"Most founders don't lose value at sale. They lose it twelve months before."
Every 7-, 8- or 9-figure exit is really decided in the eighteen months of structuring before term sheets arrive. ASJ Group works with founders on pre-sale structuring, holdco optimisation and post-exit private wealth.
How we work with founders.
Every serious exit — trade sale, IPO, secondary — is decided in the eighteen months before the term sheet arrives. Shareholding, tax residency, holdco domicile, EMI or EOT overlays, and the trust or foundation into which post-tax proceeds will roll are all more tractable before the deal than during it.
ASJ Group works with founders on pre-sale structuring, holdco optimisation and post-exit private-wealth infrastructure — running alongside the M&A counsel who will negotiate the transaction itself.
We are not brokers. We do not take a percentage of the deal, we do not introduce buyers, and we do not receive commissions from any bank, custodian or asset manager on the post-exit side. Everything is fixed-fee, in writing.
What we've seen go wrong.
- Starting structuring inside the term-sheet window, when residency and holdco changes trigger anti-avoidance provisions
- Rolling proceeds straight into a personal investment account, losing decades of compounding to unnecessary tax
- Consolidating into a single UK or US holdco that maximises rather than minimises exposure
- Missing EMI, BADR/Investors' Relief, QSBS or equivalent time-limited reliefs by weeks
The shape of the work.
Every engagement is fixed-fee, director-led, and quoted in writing before any work begins.
- 01Pre-sale diagnostic and options memorandum (2–3 weeks)
- 02Structure implementation: holdco, share reorganisation, trust or foundation settlement
- 03Coordination with M&A counsel through the transaction
- 04Post-exit private-wealth stack: banking, custody, residency, succession
Questions we hear from founders.
- When should we start?
- Eighteen to twenty-four months before a target exit gives full flexibility. Twelve months still allows meaningful structuring. Under six months narrows options materially — but there is almost always something worth doing.
- Do you replace our M&A lawyer?
- No. ASJ Group owns the pre-sale structure and the post-exit wealth stack. Your corporate counsel runs the transaction itself. The two engagements are designed to sit alongside each other.
- Can you help before the business is sale-ready?
- Yes. A material portion of our founder work is for businesses two to five years from any exit — putting the holding structure in place so future decisions are simple choices rather than emergency rebuilds.
Explore further for founders
Deal & Exit Structuring
Pre-sale structuring for founders facing 7-, 8- or 9-figure liquidity events.
Corporate Structuring
Multi-jurisdictional holding groups, IP-routing structures, JV vehicles and re-domiciliations.
Trusts & Foundations
Discretionary, fixed-interest, purpose and reserved-power trusts. Panama and Nevis foundations.
Every engagement begins with a twenty-minute director-led call. Fixed fees, in writing, before any work begins.