T. J. Hope is a Manager in the Valuation & Financial Opinions Group. He has provided valuation, financial advisory, and investment banking services for numerous purposes, including fairness opinions, corporate strategic planning, sell-side advisory, private placements, recapitalizations, purchase price allocations (SFAS 141), goodwill impairment testing (SFAS 142), stock options and warrants, stock appreciation plans, estate and gift taxation, shareholder disputes, Employee Stock Ownership Plans, division of marital property, bankruptcies and reorganizations, and other tax, litigation and corporate related matters. Mr. Hope s financial advisory experience encompasses a wide variety of industries including automotive, healthcare, packaging, distribution, information technology, advertising and media, oil & gas, capital equipment, engineered lighting, leisure & recreation, housing, consumer goods, long-term care, and medical device manufacturing. Prior to joining our firm, Mr. Hope was an Associate at Blue Point Capital Partners, a middle-market private equity firm with over $800 million of committed capital. In this role, Mr. Hope gained extensive experience in all aspects of M&A and capital raising transactions. He evaluated new investment opportunities for the fund and worked alongside senior Blue Point professionals in the execution of leveraged buyout and recapitalization transactions. His responsibilities included financial modeling; business, market and industry due diligence; and the coordination of 3rd party due diligence service providers. In addition, he provided support to the senior management of Blue Point portfolio companies in numerous functions such as budgeting, financial analysis and the identification and assessment of add-on acquisition opportunities. Mr. Hope earned a BS in Finance from Miami University. Additionally, he has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He is also a member of the CFA Institute and the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth.