Stout is uniquely positioned as an integrated provider of ESOP & ERISA advisory services through every stage of an ESOP company's life cycle. Typical engagements include:

Pre-ESOP Planning

• Assessment of strategic alternatives
• ESOP feasibility studies
• Preliminary valuation

ESOP Formation

• Transaction structuring & negotiation assistance
• Fairness & solvency opinions
• Capital raising

Ongoing Administration & ERISA Compliance

• Ongoing trustee advisory
• Annual valuations
• Follow-on transactions
• ESOP loan restructurings
• ESOP & ERISA litigation support & expert testimony
• Sustainability consulting

Exit

• Fairness opinions
• Merger and acquisition advisory
• Recapitalizations
• ESOP terminations

Stout’s ESOP professionals have extensive experience in some of the largest and most complex transactions. Having collectively completed more than 3,000 ESOP & ERISA related engagements, Stout's ESOP professionals offer unrivaled execution capabilities.

Who We Serve

Stout has provided ESOP services to every major institutional ESOP trustee in the United States and is experienced in documenting and defending valuation analyses with various regulatory agencies (e.g., Department of Labor (DOL), and Internal Revenue Service (IRS)).