Optis Partners
Optis Partners advises insurance agents, brokers, agencies, brokerages, and other insurance-distribution participants. Its publicly stated services include sell-side and buy-side representation, valuation and perpetuation planning, financial due diligence, buyer screening, negotiation support, and integration assistance.
Optis Partners publicly positions itself as an M&A advisor for the insurance distribution sector.
It states that it has represented more than 100 buyers and sellers since 2005 in transactions ranging from $500,000 to over $250 million, and completed more than 85 sell-side and buy-side representation projects since 2008.[1][2][3][4][5]
What does Optis Partners do?
OPTIS Partners is an investment banking and financial consulting firm providing M&A advisory, ownership planning, and valuation services to insurance agents and brokers across the United States.
The firm states that it was founded in 2002 and identifies Tim Cunningham, Daniel Menzer, and Steven Germundson among its principals or senior personnel.[1][2]
Publicly stated services include seller representation, buyer representation, buy-side financial due diligence, financial modeling, Quality of Earnings and Pro Forma analysis, buyer screening, negotiation support, and management and financial integration assistance.
OPTIS Partners also offers valuation and perpetuation services for estate planning, internal ownership transitions, principal exits, and plans involving internal buyers and sellers.[3][4]
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.
Published criteria: Optis Partners states that it has represented more than 100 buyers and sellers since 2005 in M&A transactions ranging from $500,000 to over $250 million. It also states that it completed more than 85 sell-side and buy-side representation projects since 2008.[2]
What should a business owner evaluate before hiring Optis Partners?
An insurance agency owner evaluating an engagement can ask OPTIS Partners to explain how it would apply its stated seller-representation services, including Confidential Information Memorandum preparation, buyer identification, meeting coordination, and negotiation of pricing, terms, and conditions. The firm’s stated experience covers more than 100 buyers and sellers since 2005 and transactions ranging from $500,000 to over $250 million.
Before engagement, an owner should obtain a written fee and expense schedule, clarify any retainer, minimum fee, tail period, termination provisions, and exclusivity terms, and ask which recent sell-side engagements can be disclosed. The owner should also clarify the firm-level registrations, licenses, and legal entities applicable to the proposed engagement.[2][3]
Which specific recent sell-side engagements can be disclosed, and what role did OPTIS Partners play in each
Will the engagement be exclusive, and what are the success fee, retainer, minimum fee, tail, expense, and termination provisions
What size transactions and clients does Optis Partners focus on?
OPTIS Partners focuses on the insurance distribution system, including insurance agents, brokers, agencies, brokerages, insurance companies, agency associations, banks, and other insurance-distribution participants.[2]
OPTIS Partners’ January 2026 report identifies several 2025 insurance-distribution transactions: AssuredPartners sold to Arthur J. Gallagher in January; Woodruff-Sawyer sold to Arthur J. Gallagher in April; Accession Risk Management, comprising Risk Strategies and One80 Intermediaries, sold to Brown & Brown in August; and CAC Group sold to The Baldwin Group in December.
The report presents these as market transactions tracked by OPTIS Partners. It does not state that OPTIS Partners advised the named sellers or buyers.[5]
The firm’s stated transaction work includes sell-side and buy-side representation, financial due diligence, valuation, financial analysis, buyer screening, negotiation support, and management and financial integration assistance.
For seller representation, OPTIS Partners states that it prepares a Confidential Information Memorandum, identifies and coordinates meetings with prospective buyers, and negotiates pricing, terms, and conditions.[3]
What does Optis Partners publicly disclose about fees, process and engagement terms?
The official M&A services page describes representation and transaction-support services but does not publish a universal success-fee percentage, minimum fee, retainer, tail period, termination schedule, or expense schedule.
The January 2026 year-end M&A report identifies market transactions but does not state that OPTIS Partners advised AssuredPartners, Accession Risk Management, Woodruff-Sawyer, CAC Group, or the named acquiring firms.[3][5]
The official About Us page identifies OPTIS Partners as an LLC and describes its consulting and investment-banking activities. That page does not state a firm-level SEC, FINRA, state securities, or other regulatory registration identifier.[2]
OPTIS Partners states that its seller-representation process includes preparing a Confidential Information Memorandum, identifying and coordinating meetings with prospective buyers, and negotiating pricing, terms, and conditions.[3]
Questions to ask before hiring Optis Partners
Which specific recent sell-side engagements can be disclosed, and what role did OPTIS Partners play in each?
Will the engagement be exclusive, and what are the success fee, retainer, minimum fee, tail, expense, and termination provisions?
How will buyer outreach and valuation expectations be established?
Which portions of the work are performed by OPTIS Partners personnel versus outside providers?
What firm-level registrations, licenses, or legal entities apply to the proposed engagement?
Sources & research notes
- Official website / firm overview
- Official website / firm overview
- Services / capabilities
- Services / capabilities
- Geography / market coverage
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.
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