Our Clients. For confidentiality purposes some names and references in these descriptions have been modified in order to protect the identity of the client.

Fourth Generation Family. $450 million in net worth, the families in this situation had been arguing over the direction and performance of several investments jointly owned by the families for many years. Over the course of several years, The Development Group assisted the families in resolving multiple issues including the sale of certain assets, managing complicated tax issues and developing better governance practices.

Large Trust. A third generation family with net worth of $200 million and diversified interests in business and real estate suffered a liquidity crisis having to do with rapid deterioration of a holding in a public company and use restrictions on some of its real estate holdings. With our guidance, relations with a major financial institution were repaired, debt reduced significantly, securities litigation begun in connection with the public company investment and a new development plan was put in place to begin monetizing the real estate. At the same time, we were able to advise the trust concerning one particular investment that resulted in a tax saving of $35 million.

Fifth Generation Family. The current generation received distributions of certain assets that caused disagreement among the grantees about business matters and began to threaten family harmony. After conferring with each heir, we were able to identify areas of consensus upon which to begin building a plan for the management of the assets that would satisfy the various economic interests while preserving family unity. Net worth $50 million.

Fourth Generation Family. This fourth generation family owns a business valued in excess of $750 million. We were referred to help address a variety of family and corporate governance issues including family compensation, business management structure, strategic alignment within the business between the family’s financial interests and the executive compensation plan, transition to the next generation and a variety of similar issues. TDG conducted extensive interviews with family members and with senior managers to identify relevant issues and begin a process of reconciliation.

Second Generation Family. Value of the business is approximately $120 million. We were referred by a commercial bank and worked with the current generation of management in a mentor-coach capacity to help restructure governance practices and broaden management.

Fourth Generation Family. The family had an investment in a public company (NASDAQ) with annual revenue of $115 million. A family trust required representation to settle shareholder litigation, remove dissident directors and recruit independent directors, solicit votes in a proxy contest, resolve environmental problems and the resulting litigation, recruit senior management and develop a management compensation program. A Principal of The Development Group was elected to the Board and appointed Chairman. Subsequently, he settled 15 shareholder lawsuits, addressed significant audit failures, resolved conflict of interest issues with the company’s outside counsel and managed a proxy contest, among many other things including creation of a business strategy, significant environmental issues and recruitment of a new senior management team. The stock price increased 20 times from the date of his initial Board election.

A Family Trust. A family trust and related family members were the founding investors in a public company with annual revenue of $45 million. A Principal of The Development Group was selected to represent their interests in order to develop a financing strategy and to introduce a management compensation program. Our Principal was appointed as a member of the audit, human resource and finance committees and oversaw the securitization process and the development of new software. He conceived of a reverse IPO to create liquidity for founders and developed a strategy for obtaining additional long term financing. The company was merged in a tax-free transaction with another public company. The founding investors realized approximately five times their initial investment.

Second Generation Family. The family owned several parcels of very desirable real estate in a rapidly growing area but also controlled a company in financial difficulty which was threatening liquidity. We reversed the negative cash flow associated with the operating company, restructured its balance sheet and protected the net worth of the owner’s family.

Several Third Generation Family Trusts. A Development Group Principal helped the families develop a cohesive strategy to balance individual and collective needs and evaluate the feasibility of a family office. Our Principal conducted an extensive investment performance analysis, engaged outside professional resources, developed a new investment policy, and identified family service needs and philanthropy services. An overall family investment policy was established and strategic planning was instituted.