Brightlane Partners has over 40 years of experience as an advisor to buyers and sellers in community bank mergers & acquisitions from start to finish. Our team will:
- Identify growth market areas to move into
- Analyze and recommend potential acquisition targets
- Hire qualified legal counsel for the transaction
- Complete appropriate regulatory applications
- Evaluate comparable sales for purchase or sale price expectations
- Assist the client in all negotiations
- Recruit new directors, management and staff as needed
During good times and bad our partners have provided strategic planning services for community banks and other financial service businesses. Assignments range from short-term plans suitable to meet regulatory needs to statewide branch realignment or acquisition strategies. Our team will:
- Evaluate options for capital growth, strategic growth, acquisitions, a sale, and more
- Conduct interviews with management and directors to understand company culture, strengths and weaknesses
- Identify opportunities for growth and areas for change
- Consider the current regulatory and market environments in providing recommendations
- Develop short-term and long-term goals alongside management
- Assist where needed in carrying out new objectives
Our team has participated in over 100 de novo bank formation projects (including submitting an application as recently as 2017) and has assisted many others in acquiring charters to inject capital and rehabilitate struggling banks. In forming a de novo bank, Brightlane Partners will:
- Develop and file all necessary bank formation or change of control applications with the appropriate regulators
- Attend meetings with regulators and assist in supplying all associated documents
- Prepare the business plan, three-year financial statements, and the capital structure of the bank and/or holding company
- Recruit qualified executives and directors
Increased regulations in the industry have left merchants that run legal businesses with few options for banking services. Our network of bank relationships and general knowledge of the industry provides Brightlane Partners with the unique ability to connect merchants at any level of risk with banks that have the compliance standards to provide them services. Our areas of focus include:
- High-risk merchants, MSB’s, medical marijuana dispensaries, and crypto-currency businesses searching for payment processing through ACH or major credit card rails
- Debit or credit card providers in need of an issuing/sponsor bank for their program
- Distributors of branded debit or credit cards searching for a program manager
An independent bank stock valuation or fairness opinion is often needed by clients experiencing stock repurchases, a merger or acquisition, an IPO, a new stock issuance, or an update to their books. Our team will:
- Review historical financial and demographic data to establish one or more valuation method
- Identify and research share values of banks in the same peer group
- Develop a detailed written assessment of the valuation results
- Provide a fairness opinion for directors to review
Bank asset disposition can result in the immediate improvement of capital ratios by removing items, such as a branch building, from the balance sheet. Brightlane Partners will determine the asset’s fair market value and market demand to ensure the client receives appropriate compensation. Our team will:
- Coordinate and gather all essential data and information
- Develop a sales strategy and design associated collateral materials
- Identify and approach prospective buyers
- Facilitate and advise in formal negotiations with bidders
- Oversee all due diligence
Capital raising is a vital step to fund de novo bank formations, holding company acquisitions and bank rehabilitations, and can also help FinTech startups continue to grow. Brightlane Partners will:
- Develop fundraising documents (private placement memorandum, pitch book, executive summary, etc.)
- Analyze current financial statements and long-term goals to determine the most beneficial capital structure for the client and its shareholders
- Identify and contact likely investors for the client’s scenario
- Facilitate introductions to and negotiations with potential investors