Financial Expertise for Your Most Critical Decisions
We guide firms through valuations, transactions, and major financial milestones with the depth and judgment that comes from years on the front lines of investment banking and M&A.
About Us
For more than three decades, The McLean Group has provided independent valuation advisory, financial consulting, and transaction advisory services to corporations, investors, and business owners. Our professionals bring deep financial expertise and disciplined analytical rigor to complex financial and strategic matters.
We advise corporate leaders, private equity investors, and government and private sector businesses across a range of critical financial matters, including valuation analysis, financial consulting, transaction advisory, and strategic financial guidance. By combining rigorous financial analysis with a deep understanding of market drivers, we help clients make informed decisions that support long-term growth and enterprise value.
Our clients operate in sectors where performance, reliability, and precision are essential. They rely on trusted advisors who understand both the financial and operational dynamics of their industries. The McLean Group is committed to delivering the same standard of excellence and professionalism our clients bring to their missions every day.
Years Supporting our Clients
Annual Valuation Engagements
(US$) Transaction Value Since 2010
Senior Team Firm Tenure
Dedicated Industry Groups
Closed M&A Engagements Since 2010
Capabilities
Dedicated Industry Focused Teams
Within each industry group, our senior team averages over twenty years of financial and operational experience in the markets they support. Additionally, each team member maintains highly-specialized skills and certifications to include security clearances and numerous financial designations. We maintain very close relationships with strategic and financial acquirers in our market segments as well as all sources of equity and debt capital. This assures we can provide our clients with thorough and informed advice and tailor capital solutions to meet their needs.
Our valuation advisory, transaction advisory, and asset valuation services provide financial reporting and guidance to companies at every stage of their lifecycle. With deep expertise and a tailored approach, we deliver precise, data-driven insights to support strategic decision-making across industries.
Defense & Government
- Intelligence Community
- Defense Services and Products
- Federal Civilian Services
- State and Local Government
Security
- Physical Security Services
- Integrators
- Cyber Security
- Access Control, Video & Security Technology
Critical Infrastructure
- Water & Wastewater
- Food Security and Supply
- Energy Infrastructure
- Critical Communications
- First Responders & Emergency Services
Maritime
- Vessels
- Tier Two & Three Services
- Ports & Facilities
Technology & Software
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- AI / Data Analytics
- Cloud Computing
- Managed Services
- Information Technology
Facility Services
- Correctional Facilities
- Data Centers
- Military & Defense Facilities
- Hospitals and Clinics
- Rehab Centers
Unmanned Systems
- Military & Defense
- Commercial Delivery
- Agriculture
- Infrastructure Inspection
Public Safety
- Disaster Response
- Business Continuity
- Emergency Medical
- Search & Rescue
Recent News
Revenue Looks Strong on Paper – But ASC 606 Compliance in Construction Tells a Different Story
Revenue looks strong on paper – but ASC 606 compliance in construction tells a different story. In this case study, The McLean Group’s Financial Consulting and Transaction Due Diligence teams walk through a real construction services engagement where a project-level ASC 606 review surfaced a pattern of revenue recognition issues that materially changed the earnings picture. We examine the KPIs that matter most, including cost-to-complete accuracy, change order approval rates, and over and under billing trends, and explain why ASC 606 compliance deserves the same rigor in diligence as working capital analysis or debt-like items. […]
Purchase Price Allocations Under ASC 805: What Every PE-Backed CFO and Deal Team Needs to Know
A purchase price allocation (PPA) is the first post-close workstream that directly affects reported EBITDA, lender covenant calculations, and eventual exit valuation for PE-backed acquirers. Under ASC 805, every acquisition requires the buyer to allocate the total purchase price to identifiable assets and liabilities at fair value — including intangibles that never appeared on the target’s balance sheet. For middle-market deals, identified intangibles commonly represent 30–60% of total consideration, and each carries its own valuation methodology, useful life assumption, and amortization consequence. The McLean Group’s Valuation Advisory team breaks down what every CFO, controller, and deal team needs to know about getting the allocation right the first time. […]
Q1 2026 Mergers & Acquisitions Market Update
The McLean Group’s Q1 2026 M&A Insider Report tracks deal activity across Defense & Government, Physical & Cyber Security, Critical Infrastructure, and Maritime. Q1 was the strongest quarter on record for Defense M&A with 104 closed transactions, headlined by Arcline’s $2.2B acquisition of Novaria Holdings and VSE Corporation’s $2.15B acquisition of Precision Aviation Group. Cyber Security saw $57B+ in transaction value led by Google’s $32B acquisition of Wiz and Palo Alto Networks’ $24.6B acquisition of CyberArk Software, with Cyber/Technology EBITDA multiples reaching 41.3x LTM. Critical Infrastructure closed 48 transactions including Constellation Energy’s $28.9B acquisition of Calpine, while Maritime rebounded to 24 transactions in Q1. The full report includes sector commentary, EBITDA valuation multiples, public company benchmarks, and representative transaction data for each sector.[…]
What Is a 409A Valuation and When Does Your Company Need One?
A 409A valuation is an independent appraisal of your private company’s common stock, and if you’re issuing equity incentive awards to employees, it’s a legal requirement, not a formality. Get it wrong, and employees face immediate income recognition, a 20% federal penalty tax, and potential state penalties that can push effective tax rates well above 50%. In this article, The McLean Group’s Valuation Advisory team breaks down exactly how 409A valuations work, when your company needs one, which IRS safe harbor methods apply at each stage, and the common mistakes that create tax exposure at exactly the wrong time: during fundraising, M&A due diligence, or an IRS audit.
EBITDA Only Tells Part of the Story. Does Your QofE Provider Reveal the Rest?
Normalized EBITDA shows clean profitability, but it doesn’t tell you whether that profitability is built to last. For PE sponsors, the difference between a well-priced deal and a costly mistake often comes down to whether your Quality of Earnings provider goes beyond standard adjustments and into the operational KPIs that reveal true margin durability. The McLean Group’s Transaction Advisory team explores how the right diligence partner layers in gross margin by service type, resource utilization rates, and backlog conversion patterns to give buyers a sharper view of risk, a stronger basis for negotiation, and a head start on post-close execution. […]
The Water Sector’s Biggest M&A Moves of 2025
The McLean Group’s Water, Wastewater, and Environmental Industry: 2025 in Review & 2026 Outlook examines another active year for water sector M&A, with 159 transactions closed across water utilities, treatment solutions, components, and services. Despite broader market volatility driven by tariff uncertainty and rising input costs, strategic and financial buyers remained disciplined and selective — prioritizing platforms with regulatory tailwinds, recurring revenue, and technology differentiation. Landmark deals including American Water Works’ $19.1B acquisition of Essential Utilities and Parker-Hannifin’s $9.25B purchase of Filtration Group defined the year’s upper end, while private equity roll-ups continued to dominate the lower middle market. The report covers subsector investment themes, public company performance, EV/EBITDA trading multiples, top acquirer activity, and The McLean Group’s 2026 outlook for the water economy. […]
Representative Transactions
![The McLean Group advised Emagined Security on its recent acquisition by Neovera, a 424 Capital portfolio company [...]](http://mcleanllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Emagined_acq_by_Neovera-scaled.jpg)
