Conference Theme is “ESOPs Grow America”

Verit Advisors announces that Neal Hawkins, Vice President, will participate as a panelist and moderator at the Midwest ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Program) Conference “ESOPs Grow America” September 20-21 in Des Moines. Mr. Hawkins topic is “Issues to be Addressed Prior to Selling Your Company.”

The session, held on September 21, will outline the various issues an owner should address prior to selling his or her business. The panelists will provide an overview of items an owner will need to assess which will include expectation of value, types of transactions to consider, management team post transaction, board of directors, addressing outstanding legal issues, accounting and financing hurdles, and time to close. In addition, the panel will provide best practices and examples of when addressing issues prior to the transaction process proved to be successful for a selling shareholder.

Neal Hawkins joined Verit Advisors LLC in 2011 with significant debt capital market and ESOP expertise. Mr. Hawkins currently works with private business owners on succession and transition alternatives which include the use of ESOPs, management buyouts, private equity transactions and mergers and acquisitions.

Prior to joining Verit Mr. Hawkins was with Bank of America Merrill Lynch as the national ESOP Consultant in the bank’s ESOP Solutions Group. In this role, Mr. Hawkins advised business owners and management teams on implementing ESOPs. In addition to the advisory role, he was also responsible for providing capital to finance transactions for new and existing ESOP companies. Before the acquisition of LaSalle Bank, Mr. Hawkins was part of LaSalle Corporate Finance. Mr. Hawkins received a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Northern Illinois University where he was an Evans Scholar. Mr. Hawkins currently sits on the Finance Committee for the ESOP Association. Mr. Hawkins is a member of FINRA and currently holds his Series 7 and 63.

About Verit Advisors

Verit Advisors unites sophisticated middle market investment banking capabilities with a client centric boutique, fluent in ESOPs, debt and equity capital markets, and mergers and acquisitions. Integrity, teamwork, service and innovation are at the heart of the organization, as the Verit Team strives to provide unparalleled advice and custom solutions to its clients. Mary Josephs founded Verit Advisors in 2009 and has nearly three decades of experience in the world of corporate finance. Josephs and her team are considered to be the foremost experts in ESOP transactions and middle market strategic alternatives.

About the ESOP Association

The Midwest ESOP Conference of Champions is the fourth annual meeting for the states of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The two-day conference features educational sessions appealing to all levels of ESOP ownership. Front line employees, trustees, ESOP committees, managers, CEO’s and CFO’s will benefit from sessions focusing on Communication, Technical/Legal, Roundtable and ESOP Basics discussion topics. For more information