Defensible Methodology
We apply recognized valuation approaches, including income, market, and asset-based methods where appropriate. Our analysis is designed to be supportable, clearly documented, and aligned with the purpose of the engagement.
Valuation & Advisory
Whitmore Sterling & Co. prepares professional valuation analyses and advisory work for privately held companies, business owners, attorneys, CPAs, investors, private equity firms, family offices, and advisory professionals. Our work supports transaction planning, fairness opinions, shareholder matters, tax and estate considerations, litigation and dispute contexts, financial reporting needs, asset valuation, restructuring matters, and strategic decision-making.
Transaction Planning
Shareholder Matters
Tax & Estate Use
Litigation Support
Our business valuations are prepared to meet rigorous professional standards and, where applicable, relevant IRS valuation guidance. Each report is developed using traditional approaches to value, with analysis informed by the factors identified in IRS Revenue Ruling 59-60 and supported by a disciplined reporting process that produces accurate, well-supported, and defensible conclusions.
Our professionals hold a broad range of recognized credentials spanning valuation, forensic accounting, financial analysis, and advisory disciplines.
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Clients choose Whitmore Sterling not simply for a report, but for a professional conclusion that can withstand review, scrutiny, negotiation, and dispute.
Our multi-credentialed analyst team provides deeper technical expertise, stronger report credibility, and a more robust framework for complex matters—including M&A, tax, disputes, cross-border transactions, and high-net-worth engagements. With a foundation that reflects both U.S. market standards and international valuation principles, we deliver work built for demanding institutional and global contexts.
Why Whitmore Sterling
Valuation work is only useful when it is clear, supportable, and appropriate for its intended use. Whitmore Sterling & Co. combines valuation methodology, financial analysis, professional judgment, and practical reporting to help clients make informed decisions in complex or high-stakes situations.
We apply recognized valuation approaches, including income, market, and asset-based methods where appropriate. Our analysis is designed to be supportable, clearly documented, and aligned with the purpose of the engagement.
Our valuation work is prepared or reviewed by professionals with experience across valuation, accounting, financial analysis, forensic matters, and advisory engagements. Each matter is evaluated based on scope, complexity, intended use, and available information.
We focus on clear conclusions, transparent assumptions, and practical presentation. Our reports are structured to help business owners, attorneys, CPAs, investors, family offices, and advisors understand the valuation basis and use the analysis effectively.
Whitmore Sterling & Co. supports matters involving transactions, ownership disputes, tax and estate considerations, financial reporting, investor review, restructuring, specialized assets, and strategic decision-making. For matters involving third-party review or heightened scrutiny, we help determine the appropriate valuation scope before work begins.
Valuation Guidance
Valuation needs vary depending on the purpose of the engagement, the intended users, and the level of review the report may face. Whitmore Sterling & Co. supports clients in transaction, tax, dispute, financial reporting, investor, and strategic decision-making contexts.
The appropriate option depends on the purpose, complexity, intended users, and whether the valuation may be reviewed by outside parties. If you are unsure which option is appropriate, our team can review your inquiry and recommend the suitable scope.
Choosing the Right Scope
Not every valuation matter requires the same level of analysis, documentation, or reporting. The appropriate option depends on the purpose of the valuation, the intended users, the complexity of the company, and whether the report may be reviewed by third parties.
Best for internal planning and preliminary decision-making.
Choose Standard if you need a credible valuation estimate for ownership review, internal planning, preliminary strategy, or an initial understanding of business value.
This option is generally appropriate when the valuation is not expected to be used in litigation, tax reporting, regulatory review, investor negotiations, or other third-party reliance contexts.
Best for transaction planning, ownership discussions, and more detailed analysis.
Choose Select if you are preparing for a potential sale, acquisition, shareholder discussion, buy-sell agreement, investor review, or transaction-related planning.
This option provides a more detailed valuation analysis and is appropriate when you need stronger support than a preliminary estimate, but the matter does not require the most comprehensive reporting level.
Best for complex, high-stakes, or third-party review matters.
Choose Premium if your matter involves litigation, dispute resolution, tax or estate considerations, investor or lender scrutiny, complex ownership structures, fairness considerations, or a situation where a more comprehensive written report may be required.
This option is designed for matters where the valuation may need to withstand closer review, negotiation, or professional scrutiny.
A documented valuation engagement for internal planning, ownership review, and preliminary transaction or succession planning. Best suited to a straightforward, single-entity business with complete records and no tax-filing, litigation, regulatory, or formal third-party-reliance requirement.
Tax-return filing, litigation, regulatory submission, financial reporting, fairness or solvency opinions, or formal third-party reliance unless expressly accepted under a separately defined engagement scope.
A more developed valuation engagement for ownership transitions, buy-sell matters, transaction planning, shareholder decisions, and review by the client’s legal, tax, financial, or lending advisors. Certain straightforward gift or estate tax matters may be accepted only under an expressly defined tax-purpose engagement scope.
A comprehensive, fully scoped valuation engagement for complex, high-stakes, or multi-party matters. Appropriate for complex gift and estate tax matters, multi-entity structures, minority or noncontrolling interests, complex capital structures, and significant board or professional-advisor review.
Litigation and dispute engagements, expert testimony, rebuttal reports, fairness or solvency opinions, purchase price allocations, complex financial instruments, regulatory matters, and transaction advisory services are separately scoped and quoted.
