Transaction advisory for lower-middle-market deals
Quality of EarningsFractional CFOPost-Merger Integration
At OakStern, every engagement is partner-led, so your deal gets senior judgment and direct attention from first call to close.
Discuss your transactionOakStern provides financial due diligence and transaction support for lower-middle-market deals. 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.
Preparing for a sale with numbers that hold up to buyer scrutiny.
A trusted transaction partner when your clients face a sale or acquisition.
Sell-side diligence that supports your process and keeps deals on schedule.
Buy-side diligence that tests the numbers behind price, structure and terms.
Working capital, net debt and purchase agreement support for your negotiations.
Guidance for clients navigating liquidity events and business transitions.
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.
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.
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.
Ready to discuss your transaction?
Share a few details about your deal and a partner will follow up to set up a confidential conversation.Sectors we serve
Every sector carries its own accounting questions and deal dynamics. Choose an industry to see how we support transactions in it.
Our experience
We know the issues that move value in this sector: program-driven revenue, government contract terms, backlog quality and supply-chain exposure. We focus our work on the questions buyers, sellers and lenders will test, so there are fewer surprises between LOI and close.
Source: CLA Meridian Capital, Q3 2026 Aerospace, Defense & Space M&A Market Update (PitchBook data as of September 30, 2026). 2026 covers January through September only.
Every engagement is partner-led, from first call to close.
Our experience
We know the issues that move value in this sector: customer and OEM concentration, program launches and wind-downs, pricing and cost recoveries, and working capital tied up in inventory and tooling. We focus our work on the questions buyers, sellers and lenders will test, so there are fewer surprises between LOI and close.
Every engagement is partner-led, from first call to close.
Our experience
We know the issues that move value in this sector: backlog and contract margins, percentage-of-completion revenue, over- and under-billings, retainage and bonding capacity. We focus our work on the questions buyers, sellers and lenders will test, so there are fewer surprises between LOI and close.
Every engagement is partner-led, from first call to close.
Our experience
We know the issues that move value in this sector: trade spend and promotional accruals, retailer and customer concentration, input-cost swings and margins by product line. We focus our work on the questions buyers, sellers and lenders will test, so there are fewer surprises between LOI and close.
Every engagement is partner-led, from first call to close.
Our experience
We know the issues that move value in this sector: commodity and input-cost exposure, seasonality in revenue and working capital, inventory valuation, and food safety and regulatory compliance. We focus our work on the questions buyers, sellers and lenders will test, so there are fewer surprises between LOI and close.
Source: Capstone Partners, Food M&A Update, April 2026 (Capital IQ, FactSet, PitchBook and Capstone Partners data). Through March 3, 2026, 40 food transactions were announced or completed, up 66.7% from the same period of 2025.
Every engagement is partner-led, from first call to close.
Our experience
We know the issues that move value in this sector: seasonality and occupancy trends, labor costs, lease and property obligations, and the quality of recurring guest and membership revenue. We focus our work on the questions buyers, sellers and lenders will test, so there are fewer surprises between LOI and close.
Every engagement is partner-led, from first call to close.
Our experience
We know the issues that move value in this sector: same-store sales trends, inventory and shrink, lease obligations, the mix between stores and e-commerce, and vendor terms. We focus our work on the questions buyers, sellers and lenders will test, so there are fewer surprises between LOI and close.
Every engagement is partner-led, from first call to close.
Our experience
We know the issues that move value in this sector: recurring revenue quality and churn, revenue recognition on multi-element contracts, capitalized development costs and customer concentration. We focus our work on the questions buyers, sellers and lenders will test, so there are fewer surprises between LOI and close.
Every engagement is partner-led, from first call to close.
OakStern provides financial due diligence and transaction support for lower-middle-market deals. 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.
OakStern is a transaction advisory firm grounded in deep deal experience and a practical understanding of business. 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 work with business owners, investors, and their advisors to navigate complex capital events and important financial decisions. Our expertise spans quality of earnings, post-merger integration, and fractional CFO services, providing transaction support and ongoing financial leadership tailored to each client’s needs.
