October 20-21, 2026 | Scottsdale, AZ
AEC Mergers & Acquisitions Success Workshop
In today’s active M&A climate, whether you’re buying or selling, it’s easy to make a million-dollar mistake.
PSMJ’s AEC Mergers & Acquisitions Success Workshop is where you learn how to make smarter decisions and execute better deals. Join peer AEC executives at the Omni Scottsdale for 2 days of transaction case studies, hands-on exercises, connection with M&A experts, and deal explanation.
SAVE $600 when you register by July 21!
Turn AEC M&A Complexity Into Competitive Advantage
In Just 2 Days, Learn how to structure successful AEC transactions, avoid common pitfalls, and create long-term value.
AEC Mergers & Acquisitions Success Workshop is where you get the latest insight on how the best deals come together, hear insider stories about unexpected pitfalls, and get the guidance you need to execute a merger, firm sale, or acquisition with confidence.
This isn’t a boring seminar. It’s an interactive workshop that delivers an equal mix of learning and doing to keep you engaged from start to finish. It’s packed with case studies, exercises, and data on valuations and structures from real M&A deals and facilitated by seasoned experts who have advised both buyers and sellers in dozens of AEC transactions.
Whether on the buy side or the sell side, entering into a merger or acquisition can be a very risky bet. Even a seemingly small oversight or error in judgement can lead to an expensive mistake. That’s why every minute of this executive workshop focuses on the latest strategies for structuring win-win transactions… from valuations and finding the right counterparty all the way to successful integration.
2 days... 6 Core Blocks... Dozens of Action Items and Takeaways to Make M&A Work!
A Plan Built to Succeed
- When to separate ownership from leadership
- 10 fundamental truths of leadership development
- 7 common transition planning mistakes, and how to avoid them
- Key traits every successful new leader shares
- The 5 drivers behind every successful AEC transition
A Clear Path to Your Next Leaders
- 3 proven ways to identify, develop, and measure future leaders
- How generational differences impact strategy
- How to present ownership opportunities to rising leaders
- What to do if a candidate declines
- 5 effective ways to resolve partner disputes
A Smarter Approach to Valuation
- How to avoid costly valuation mistakes
- Proven approaches that work, and ones that don’t
- What actually drives valuation up or down
- How to account for intangible assets
- How to handle gaps in valuation expectations
Stronger Agreements, Fewer Risks
- Why traditional non-competes fall short, and what works better
- 59 costly Buy/Sell Agreement mistakes to avoid
- How to protect former owners without hurting the business
- The 35 must-have terms to implement immediately
Solutions to the Affordability Challenge
- Structuring deals that incoming owners can realistically afford
- Strategies to minimize tax impact
- When gifting stock works, and when it creates risk
Flexible, Forward-Thinking Ownership Models
- Structuring stock option plans that benefit everyone
- Building effective shareholder agreements
- Maintaining control while expanding ownership
We dive into everything buyers and sellers must know about planning and executing the merger, acquisition, or sale of an architecture and engineering firm
The AEC M&A Landscape: What Every Firm Leader Must Know
• How current market conditions are reshaping deal volume, valuations, and buyer behavior
• The types of buyers active in AEC today: strategics, PE, PE-backed platforms, and employee ownership structures
The M&A Process from Start to Finish
• A plain-language roadmap of every stage: preparation, outreach, IOI, LOI, due diligence, and close
• How long deals actually take, and the most common reasons they stall or collapse
• What buyers and sellers each need to have ready before the process begins
Valuation & Deal Structure: The Million-Dollar Questions
• How AEC firms are actually valued
• Easy ways to avoid overpaying or leaving money on the table
• Proven strategies to bridge a valuation gap, and when to walk away
• Deal structure variables: earnouts, equity rollovers, seller notes, working capital adjustments, deal types (stock vs asset deal)
Hands-On Valuation Workshop
• Case study: work through an AEC firm's financial profile and calculate a valuation range
• Model out different deal structures and see how each affects total proceeds
• Group discussion: where deals get stuck on valuation and how to get them unstuck
Culture Fit Assessment
• Why cultural misalignment is the leading cause of failed integrations, and how to assess it early
• Frameworks for evaluating leadership compatibility, client service philosophy, and staff retention risk
Buyer Track: Acquiring an AEC Firm
• What to look for, and what to walk away from, when evaluating a target
• How to structure your offer to win competitive situations without overpaying
• Managing your existing business while simultaneously running a deal process
Seller Track: Selling Your AEC Firm
• How to prepare your firm for the sale and maximize value before going to market
• How sellers can negotiate more favorable valuations and deal terms
• Protecting your employees, clients, and legacy through the transaction
Merging With Another Firm: A Different Animal
• How mergers differ from acquisitions in structure, culture, and negotiation dynamics
• Governance, leadership, and ownership split decisions that make or break a merger
Negotiations, Phase I: The Indication of Interest (IOI)
• What an IOI is, when it gets issued, and what it should (and shouldn't) commit to
• Workshop: Draft an IOI using a sample firm profile
• How to respond to an IOI as a seller: when to accept, counter, or walk
Negotiations, Phase II: The Letter of Intent (LOI)
• When is the right time to move from IOI to LOI?
