Ready, Set, Go: Deal Team Recommendation(s)

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January 07, 2026

by a searcher from University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School in Philadelphia, PA, USA

I've been lurking and learning here for the past several months as I was working full-time and 'kind of' searching, and I have to say—this community has been incredibly generous with insights, war stories, and encouragement. Thank you. I'm now actively reviewing deals and want to make sure I have the right team in place before I get deep into diligence on the right opportunity. Looking for recommendations in a few key areas: M&A Attorney – Ideally someone experienced with search deals who works without a retainer (rolling in fees at deal time), and who is commercial (makes money building vs billing). Please note, I'm going to build a platform and will do another deal (or two, or three) over the next 2 to 3 years. And attorneys are like barbers and dentists - I never switch unless I HAVE to (I've had 3 barbers in 27 years, and only because I moved from CA to PA to NJ). QofE Provider/Accountant – Looking for a firm that's right-sized for deals in the $1.5M–$5M EBITDA range, understands how messy SMBs can be at times, and who knows where bodies are buried so we can be efficient. Commercial/Non-Bank – Anyone you've had a great experience with on searcher-friendly 7(a) transactions. I've met with one group who offers some support, will likely reach out to Pioneer Capital, and have had some conversations. I'm looking at some deals that SBA won't work for (Sub $5M where I have ~20% equity and tax returns are aggressively different than actual cash in the biz) and some where it will. Insurance Broker – Particularly someone familiar with rep & warranty and transaction-related coverage. If you've worked with someone great (or have cautionary tales), I'd appreciate the recommendations—feel free to comment or DM. And if you think I'm missing something, that's always good to know too. Thanks in advance to everyone. If you're taking a meaningful step down this road in 2026, may the journey be all that you'd hoped for.
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Reply by a professional
from University of Notre Dame in New York, NY, USA
Hey ^redacted‌- Happy to connect. I run Cullen’s M&A practice. Ex–Big Law and large-cap PE, now focused almost entirely on ETA and lower-middle-market deals. Client mix is about 50/50 independent sponsors ($10–$50M EV) and ETA/searchers (sub-$10M). Also, very used to platform builds/holdcos/repeat buyers. We closed 50+ deals last year and we’ll likely be closer to 100 in 2026. We’re pretty aligned with how you’re thinking about fees - No retainers or milestone payments. Fees payable at closing only, typically capped around ~1% of purchase price. We also have a full service team under one roof (M&A, tax, real estate, labor, etc), so things don’t stall coordinating multiple firms. Based in NYC but have multiple offices on the east coast including three in NJ. Happy to connect - shoot me an email redacted
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Reply by a professional
from Liberty University in Fort Myers, Florida, United States
Hey J! I am happy to connect and walk you through my firm's (Tonnesen Accounting Services) QoE product, process and background. We offer a full QoE report for 7.5k for SBA sized deals, and do around###-###-#### a month. Please see what our customers are saying by reading through our google reviews. Here is my Calendly link where you can schedule some time with me directly that works around your schedule: https://calendly.com/josh-tonnesenaccountingservices/30min Looking forward to it!
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