Indie Agency News Blueprint: Agency M&A Live in NYC
May 12 @ 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm Eastern Time
What indie agency owners need to know about buying, selling, and structuring deals.
A half-day forum. Discussions led by Davis+Gilbert LLP and Evalla Advisors.
Who this is for
This program is exclusive to Indie Agency News members and is built for owners and leaders at agencies with 25 or more employees. The conversations, deal sizes, and panelist experience are calibrated to that scale.
Why now
The agency M&A market is moving fast — and the players have changed.
- Holding companies are contracting
- Private equity is leading the buyer side
- Strategic indie acquirers are building platforms
- A growing number of indie agency owners are exploring what a sale, merger, or acquisition could look like — without a clear sense of what they’re walking into
What you’ll get
The Indie Agency News Blueprint: Agency M&A puts the people who actually structure, advise on, and close agency deals in the same room with the owners thinking about making one. No theory. No sales pitches. Just the legal, financial, and strategic realities of today’s market.
You’ll leave with real answers to the questions that matter:
- What are agencies actually selling for right now?
- What do buyers look for — and what scares them off?
- How do you prepare your books, your contracts, and your team for a deal?
- What does the right buyer or investor actually bring to the table beyond the check?
- What are the legal, financial, and personal wealth steps you need to take before a deal hits the table?
Whether you’re three years from a sale, actively fielding interest, or looking to grow through acquisition, this is the room you want to be in.
The Program
12:00 PM — Registration + Lunch Attendees arrive, settle in, and begin informal networking over lunch.
12:50 PM — Welcome Doug Zanger, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Indie Agency News Framing the day: why now, what we’re here to cover, and how to get the most out of the sessions ahead.
1:00 PM — Setting the Stage: The State of Agency M&A
Evalla Advisors
A data-driven look at where the agency M&A market stands right now.
- Current valuations and public comparables
- Who’s buying and why — holding companies, PE-backed platforms, indie acquirers, and consultancies
- Typical deal structures and what’s shifting
1:30 PM — Session 1: How Best to Prepare for Sale — Legal, Accounting, and Personal Wealth
The things you need to have in order before a deal ever hits the table. Legal readiness, financial housekeeping, and personal wealth planning — from the people who see what goes wrong when sellers skip these steps.
Moderator: Richard Eisert, Davis+Gilbert LLP
Panelists:
- Brad Schwartzberg, Partner & Co-Chair, Corporate + Transactions, Davis+Gilbert LLP (Legal)
- David Staggs, Partner, Private Client Services, Davis+Gilbert LLP (Personal Wealth and Estate Planning)
- Jean Huang, Bernstein (Private Wealth Advisor)
- Armanino LLP (Finance and Accounting — panelist TBA)
2:30 PM — Session 2: What Buyers Want to Know Before Acquiring
The other side of the table. What buyers and acquirers are actually evaluating — and what makes them walk away. From due diligence red flags to integration planning, this session covers what it takes to be a smart buyer in today’s market.
Panelists:
- Veersen Ghatge, Evalla Advisors
- Brad Schwartzberg, Davis+Gilbert LLP (Legal considerations for buyers)
- Robin Bonn, Co:definery (Post-acquisition integration)
- Strategic buyer (panelist TBA)
3:30 PM — Break
3:45 PM — Session 3: More Than a Deal — What the Right Buyer or Investor Can Bring
Not all deals are created equal. This session goes beyond the transaction to explore what the right partner — whether a strategic buyer, a PE firm, or a platform — can actually bring to an agency’s next chapter. Growth capital, operational support, global reach, and the intangibles that don’t show up in the LOI.
Moderator: Lori Murphree, Evalla Advisors
Panelists:
- Jeb Brown, Chairman & Managing Partner, Yes& (Strategic buyer)
- Lindsay Rutherford, IKPN
- PE buyer (panelist TBA)
4:45 PM — Closing Session: The Conversation Continues — Your Questions, Answered
Evalla Advisors + Davis+Gilbert LLP
An open-floor conversation where attendees bring their real questions to the full panel. Evalla Advisors and Davis+Gilbert will have feeder questions at the ready to keep the dialogue moving.
5:00 PM — Networking Reception The conversations that start in the sessions continue over drinks. This is often where the most candid exchanges happen.
Tickets, Pricing, and How to Attend
$129 per person.
This event is exclusive to Indie Agency News members.
Please email us here if you’re interested in attending — if accepted, we will send you an invoice for the full $129 amount. Your seat is confirmed once payment is received.
Seats are limited, and the room is sized for an intimate, working-session format. RSVPs will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Not yet a member? Join Indie Agency News before submitting your RSVP.
A note on eligibility
This program is sized for agencies with 25+ employees. If your agency is smaller, please reach out — we’d love to point you to other IAN programming better suited to your stage.