• See examples of LOIs and understand what goes into them
• What should be binding vs. non-binding, and why it matters more than most people realize
• Workshop: Refine your IOI into a full LOI
The Due Diligence Process: How To Know Exactly What You Are Buying
• The biggest blind spot in due diligence, and how to avoid it
• Financial, legal, operational, HR, and IT diligence: what each covers and who should own it
• How to deal with problems discovered in diligence without blowing up the deal
• How to keep running your business while a buyer is conducting due diligence
Negotiations, Phase III: Closing Documents & Final Terms
• What changes between the LOI and the final purchase agreement, and what shouldn't
• Documentation: SPA/APA, escrow, employment agreements, non-competes, disclosure schedules, and buyer financing
• Why deals fall apart after the LOI and how to prevent it
Closing The Transaction
• What closing day actually looks like, and what can't be missed
• How to make the big announcement to clients and employees
• The first 30/60/90 days: setting the integration up for success
Life After the Transaction: Turning Plans Into Results
• Who should be involved in integration planning, and when to start
• Post-closing performance measurement: reports and dashboards
11 Reasons To Lock In Your Seat At This Executive Roundtable
50 years of helping AEC executives buy and sell firms means we know what makes a great deal for both parties and what can go awry. So, we share everything we’ve heard to help you prepare, assess opportunities, negotiate terms, close the deal, all while sidestepping easily-made yet catastrophic errors.
See details and valuations from recent AEC M&A transactions to reframe your strategy
Go inside the worst deal catastrophes, for both buyers and sellers, to avoid similar missteps
Get critical financial benchmarking data to isolate your M&A vulnerabilities
Get guidance from proven M&A professionals who ONLY work in the AEC industry
Ask specific questions and get immediate solutions to your M&A challenges
Learn exactly what you should (and shouldn’t) say when approached to sell your firm
Practice with actual valuation and deal structures
See how the most successful firms keep the best staff after the transaction
Learn negotiation Tactics you can actually use, and Practice them with Peer AEC executives.
Incorporate Critical details Long Before Deal Closing, and Avoid Nasty Surprises
Put the power of PSMJ’s AEC M&A Issues Checklist to work, so you never overlook a crucial consideration
Proven Results
The One Event that Teaches You Everything You Need to Know to Make M&A Achieve Your Strategic Objectives
Your peer AEC leaders say it best…
Majda Ataya
President | Onward Engineering
There’s alot to learn about M&A. I’m certainly glad to have attended this program.
Dean Niese
COO | Mannik & Smith Group
Excellent roundtable. I gained more insight than I anticipated, with subjects and issues I hadn’t considered before.
Wiley Johnson
President & CEO | Hurt & Proffitt
I came away with a page full of things to implement and make our next acquisition process be more complete and effective.
Ronald G. Kaminski
CEO | HBK
I would highly recommend this course to anyone planning to go down an M&A path.
What You Get
Master the M&A Decisions That Will Shape Your Firm's Future
Whether you’re planning to acquire, merge, or sell, this executive workshop gives AEC leaders the strategy and confidence to navigate one of the most important decisions in their firm’s history.
Too many firms rely on advisors who focus on tax, legal, or transactional details while missing the bigger strategic picture. When your future, your people, and your legacy are on the line, that can be a costly mistake.
Designed for AEC firm owners, principals, and managing partners, this two-day program combines real-world case studies, proprietary market data, and expert guidance to help you lead a successful transaction from start to finish.