Starting prices reflect a straightforward engagement within the stated scope. Final fees and delivery dates depend on the intended use and users, entity and ownership complexity, number of valuation dates, data quality and availability, required third-party or licensed information, applicable professional standards, review requirements, and deadline.
No engagement is accepted until the firm completes its conflict, independence, competence, intended-use, information-availability, and scope review, and both parties execute a written engagement agreement. Delivery estimates begin only after complete and usable information has been received.
At Whitmore Sterling, we combine professional qualifications with practical experience to ensure that each analysis, every report, and every value judgment meet institutional standards.
For us, valuation is not only a technical task but also a professional service involving trust, judgment, and responsibility.
Our Process
Every valuation matter begins with understanding the purpose, intended use, timeline, and level of support required. Our process is designed to ensure that each engagement is appropriately scoped, professionally reviewed, and supported by relevant financial and market analysis.
Tell us about the company, the purpose of the valuation, the intended users, and your expected timeline. This helps us understand the matter and determine the appropriate next step.
We review the requested scope, available information, potential conflicts, independence considerations, and suitability of the selected valuation option. If needed, we may recommend a different scope based on the intended use of the valuation.
After the engagement is accepted and required materials are received, we review financial performance, normalize relevant financial information, assess business and industry risk, and apply appropriate valuation methodologies.
You receive a written valuation report or analysis based on the agreed scope. When appropriate, we also provide a review discussion to walk through key assumptions, valuation methods, and conclusions.
Our process is designed to ensure that valuation work is properly scoped before analysis begins, particularly when the matter involves third-party review, tax, litigation, transaction, investor, or regulatory considerations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Business valuation requirements vary by purpose, complexity, and intended use. The following answers are intended to help clients understand our process before beginning an engagement.
The documents required depend on the purpose, scope, and complexity of the valuation. In most cases, we request recent financial statements, tax returns, ownership information, company background, and any relevant transaction, legal, or operating documents.
Timing depends on the selected service level, the completeness of the information provided, and the complexity of the company or matter.
Standard valuation work may be completed in a shorter timeframe, while more detailed reports involving complex ownership structures, litigation, tax, transaction, or investor-related considerations may require additional review and analysis.
Typical timelines are provided with each valuation option. Final timing is confirmed after we review the scope, purpose, and available documentation.
Some valuation matters require a higher level of analysis, documentation, independence review, and professional support. If the valuation is intended for IRS, litigation, arbitration, court, shareholder dispute, divorce, estate and gift tax, or regulatory use, we generally recommend a more comprehensive engagement.
Not every valuation option is appropriate for every legal, tax, or third-party review context. During the engagement review process, we will assess the intended use and advise whether the requested valuation scope is suitable.
No valuation report can guarantee acceptance by the IRS, a court, opposing party, investor, lender, or other third party.
Standard is designed for clients who need a clear valuation estimate for internal planning, preliminary decision-making, or general business insight.
Select provides a more detailed valuation analysis and is appropriate for transaction planning, ownership discussions, investor review, buy-sell planning, or situations requiring more support than a basic estimate.
Premium is designed for higher-stakes or more complex matters, including litigation, disputes, tax-related matters, complex capital structures, investor scrutiny, or situations where a more comprehensive written analysis is required.
The right option depends on the purpose of the valuation, the intended users, the company’s complexity, and whether the report may be reviewed by third parties.
Yes, in many cases. We can value early-stage, pre-revenue, or high-growth companies when sufficient information is available to support the analysis.
These valuations may rely on factors such as market opportunity, intellectual property, product stage, funding history, comparable transactions, ownership structure, development milestones, forecast assumptions, and risk factors.
Because early-stage valuations can be highly sensitive to assumptions, we review each matter before confirming scope and suitability.
Yes. We can provide valuation updates when a company’s financial performance, market conditions, ownership structure, funding status, or transaction circumstances have changed.
The scope of an update depends on the age of the prior valuation, the extent of new information, and the intended use of the updated analysis. In some cases, a limited update may be appropriate. In other cases, a new valuation may be required.
Yes. Information shared with Whitmore Sterling & Co. during an initial consultation is treated as confidential.
However, a consultation does not create a formal engagement unless and until an engagement has been reviewed, accepted, and documented. For matters involving litigation, disputes, conflicts, or sensitive parties, we may need to complete a conflict and suitability review before receiving certain detailed information.
After payment, we review the submitted information, confirm the requested valuation scope, and determine whether the engagement can be accepted under our professional, independence, conflict, and suitability requirements.
If the engagement is accepted, we will provide a document request list, confirm the valuation process, and begin analysis after receiving the necessary materials.
Payment does not guarantee engagement acceptance, a specific valuation conclusion, or acceptance of the valuation by any third party. If the matter is not suitable for the selected service, we will contact you regarding next steps.
Whitmore Sterling & Co. may decline an engagement if the requested scope is not appropriate for the intended use, if required information is unavailable, if there is a conflict of interest, if independence requirements cannot be satisfied, or if the matter falls outside the firm’s professional judgment or service capabilities.
We may also decline or recommend a different scope when a client requests a valuation level that is not suitable for tax, litigation, court, regulatory, investor, lender, or other third-party use.
Our review process is designed to ensure that each accepted engagement can be performed with appropriate professional care, support, and objectivity.
Tell us about your valuation or advisory matter, and a Whitmore Sterling & Co. professional will review your inquiry and follow up regarding scope, timing, and next steps.