Wm Sword & Co. Profile

Wm Sword & Co. is an investment banking firm based in Princeton, New Jersey that provides companies with distinctive investment banking service in projects requiring a high level of professional attention and expertise.

Established in 1976 by a senior partner of Morgan Stanley & Co., the firm is distinguished in two main areas:

acquisition and divestiture advisory services
alternative investments (private equity and absolute return strategies)

Benefits of our Services

We adhere faithfully to principles that we believe distinguish us:

Highest level of senior attention: Our firm dedicates senior management to all details of each assignment. Experience counts and we put it to work for our clients.
Expertise in corporate finance and alternative assets: Acquisitions, divestitures, private equity and other private market capital raising have long been a core business of Wm Sword & Co. We understand well the strategies and process for buying and selling companies as well as the needs and requirements of investors in private markets.
International experience: About one third of all our engagements involve non-American firms. We are pleased to have served, among others, Schering AG, Alcatel, Hoechst, Axel Springer, and Mannesmann.

Wm Sword & Co.'s notable activities include the following engagements:

Cambridge Energy Research Associates Strategic Advisory Assignment	Advised in the sale to IHS Group, a $ 400mm (revenue) high value information company. Previously advised in the merger of this leading energy information company with McCarthy, Crisanti & Maffei, Inc. and private equity investment by Goldman Sachs.

Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. Growth investment	Developed a private equity investment program for Capital Cities Capital ("C³"), a subsidiary of Capital Cities/ABC, the broadcasting and publishing company; we acted in a role equivalent to General Partner of a private equity fund.

Thomson Corporation Divestiture Assignment	Advised in the sale of Thomson Financial Treasury Solutions, software products and services to support back- office operations of treasury departments of US and global banks and related institutions.

The Hearst Corporation Acquisition advice / valuation	Provided acquisition advice to Hearst's Business Media group; subsequently supplied expert opinion as to valuation of intangible assets acquired pursuant to FAS 141 and 142.

Aquiline Financial Services Fund, L.P. Capital raising	Assisting in capital raising for $ 1.1 billion private equity fund targeting reinsurance and other financial services opportunities.

Aton Pharma Capital raising, strategic advice	Sponsored the formation of a new specialty pharmaceutical company that acquired eight medically necessary prescription products from Merck & Co. Raised the capital to complete the transaction from Cerberus Capital

E.I duPont de Nemours & Co. Strategic sale process	Assisted Dupont in evaluating the prospects for sale of a joint venture asset as well as other middle market M&A advice.

Wolters Kluwer U.S. Corp. Divestiture Assignments	Engaged to divest two non-strategic business units of this large Netherlands-based publisher and information company.

ZAIS Group, LLC Capital raising	Capital raising for a leading investment manager specializing in collateralized debt obligation and other asset backed securities.