Financial Leaders Host Roundtable Discussion on Mergers and Acquisitions

Bernstein Global Wealth Management, Cobblestone | Harris Williams, Hughes Pittman & Gupton, LLP and Williams Mullen are partnering to present a business planning seminar and panel discussion on October 1, 2009. The invitation-only event will be held from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Cardinal Club in downtown Raleigh.

"With the recent economic volatility, the purpose of the seminar is to educate Triangle business owners on merger and acquisition strategies," says Kent Pittman, HPG partner. "We're thrilled to have such a talented group of experts joining in as keynote speakers and panelists."

The seminar will consist of four sessions:

1. Navigating Today’s Environment??"M&A Opportunities and Your Strategy.
Harold Williams, managing director and Jeff Herr, director of Cobblestone | Harris Williams, will discuss current market dynamics and how mergers and acquisitions can provide significant opportunities.

2. Taxation of Mergers and Acquisitions??"Effective Negotiations Require Understanding the Taxation of Transactions Before the Negotiations Begin.
Kent Pittman and Heather Dean, CPAs and partners at HPG, will focus on the impact of deal structures and choice of entity. They will target what strategies to consider now, as well as during the transaction negotiation, to minimize the ultimate tax burden and maximize owner value.

3. Pre-Transaction Wealth Transfer Planning??"The Day Before Closing Is Not the Time to Consider Taxes.
Farhad Aghdami and Steven B. Long, partners at Williams Mullen, will conduct a session that considers the wealth transfer planning opportunities and challenges associated with the sale of a privately held business. This includes a discussion of pre-transaction planning techniques to maximize transfer of wealth to future generations with minimal tax costs.

4. Planning for the Sale of a Business.
Greg Singer, senior vice president, national managing director and director of research, as well as Scott Williams, vice president of Bernstein Global Wealth Management, will share the latest research to help quantify the trade-offs owners often face when considering selling their business.

Business owners interested in attending may contact Natasha Richmond at (919) 232-5900 or e-mail her at nrichmond@hpg.com.

About Bernstein Global Wealth Management:
Bernstein was founded in 1967 to manage investments for private families and individuals. Our mission soon grew to include investment research and institutional asset management, but private clients remained a central focus for our firm. As a unit of AllianceBernstein L.P., we manage some $100 billion for a private clientele that includes some of the nation's most prominent families and individuals. In managing private money, we tailor each Bernstein account to the particular client's financial goals, risk-tolerance levels, tax status, and special situations. But in each case, our investment decisions are driven by fundamental research, and our goal is maximizing long-term return at a controlled risk level. Regardless of the size of their account, each client gets the best we have to offer.

About Cobblestone | Harris Williams:
Cobblestone | Harris Williams (www.cobblestonehw.com), a specialty group of Harris Williams & Co., provides trustworthy advice and superior execution on private company sales, corporate divestitures, acquisitions, recapitalizations, restructurings and complex valuations for lower-middle market transactions. Our professionals have advised on M&A and financing transactions representing more than $5 billion in value since 1998, making it one of the nation's most experienced and successful advisors dedicated solely to the lower-middle market. Member FINRA/SPIC.

About Hughes Pittman & Gupton, LLP (HPG):
HPG is the largest CPA firm headquartered and staffed in the Research Triangle Park region of North Carolina, as ranked by the Triangle Business Journal. Furthermore, Business Leader magazine ranked HPG as the fifth most successful small business in North Carolina in 2008. HPG is able to provide national and global accounting resources to its clients through the CPAmerica firm network of 701 offices worldwide. HPG offers a wide array of business accounting, auditing, corporate tax, and management advisory services. Specialties include serving owner-managed, investor-backed technology and life science, healthcare services, real estate development, manufacturing and distribution businesses, and providing ERISA audits, family wealthcare services and Sarbanes-Oxley internal audit services. More than just an accounting firm, HPG assists clients in looking beyond the bottom linesm by being the right people, right value and right firm to achieve each client's definition of success. Visit www.hpg.com.

About Williams Mullen:
Williams Mullen provides comprehensive legal services to regional, national and international clients. With 325 attorneys and offices throughout North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and London, we deliver innovative solutions to support our clients’ diverse business activities. Close working relationships with clients have been the foundation of Williams Mullen’s progressive approach to law practice since the firm was founded a century ago. For more information, please visit www.williamsmullen.com.

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