The ESOP Exit: Rethinking the End Game

For many business owners, exit planning often seems to boil down to two options:

➡️ Sell to a strategic buyer or competitor
➡️ Sell to a private equity or institutional investor

But there’s another path — one that preserves legacy and rewards the team that helped the owner build the business: Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs).

Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld’s Andrew J. Rudolph, Marc Hirschfield, and David Dalesandro take a close look at how ESOPs work in this Smart Business Dealmakers podcast, covering:

✔️ The powerful tax advantages
✔️ Financing structures and deal mechanics
✔️ The founder’s role after a sale
✔️ Building an ownership culture for long-term success

As they explain, ESOPs can create a win-win — giving owners liquidity, providing employees with a stake in the company’s future, and ensuring the business continues to thrive.

Read more here and listen to the podcast.