We have taken large strides to ensure that excellence comes from within our firm. Our people make us the great company that we are, and the exceptional service we provide clients is directly related to how we serve our own employees. In turn, Stout fosters a culture that allows employees to grow personally and professionally. The commitment to our values is reflected in the firm's rich history and has helped us grow to where we are today.

Our Story

		1991 Craige Stout founds the firm in Detroit, providing valuation services to clients. Beginning with a two-person team in a living room, the Detroit office has grown to one of our largest.
		1997 We establish our Investment Banking group, offering advice on mergers and acquisitions, private capital raising, and other services for business owners, private equity portfolio companies, and corporate divisions.
		1998 Our Dispute Consulting group launches, delivering a variety of services, including expert testimony, litigation consulting, investigations, compliance, and special assignments.
		2000 We expand our physical presence with an office in downtown Cleveland.
		2001 Our Chicago office opens. The office has grown to be the largest at the firm.
		2004 We open our Tysons Corner office in Virginia, adjacent to Washington, D.C.
		2007 Our East Coast footprint grows with the opening of our New York office. Also during the year, we relocate our corporate headquarters to Chicago.
		2011 We expand to the West Coast with our new Los Angeles location.
		2012 Our growth continues as we complete our first major acquisition with the purchase of valuation and investment banking firm Howard Frazier Barker Elliott (HFBE). Through this transaction, we establish our Dallas and Houston offices, providing a solid foundation in Texas and the South. Separately, we open offices in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., strengthening our East Coast and Southeast base.
		2014 With the growth of our Dispute Consulting practice, we open our Baltimore office – our third in the Mid-Atlantic region – and expand our D.C. office. We also establish a Denver office to better serve clients in the Mountain states.
		2016 In another year of big moves, we celebrate our 25th anniversary. Our Management Consulting practice launches, focusing on the unique areas of legal management, artificial intelligence, restructuring, and risk management. In addition, we complete our acquisition of Natoma Partners, strengthening our Dispute Consulting services. We also open offices in Philadelphia, Grand Rapids, MI, and Irvine, CA.
		2017 We launch our new brand – Stout – leveraging existing brand equity and expertise across our core services. We also acquire FMV Opinions, further expanding our Valuation Advisory group. In addition, we strengthen our global reach, opening new offices in Geneva and Lausanne, Switzerland.
		2018 Our global footprint expands to Asia, as we establish new offices in Shanghai, Singapore, and Hong Kong, which help broaden our transaction coverage in these regions. We also launched a new Financial Sponsor Coverage practice within our Investment Banking group, connecting our industry expertise with the private equity community.