Chaffe & Associates, Inc.
Chaffe & Associates, Inc. is a New Orleans-based middle-market investment bank founded in 1982. Its stated services include sell-side and buy-side M&A advisory, capital formation, restructuring, valuation, fairness opinions, and general advisory work.
What stands out about Chaffe & Associates, Inc.
Chaffe publicly describes a middle-market advisory practice serving businesses with $5 million to $500 million in revenue, with stated experience across industrials, maritime, energy, distribution, business services, consumer and retail, and healthcare. Its public process description includes valuation, buyer outreach, management presentations, due diligence, final proposals, and closing support.[1][2][3][4][5]
What does Chaffe & Associates, Inc. do?
Chaffe & Associates, Inc. is a New Orleans-based middle-market investment bank founded in 1982. The firm states that it serves public and private entities, family-owned businesses, private equity firms, boards, executives, and business owners. Its publicly stated services include M&A, capital formation, restructuring, valuation, litigation support, financial reporting, and general advisory services.[1][2] Chaffe publicly states that it provides mergers and acquisitions, capital formation, restructuring, general advisory, valuation, litigation support, and financial reporting services. Its advisory services also include fairness opinions, corporate planning, and exit planning, including guidance related to management and ownership succession and liquidity events.[2][3]Owners comparing advisory firms can also review Auxo’s M&A advisor vs. business broker vs. investment bank comparison, advisor-selection guide, and sell-side advisor evaluation framework.
What should a business owner evaluate before hiring Chaffe & Associates, Inc.?
An owner evaluating Chaffe can assess its stated middle-market revenue range, Southeast coverage, sector experience, and capabilities across sell-side execution, buy-side advisory, capital raising, restructuring, valuation, and exit planning. The transaction archive includes conventional sales, acquisitions, growth capital, and a Chapter 11-related restructuring with asset sales. Before engagement, the owner should confirm the contracting legal entity, the role of Chaffe Securities in any securities-related activity, proposed fee economics, buyer coverage, conflicts, confidentiality procedures, and the expected process timeline.[1][4][5][7]Which legal entity will be the contracting advisor, and which entity will conduct any securities-related activity
What percentage of the proposed fee is upfront versus success-based, and are there minimum fees, expense reimbursements, tail provisions, or termination fees
What comparable transactions has the firm completed in the owner’s sector and revenue range
What size transactions and clients does Chaffe & Associates, Inc. focus on?
Chaffe identifies industry experience in industrials, maritime, energy, distribution, business services, consumer and retail, and healthcare.[1] The official transaction archive identifies Chaffe’s role in Louisiana Machinery Company’s sale of Custom Compression Systems, LLC to Encore Oilfield Services, LLC, together with broker-dealer affiliate Chaffe Securities, Inc. It also identifies Chaffe’s representation of Fluid Process & Pumps, LLC in its sale to Flow Control Group, a KKR portfolio company; Mr. BEN Marine’s acquisition of Budwine & Associates, River Services, and Budwine Marine Management; Atwell’s acquisition of Hydro Consultants; and Wilson Rail Services’ acquisition of Pointer Smith Contracting Corporation and Pointer Smith Rail Service, Inc.The archive also states that Chaffe advised Trimont Energy on its Chapter 11 restructuring and two major asset sales involving the Garden Island Bay and East Bay fields, which closed before the end of 2024. Another listed transaction identifies Southern Scripts’ receipt of a $100 million growth-capital commitment from Water Street Healthcare Partners.[5] The firm’s M&A services include entity and asset sales, corporate carve-outs, management buyouts, buy-side advisory, and fairness opinions. Chaffe also states that it advises on capital formation, including debt, equity, or a combination of the two, with publicly stated capital-raise transaction sizes ranging from $10 million to $100 million.[4]
What does Chaffe & Associates, Inc. publicly disclose about fees, process and engagement terms?
The cited investment-banking page describes an upfront advisory fee and a tiered success-only fee percentage component but does not publish the applicable fee percentages, minimum fee, tail period, or termination schedule. The cited transaction archive identifies representative transactions and selected descriptions but does not state transaction values for the listed examples displayed on the page. The cited investment-banking page states revenue ranges and capital-raise ranges but does not publish a universal minimum transaction size for M&A engagements.[4][5] Chaffe Securities, Inc. is identified in the official transaction archive as Chaffe & Associates’ broker-dealer affiliate. Chaffe Securities’ November 2024 Business Continuity Plan states that Chaffe Securities is registered as a broker/dealer with the SEC and various state regulatory jurisdictions, is a member of FINRA, and is organized as a Louisiana corporation. The plan also states that Chaffe Securities engages in M&A advisory services and private placements of securities and does not obtain or maintain custody or possession of client funds or securities. These statements concern Chaffe Securities and do not establish the same regulatory status for Chaffe & Associates, Inc.[5][6] Chaffe describes a deal-auction process that includes valuation, preparation, buyer outreach, site visits and management presentations, counterparty due diligence, final proposals, and closing support.[7]Questions to ask before hiring Chaffe & Associates, Inc.
Which legal entity will be the contracting advisor, and which entity will conduct any securities-related activity?
What percentage of the proposed fee is upfront versus success-based, and are there minimum fees, expense reimbursements, tail provisions, or termination fees?
What comparable transactions has the firm completed in the owner’s sector and revenue range?
Which strategic buyers, private equity firms, family offices, and private-credit providers would be approached?
How will valuation methodology, add-backs, working-capital requirements, rollover equity, earnouts, and financing conditions be handled?
What transaction references can be provided for owners who completed comparable sales or recapitalizations?
Sources & research notes
- Official website / firm overview
- Services / capabilities
- Services / capabilities
- Investment approach
- Transaction / portfolio evidence
- Structure / regulatory context
- Public Process
How this profile was researched
Auxo profiles are prepared from publicly available primary and authoritative sources and reviewed for entity identity, factual support and disclosure consistency. When a fact cannot be supported by the reviewed public record, the profile identifies it as something to confirm directly rather than inferring it.
Independent research profile
This profile was prepared by Auxo Capital Advisors from publicly available information believed to be reliable and is provided solely for informational and educational purposes. It is not an endorsement, recommendation, ranking, solicitation, or representation regarding the profiled firm, its services, qualifications, transaction experience, regulatory status, financial condition, or suitability for any particular person, company, transaction, or investment.
Information obtained from third-party and public sources may be incomplete, inaccurate, outdated, or subject to change, and Auxo Capital Advisors makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to its accuracy, completeness, or timeliness. Readers should conduct their own independent diligence and consult appropriate professional advisers before engaging any advisor, intermediary, investor, lender, acquirer, or other transaction counterparty.
Broker-dealer and securities disclosure
Auxo Capital Advisors is an affiliate of Weild & Co., Member FINRA | SIPC. Securities-related activities and securities transactions are conducted through Weild & Co.
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