OakStern

Transaction Advisoryfor the Lower-Middle Market

Our Services

Our approach

OakStern provides financial due diligence and transaction support for the lower-middle market. Our engagements are led by experienced professionals who stay involved in the analysis, work directly with clients, and adjust the scope and focus as the facts of a transaction become clearer. We bring the experience of larger advisory firms to a model that is more direct, adaptable, and built around the needs of each engagement.

Who we serve

  • Preparing for a sale with numbers that hold up to buyer scrutiny.

    Business Owners

  • A trusted transaction partner when your clients face a sale or acquisition.

    CPAs & Accountants

  • Sell-side diligence that supports your process and keeps deals on schedule.

    Investment Bankers

  • Buy-side diligence that tests the numbers behind price, structure and terms.

    Private Equity & Acquirers

  • Working capital, net debt and purchase agreement support for your negotiations.

    Transaction Attorneys

  • Guidance for clients navigating liquidity events and business transitions.

    Wealth Advisors

Quality of Earnings

We examine the financial story behind a business, identifying what’s driving earnings, how sustainable performance is, and where adjustments may be needed. Whether preparing for a sale or evaluating an acquisition, we help clients understand the numbers and their implications for the transaction.

For buyers

Buy-side due diligence uncovers risks and validates the value of the investment before you commit to price and terms.

How we support buyers

  • Test the seller’s adjusted EBITDA and the quality of revenue behind it
  • Identify debt-like items and working capital needs that affect price
  • Turn findings into input on price, structure and purchase agreement terms
For sellers

Sell-side due diligence anticipates buyer inquiries and presents the business favorably, so there are fewer surprises.

How we support sellers

  • Identify and document adjustments to EBITDA before you go to market
  • Set a defensible working capital peg and address issues before the LOI
  • Respond to buyer diligence requests with a report and databook ready to share

View sample reportPDF

Fractional CFO

We bring financial leadership to the areas of the business where it’s needed most, from strengthening reporting and forecasting to evaluating performance and planning for growth. Our work adapts to the company’s priorities, giving management the insight and support to navigate its next stage.

  • Monthly close and reporting
  • Cash forecasting
  • Budgets and KPIs
  • Board, lender and investor reporting

Post-Merger Integration

We help management navigate the financial and operational priorities that follow a transaction, from aligning reporting and processes to establishing visibility into the combined business. We help turn transaction objectives into a practical plan, giving leadership a clearer path to integration and a stronger foundation for realizing the deal’s intended value.

  • Closing balance sheet review
  • Working capital true-up
  • Post-close adjustments and disputes
  • Monthly reporting transition

Tell us about your situation.

Request a quote

Sectors we serve

Our services

Business Services

  • Home Services
  • Facilities & Commercial Services
  • Industrial & Environmental Services
  • Business & Professional Services

Industrial

  • Aerospace & Defense
  • Automotive
  • Construction

Consumer

  • Consumer Packaged Goods
  • Food & Agriculture
  • Retail
  • Hospitality & Leisure

Technology

  • Technology
  • Media
  • Telecommunications

Who we are

OakStern is a transaction advisory firm combining deep deal experience with a practical understanding of how businesses operate. Our leadership team brings extensive transaction services expertise, shaped by careers at nationally recognized accounting firms and more than a decade of working together.

We advise business owners, investors, and their advisors through complex transactions and financial decisions. Our work spans quality of earnings, post-merger integration, and fractional CFO services. We bring rigor to the analysis, clarity to the findings, and an understanding of the commercial realities behind the numbers. Our recommendations are direct, grounded in the facts, and tailored to the decisions clients need to make.

The Sun Voyager longship sculpture on a snowy Reykjavik waterfront

OakStern represents the firm’s path. “Oak” is a nod to Northern California, where the firm was established. “Stern” evokes the southern coast, where we have continued to expand our team and client relationships. Together, the name conveys the strength, stability, and steady judgment required to navigate complex transactions.

Our leadership team

Brock Hansen

Brock Hansen

Managing Partner
Transaction Advisory

As Managing Partner, Brock brings together deep transaction experience, commercial instincts, and the leadership needed to build a successful transaction advisory firm.

MBA, UCLA Anderson

Sebastian Vader, CPA

Sebastian Vader, CPA

Partner
Transaction Advisory

Sebastian brings hands-on transaction advisory experience and a strong foundation in accounting to OakStern’s client engagements.

BBA, California State University, Fullerton

Brett Sproul, CPA

Brett Sproul, CPA

Partner
Transaction Advisory

Brett brings over a decade of public accounting experience, including nine years focused on mergers and acquisitions and financial due diligence.

BA, University of California, Irvine

Jeremy A. Broker, CFP®, CM&AA

Jeremy A. Broker, CFP®, CM&AA

Partner
Business Development

Jeremy Broker is a Partner of Business Development at OakStern, where he leads the firm’s growth strategy, global business development efforts, and institutional client relationships.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

You can also reach us at

Email[email protected] Phone(949) 885-6961 LinkedInFollow us on LinkedIn