OakStern reflects the firm’s roots and growth. “Oak” represents the country in the north where we began, while “Stern” evokes the coast and the vessel’s steady hand at the helm, reflecting our expansion south and the growth of our team and client base.
Together, the name conveys the strength, stability, and steady judgment needed to navigate complex transactions and rough waters.
As Managing Partner, Brock brings together deep transaction experience, commercial instincts, and the leadership needed to build a successful transaction advisory firm.
Sebastian brings hands-on transaction advisory experience and a strong foundation in accounting to OakStern’s client engagements. As a CPA, he combines technical accounting knowledge with a practical approach to financial diligence.
Brett combines a strong accounting foundation with practical experience in audit, mergers and acquisitions, and financial due diligence. He helps clients move beyond reported results to understand the quality, sustainability and underlying drivers of earnings.
Jeremy brings a relationship-first approach to business development, backed by extensive experience building connections across the financial and professional services landscape. He develops relationships with business owners, investors and referral partners.
Managing Partner
As Managing Partner, Brock brings together deep transaction experience, commercial instincts, and the leadership needed to build a successful transaction advisory firm. With over a decade in public accounting, he has led buy- and sell-side Quality of Earnings engagements across industries and deal sizes ranging from $1 million to $1 billion. His experience spans cross-border transactions, carve-outs, restructurings, refinancings, capital raises, and acquisitions.
At OakStern, Brock leads business development, builds and develops the team, and remains closely involved in engagement execution. He leads engagements from start to finish, helping founders, private equity sponsors, investment banks, and strategic buyers understand the financial realities of a transaction, identify risk, and make informed decisions. His work extends beyond Quality of Earnings to working capital and net debt analysis, purchase agreement support, transaction execution, and fractional CFO services.
Brock combines rigorous financial analysis with practical commercial judgment to uncover issues that matter and help clients navigate complex transactions. His experience includes identifying previously unrecognized debt-like items that reduced the purchase price of a $50 million acquisition by $9 million, as well as developing SKU-level gross margin reporting for a specialty beverage manufacturer ahead of a $150 million transaction.
He holds a B.S. in Accounting, an M.A. in Professional Accountancy, and an MBA with an emphasis in Finance and Entrepreneurship. He has spoken at industry events including the Advanced Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Conference, the California Association of Business Brokers, the Emerging Manager Institute, and Expo West.
Partner
Sebastian brings hands-on transaction advisory experience and a strong foundation in accounting to OakStern’s client engagements. His background in transaction advisory services helps him evaluate the financial details behind a transaction, identify issues that warrant a closer look, and communicate findings clearly. As a CPA, Sebastian combines technical accounting knowledge with a practical approach to financial diligence, helping clients understand the quality and sustainability of earnings and make informed decisions throughout the deal process.
Partner
Brett combines a strong accounting foundation with practical experience in audit, mergers and acquisitions, and financial due diligence. Since beginning his accounting career in 2014, he has developed a disciplined approach to understanding how a business performs, what drives its earnings, and where the financials may require a closer look. At OakStern, Brett helps clients move beyond reported results to understand the quality, sustainability, and underlying drivers of earnings. He brings technical rigor, thoughtful analysis, and a clear-eyed perspective to the financial questions that matter most in a transaction.
Partner, Business Development
Jeremy brings a relationship-first approach to business development, backed by extensive experience building connections across the financial and professional services landscape. He understands that successful transactions depend on more than financial analysis alone. They also require trusted advisors, clear communication, and the right expertise at the right time. At OakStern, Jeremy develops relationships with business owners, investors, and referral partners, helping identify where the firm can add value and shaping opportunities around each client’s needs. His focus is on building lasting relationships and connecting clients with practical, responsive transaction support.
Start a conversation
Share a few details about your deal. A partner will review them and follow up to set up a confidential conversation.
No need to name the company yet. A general description is enough to get started.