Cornerstone Strategic
Advisors
M&A advisory and independent sponsorship for lower middle market and middle market companies.
Where Deals Are Made
The Firm
Cornerstone Strategic Advisors works with owners, operators, and investors across the lower middle market and middle market. We advise closely held businesses through the sale process, help acquisitive companies identify and execute add-on and platform transactions, and act as an independent sponsor — arranging capital on a deal-by-deal basis to acquire and build businesses alongside our capital partners.
Our clients operate in a segment of the market that is frequently underserved by larger institutions and too complex for generalist brokers. We bring institutional-caliber process and discretion to transactions that are, for most owners, the most consequential financial decision of their lives.
Because we operate as both an advisor and a principal, we understand a transaction from both sides of the table — how a buyer underwrites a business, and how a seller should prepare for that scrutiny. That dual perspective informs every engagement, whether we are representing a company to market or committing our own time and capital to acquire one.
Sell-Side & Buy-Side
Advisory MandatesIndependent Sponsor
Deal-by-Deal CapitalConfidential Process
Owner-First DiscretionOwner-First Discretion
Engagements are run in confidence from the first conversation, with information shared only as far as each stage requires.
Principal & Advisor
We sit on both sides of the table — advising sellers and acquirers, and acquiring businesses ourselves as an independent sponsor.
Senior Attention
Every mandate is led directly by the principals of the firm, from origination through closing — no hand-off to junior staff.
Cross-Sector Depth
Experience spanning industrials, services, healthcare, technology, real estate, and energy informs how we position and evaluate every deal.
Practice Areas
Two disciplines, one standard of diligence — whether we are representing a company to market or committing our own time and capital to acquire one.
M&A Advisory
Sell-side and buy-side representation for lower middle market and middle market companies, from initial positioning through closing. We manage the full arc of a transaction so owners and management teams can stay focused on running the business.
- Sell-side representation and business sale process management
- Buy-side search, target identification, and negotiation
- Valuation, positioning, and marketing materials
- Confidential buyer and investor outreach
- Process management through multiple bidding rounds
- Deal structuring and negotiation support through close
- Coordination with legal, accounting, and financing counterparties
Independent Sponsor
We identify, evaluate, and pursue acquisitions on a deal-by-deal basis, partnering with equity and debt capital providers rather than drawing from a committed fund. This structure lets us move deliberately, aligning capital and structure to the specific business rather than a fund's mandate.
- Proprietary deal sourcing and evaluation
- Management team assessment and alignment
- Deal-by-deal capital partner identification and alignment
- Transaction structuring and negotiation
- Financing coordination across equity and debt
- Post-close oversight alongside capital partners
How a Transaction Moves
Every engagement, whether we are selling a company or acquiring one, moves through the same four stages.
Origination
We evaluate fit — the business, the owner's goals, and the realistic path to a transaction — before any engagement begins. This includes a preliminary view on valuation and likely buyer or target universe.
- Initial confidential consultation with ownership or management
- Preliminary business review and goal alignment
- Indicative valuation range and market context
- Engagement scope, structure, and terms agreed
Preparation
Positioning, financial materials, and diligence readiness are built before the company or opportunity goes to market, so momentum isn't lost once outreach begins.
- Financial normalization and quality-of-earnings review
- Confidential information memorandum and teaser drafting
- Data room build-out and diligence document preparation
- Target or buyer list development and vetting
Execution
Structured, confidential outreach to a curated set of counterparties, followed by disciplined negotiation across multiple rounds on price and terms.
- Confidential outreach and NDA execution
- Management presentations and site visits
- Indication of interest and letter of intent review
- Competitive negotiation on price, terms, and structure
Closing
We manage diligence, documentation, and financing coordination through signing and close, staying engaged through the transition that follows.
- Buyer or lender diligence request coordination
- Purchase agreement negotiation with legal counsel
- Financing and funds-flow coordination
- Signing, closing, and post-close transition support
Leadership
Every mandate at Cornerstone is led directly by the firm's principals — no hand-off to junior deal teams.
