Press Releases

Ladenburg Launches New Succession, Continuity & Acquisitions Platform to Support Business Strategies of Financial Advisors

Platform Identifies and Facilitates Transactions for Advisors Seeking Growth Through Acquisitions or Liquidity Events via Planned Exit from Industry

Offerings Include Technology-Enabled Matching Resources, Sophisticated Valuation Tools, Access to Transaction Financing Solutions and Dedicated Support

Lays Groundwork for Rollout of Additional Succession Planning Solutions to Support Long-Term Goals of Advisors Across Business Life Cycle

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. (NYSE American: LTS, LTSL, LTS PrA, LTSF) (“Ladenburg”), a publicly-traded, diversified financial services company, today announced the launch of a new Succession, Continuity & Acquisitions (SCA) platform. The new suite of service offerings and tools will assist advisors across Ladenburg’s independent advisory and brokerage (IAB) subsidiaries in achieving their long-term strategic business goals through practice acquisitions to accelerate growth or liquidity events that are part of a planned retirement from the industry, in addition to helping them develop continuity plans.

Ladenburg Practice Management – which provides growth strategies, coaching and other business resources to financial advisors – spearheaded the launch of the SCA platform. The move is part of Ladenburg Practice Management’s ongoing broader efforts to build industry-leading solutions that directly support the long-term growth and success of advisors across Ladenburg’s five IAB subsidiary firms: Securities America, Triad Advisors, KMS Financial Services, Investacorp and Securities Service Network (SSN).

Adam Malamed, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Ladenburg, said, “Recent shifts in business lending, technology and practice management have collectively generated accelerated change in the area of succession planning for independent advisors across the country. Our new Succession, Continuity and Acquisitions platform positions our financial advisors to capture new opportunities that have been created over the past year with succession planning-based transactions. The offerings that comprise this new platform are part of the comprehensive succession planning solutions we intend to roll out, and provide another powerful example of Ladenburg’s ability to leverage its scale and resources to meet the needs of our firms and advisors, empower their growth and drive a superior level of value-add and opportunity capture.”

The SCA platform is supported by two dedicated succession planning and acquisitions coaches, with another four experienced business coaches providing additional support for succession planning-related efforts. These coaches serve as a resource to independent advisors through the process of developing and executing succession plans and related practice acquisitions and sales according to a streamlined process that provides value-added structure, resources and tools across five key inter-related functions: Education and Planning, Advisor Matching, Transaction Structuring, Valuation and Practice Transitions.

  • Education and Planning Consultation. The SCA team consults with advisors affiliated with Ladenburg subsidiaries on succession planning, continuity and acquisition issues on a direct basis, as well as conducting in-depth consulting on these topics at each IAB firm’s respective national conferences.
  • Advisor Matching. Advisors have access to the Ladenburg Advisory Practice Listing website, which enables potential buyers and sellers to list their practices for review by prospective transaction partners within the network. The site features robust screening capabilities to help advisors identify the best potential transaction partners for their businesses.
  • Deal Structure. The SCA group also leverages its extensive experience across a broad range of transaction structures to provide sample deal terms to advisors and their counsel.
  • Valuation. Ladenburg’s proprietary estimated practice valuation model, which factors in a broad range of drivers to generate estimates of a business’ value, is available for illustrative purposes to financial advisors.
  • Practice Transitions. The group works with advisors and their legal, accounting and valuation teams to guide them through the business transition process, with a particular focus on client accounts, compensation flows and license transfers.

Ladenburg Practice Management’s new SCA platform will also deliver access to financing options through a newly-formed transaction financing platform that leverages Ladenburg’s strategic partnerships with banks, lending institutions and other third-party industry funding sources.

Kirk Hulett, Senior Vice President for Organizational & Practice Development for Ladenburg, said, “By combining the expertise of our dedicated coaches with technology-enabled matching resources, sophisticated valuation tools and access to transaction financing partners, we’re giving advisors and their teams a blueprint to execute effectively on a sale or purchase of an independent practice. From a planned exit out of the industry, to growth through strategic acquisitions and continuity preparedness, our newly-launched platform cuts through the noise related to succession planning-based transactions to support advisors toward the outcomes they desire. Equally important, this new platform maintains a vital human element, ensuring that our advisors have access to experienced coaches as they navigate these complicated, yet crucial processes.”

About Ladenburg

Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. (NYSE American: LTS, LTSL, LTS PrA, LTSF) is a publicly-traded diversified financial services company based in Miami, Florida. Ladenburg’s subsidiaries include industry-leading independent advisory and brokerage (IAB) firms Securities America, Triad Advisors, Securities Service Network, Investacorp and KMS Financial Services, as well as Premier Trust, Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management, Highland Capital Brokerage, a leading independent life insurance brokerage company, Ladenburg Thalmann Annuity Insurance Services, a full-service annuity processing and marketing company, and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., an investment bank which has been a member of the New York Stock Exchange for over 135 years. The company is committed to investing in the growth of its subsidiaries while respecting and maintaining their individual business identities, cultures, and leadership. For more information, please visit www.ladenburg.com.

This press release includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding future growth, growth of our independent advisory and brokerage business, future enhancements to success planning resources and future technology. These statements are based on management’s current expectations or beliefs and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Ages in economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors, including the SEC’s proposed rules and interpretations concerning the standards of conduct for broker dealers and investment advisers when dealing with retail investors, future cash flows, a change in the Company’s dividend policy by the Company’s Board of Directors (which has the ability in its sole discretion to increase, decrease or eliminate entirely the Company’s dividend at any time) and other risks and uncertainties affecting the operation of the Company’s business. These risks, uncertainties and contingencies include those set forth in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 and other factors detailed from time to time in its other filings with the SEC. The information set forth herein should be read in light of such risks. Further, investors should keep in mind that the Company’s quarterly revenue and profits can fluctuate materially depending on many factors, including the number, size and timing of completed offerings and other transactions. Accordingly, the Company’s revenue and profits in any particular quarter may not be indicative of future results. The Company is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise, except as required by law.

Haven Tower Group
Michael Dugan / Jessica Caris
424 652 6520 ext. 106 or ext. 104
mdugan@haventower.com or jcaris@haventower.com

Source: Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc.