practice Management - QuickRead Top Story

    The Illusion of Value

    Everything is Changing (Part I of II) In this two-part article, the authors present some illustrations that indicate the illusion of value of many businesses. Business appraisers have many tools to determine the value of a closely held business. So many so, that many “official” conclusions of value for the same business generate significant differences. This borne out by the normal expectation of rebuttal reports in marital and shareholder disputes, tax litigation over estate, gift and charity values of family businesses, and fair value situations. In some instances, there are multiple valuations. Many valuations are prepared to fulfill a purpose…

  • Mergers and Acquisitions/Exit Planning - QuickPress

    Estate Planning for Jedi Masters —CBS Marketwatch

    Star Wars Creator Strikes Savvy Deal with Disney Quentin Fottrell at CBS MarketWatch reports that Disney will buy George Lucas’ LucasFilm for $4.05 billion in cash and stock, the two companies announced Tuesday: Wade Westhoff, a financial adviser based in Danville, Calif., says of the Disney deal. “This is a textbook example of exit planning for a private business owner.” (Lucas and a spokesman for LucasFilm were not immediately available for comment.) That Lucas struck a deal in 2012 may be no accident, either, advisers say. Long-term capital gains tax from the sale of assets held more than one year are…