Will Nico
Will Nico is a senior mergers & acquisitions advisor and independent sponsor with more than 35 years of experience advising on, structuring, and executing transactions involving privately held and middle-market companies. Over the course of his career, he has advised on and invested in more than 250 transactions representing aggregate transaction value in excess of $10 billion.
Will has extensive experience across mergers and acquisitions, leveraged and management buyouts, strategic divestitures, recapitalizations, growth transactions, corporate carve-outs, and complex special situations. He works closely with business owners, management teams, private equity sponsors, family offices, and strategic acquirers on both sell-side and buy-side transactions, providing senior-level advice throughout the transaction lifecycle — from strategic positioning and valuation through structuring, negotiation, due diligence, financing, and closing.
As an independent sponsor, Will focuses on acquiring established lower middle-market and middle-market businesses with differentiated market positions, durable cash flows, strong management teams, and identifiable opportunities for operational and strategic value creation. His investment experience spans business and industrial services, consumer products, technology, infrastructure, power and energy, media and entertainment, and select real estate-related businesses.
Will maintains longstanding relationships throughout the middle-market transaction ecosystem, including private equity firms, family offices, institutional investors, private credit funds, commercial lenders, corporate executives, business owners, and strategic acquirers. These relationships, combined with decades of transaction experience, provide a broad platform for proprietary deal sourcing, transaction execution, acquisition financing, and long-term value creation.
Newport Beach, California
Where We Work
Our advisory and independent sponsor mandates span the following sectors within the lower middle market and middle market.
Precision, industrial, and value-add manufacturers with defensible niches and durable customer relationships.
Asset-light and recurring-revenue service businesses, including B2B outsourced and specialty services.
Non-clinical and services-oriented healthcare businesses, including multi-site and platform opportunities.
Specialty distribution, 3PL, and logistics operators with regional or category density.
Branded consumer products companies with established retail, DTC, or wholesale channels.
Niche industrial platforms and add-on targets with proprietary processes or technical know-how.
Operating businesses with real estate components, and sponsor-led acquisitions of income-producing assets.
Power generation, energy services, and related infrastructure with contracted or regulated cash flows.
Profitable software, tech-enabled services, and IT services companies below the venture-scale segment.
Content, production, and media services businesses with established audiences or distribution.
Infrastructure services and energy transition platforms, including renewables-adjacent operating businesses.
Representative practice areas. Specific engagement details are confidential and available to qualified parties on request.
Representative Transactions
A selection of recent engagement types across our advisory and independent sponsor practice. Client and counterparty names are withheld to preserve confidentiality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an independent sponsor?
An independent sponsor identifies and pursues acquisitions without a committed pool of capital, raising equity and debt from partners on a deal-by-deal basis once a specific target is identified. It allows for more tailored capital structures and closer alignment between sponsor and capital partners on each individual transaction.
What size companies do you work with?
Our advisory and independent sponsor mandates generally focus on companies with revenue between $10 million and $750 million and EBITDA between $2 million and $250 million, though we evaluate opportunities outside these ranges on a case-by-case basis.
How is a sale process kept confidential?
We control the flow of information at every stage — using blind marketing materials before a non-disclosure agreement is signed, limiting outreach to a curated and vetted list of counterparties, and sharing detailed diligence materials only with qualified, committed parties.
How is Cornerstone compensated?
Advisory engagements are generally structured around a success fee due at closing, often paired with a retainer during the engagement. Independent sponsor economics are negotiated with capital partners on a transaction-by-transaction basis. Specific terms are discussed during an initial engagement conversation.
How long does a typical transaction take?
Most sell-side and buy-side engagements move from origination to closing in roughly four to seven months, depending on deal complexity, diligence findings, and financing timelines.
Do you work with companies that aren't ready to sell yet?
Yes. Many of our best engagements begin with an owner who is a year or more away from a transaction. Early conversations help identify what would strengthen the business's position before a process begins.
Confidential. Considered. Closed.
Start a Conversation
Whether you are exploring a sale, evaluating an acquisition, or looking for a sponsor partner on your next platform, we start every relationship with a confidential conversation — no obligation, no cost. Send a message below, or reach out directly using the details to the right.
Newport Beach, CA 92660