Chris Mercer is a self-styled businessman and valuation guy. He founded Mercer Capital (www.mercercapital.com) in 1982, and it is now one of the largest independent business appraisal firms in the nation, with offices in Memphis, Nashville, Dallas, and Houston.

Chris has several valuation credentials: he is a Fellow of the American Society of Appraisers (FASA), a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), and holds the Accredited in Business Appraisal Review (ABAR) designation. Chris is the author of ten books on or related to business valuation, including three books on buy-sell agreements. His forthcoming fourth book on buy-sell agreements is targeted to help attorneys draft the thorny valuation sections of agreements (available this fall). And the third edition of Business Valuation: An Integrated Theory, which is available on Amazon.com.

In addition, Chris has written hundreds of articles and blog posts on business valuation. His blog (www.ChrisMercer.net) has introduced many ideas that have become part of the business valuation world.

Chris has been writing and speaking about business valuation and related topics for many years. He has addressed groups of business appraisers, attorneys, accountants, financial planners, and business owners on hundreds of occasions. He is a nationally known expert on business valuation and has testified in numerous federal courts and at least twenty state courts over his career. Topics of testimony include business valuation, economic damages, statutory fair value (dissenters’ rights), appraisal review, and buy-sell agreement disputes.

Chris brings real world experience to business valuation. He has been on the board of several private companies and one public company, and now serves as chair of the executive committee for a private, nurse staffing company. His valuation practice also involves consulting with numerous successful private and family businesses on ownership and management transitions, and on achieving liquidity without selling out.