Stephen Bourne is the London lead partner at BDO Stoy Hayward CorporateFinance. Stephen studied English Literature at Reading University before joining PannellKerr Forster in 1978. In 1983, two years after qualifying as a charteredaccountant, he transferred to the corporate finance department, becoming apartner in 1988. He subsequently became National Director of Corporate Financebefore leaving to join BDO Stoy Hayward in 1997. He was appointed leadcorporate finance partner in 1998 and sits on BDO's national and internationalcorporate finance committees. Stephen has advised a wide range of public and private companies on over 200UK and international acquisitions over the last 16 years. While at PKF hedeveloped a comprehensive corporate finance manual and is the author of BDO'sinternal investigations guideline. Stephen is a regular conference speaker on thesubject of financial due diligence. BDO Stoy Hayward Corporate FinanceBDO Stoy Hayward Corporate Finance is a rapidly growing adviser toentrepreneurial public and private companies. With around 50 corporate financestaff at the Central London office, additional specialists in a number of offices inthe Home Counties and corporate finance departments in major regional centres,BDO advises on all aspects of corporate transactions, including the following: * acquiring public and private companies; * selling businesses; * raising private equity; * strategic reviews; * investigating investment targets; * reporting on flotations, rights issues and material acquisitions by PLCs.
About the author
Introduction
Objectives of financial due diligence
Instructing investigating accountants
Starting and controlling the investigation
History and commercial activities
Organisational structure and employees
Accounting policies and information systems
Trading results
Net assets
Taxation
Cash flow
Financial projections
Other matters