To maximize the application of what you learn, you’re entitled to a complimentary 45-minute confidential discussion with your facilitators. You can exercise this benefit up to a year after the event!
You get access to PSMJ’s cloud-based Mergers & Acquisitions Digital Toolbox, loaded with , tools, templates, checklists, and more to boost your success (a $497 value). You get:
• Buyer Profile
• Sample Letter of Intent
• Current Market Data
• Critical Issues Checklist (Don’t make a million-dollar mistake!)
• Due Diligence Checklist
• Stock Purchase Plan
• Sample Integration Plan
• AND MORE!
Meet other AEC principals to swap ideas and experiences when you join attendees and facilitators for beverages, hors d’oeuvres, and conversation.
Save $600 on your registration by signing up for the program at least 90 days prior to the date. Please note that registration is capped for this program to ensure the most interactive experience for participants. As such, availability is on a first-come, first-served basis until we have reached capacity.
Loaded with so many actionable insights, you’ll want ALL your key contributors to attend, including Managing Partners, CEOs, CFOs, Principals, and COOs. Save up to $700 each with special team discounts!
You won't find this kind of AEC-specific M&A experience anywhere else.
Don’t waste your time listening to so-called ‘experts’ who’ve never been a key player in an merger or acquisition in the architecture or engineering industry. At PSMJ’s AEC Mergers & Acquisitions Success Workshop, your facilitators know exactly the challenges you face because they have been there!
facilitated by
Mitchell Mafra, CM&AP
Mitchell is an M&A Advisor at PSMJ Resources where he is focused on performing valuations and providing advisory services for both their sell-side and buy-side clients. He has a proven track record working over 20 M&A deals in the AEC space which includes deals with publicly traded A&E firms, private equity, family office, and various strategic buyers.
As a member of the M&A Advisory Practice at PSMJ, Mitchell has been a contributor to the M&A Insider publication, as well as a contributor to the M&A Essentials program, an educational program for firm owners. Further, he teaches the M&A process at the M&A Essentials Workshop for owners.
Prior to joining PSMJ in 2021, Mitchell worked at Adage Capital Management, L.P., a major hedge fund in Boston with over $44B in assets under management with a focus on industrial and energy sectors.
Mitchell’s strong academic foundation is evident in his dual degree from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He holds a B.S. in Management with a Finance Concentration and a B.A. in Economics.
Kevin J. Pitts, CPA, MSF
Kevin provides advisory support to the valuation, ownership transition, and mergers & acquisitions practices at PSMJ.
As both a finance executive and advisor, Kevin has deep experience with founder-led and private equity–backed companies on buy-side and sell-side M&A, valuations, financings, and ownership transitions totaling more than $11 billion in transactions. He brings a unique combination of corporate development, finance, and advisory expertise to PSMJ’s mergers and acquisitions, valuation, and ownership transition practices. Kevin’s experience spans professional services, infrastructure, energy, industrials, and construction, where he has consistently helped founder-led and private equity–backed companies execute effective growth, transition, and exit strategies.
Kevin began his career in public accounting before moving into finance, M&A, and project development roles. His first exposure to complex transactions came at Competitive Power Ventures, a private equity-backed energy developer, where he closed more than $7 billion in project financings, refinancings, and sales of landmark projects.
Read more
He later advanced into senior finance leadership roles in healthcare and industrials, where he supported acquisitions and financings exceeding $2 billion through innovative capital structures.
Recently, Kevin served as Vice President of Finance at Health Management Associates, a fast-growing private equity–backed healthcare consulting firm. There he built and led the M&A and finance function, partnering with corporate development and investors on all aspects of acquisitions that tripled revenue and EBITDA in under four years. He executed complex structures including 338(h)(10), 351, and F reorganizations, while leading financial modeling, diligence, negotiations, capital raising, and integration.
Kevin holds a B.B.A. in Accounting from Iona University, is a Certified Public Accountant, and earned a Master of Science in Finance from Brandeis University.
This Workshop is AIA CES-registered to provide this content and earns you up to 13 LU Hours, CEUs, or PDHs. Not all state and licensing boards accept these programs for learning units. PSMJ is a registered provider with the Florida Board of Professional Engineers (provider #0007694). PSMJ is a registered provider with the Florida Board of Landscape Architects (provider #0002844 course #0007693). For more information, please contact our education team at (617) 965-0055 or education@psmj.com.