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Private companies approaching major transactions often lack necessary experience or bandwidth within their permanent workforce to effectively and efficiently evaluate, pursue and execute on available opportunities. Those companies face two options: 1) use internal resources to lead the transaction, or 2) outsource transaction management to large and expensive outside professional firms.
When a company relies on existing resources, their transaction duties are inherently distinct from the team's regular workload and core competencies. Even if the transaction team has the experience to perform the tasks, this approach still presents significant risk of diluting the day-to-day operations of the business. Too often, the team is built around senior management or the finance staff, whose regular duties are among the most dangerous to interrupt during an important transaction.
When a company looks to outside professionals, it most commonly leverages its primary law firm or full service investment bank. Investment banks can be effective in this role, but don't work with "smaller" companies or are extremely expensive. Outside law firms, while essential to properly executing a transaction, present their own challenges in this regard such as: i) outside counsel are not generally installed closely enough to the management decision makers and information to efficiently lead internal transaction teams; ii) the "tiered" approach of law firm transaction staffing can be inefficient and costly if not closely managed; and iii) the law firm is usually limited in the scope of transaction they can perform, meaning that the management team pays a large bill, but still experiences significant dilution.
PCTA's Solution
PCTA was founded by John Goodman and John Park with the mission of creating a better business model for "getting to done." The founders incorporated what worked when they were purchasers of professional services while eliminating what didn't work. What worked extremely well was having advisors with extensive experience and a deep relationship with the business people, including spending significant time with the client at the client's office. What didn't work was having advisors staff projects with professionals who did not have a deep understanding of the clients business, people, or industry.
As purchasers of professional services, Goodman and Park were lucky to have hired and worked with intelligent, creative and hard working advisors who committed to not using first or second year associates on the projects. However, those advisors billed in excess of $10 million in fees and expenses in 2004. This left Goodman and Park knowing that there must be a better way.
Pacific Coast Transaction Advisors enhances its client's permanent workforce with experienced, executive-level professional(s), completely dedicated to the project or installed as a temporary member of the management team. This approach reduces management dilution, results in lowered overall transaction costs, and enhances the probability of a successful outcome. | 
