Managing Director
(704) 499-9009 (direct)
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Qualifications (pdf download)

George Hawkins, ASA, ABV, CFA
(For detailed qualifications download pdf above)

George has over 30 years experience in business valuations. Nationally recognized, he has held key positions in the valuation profession, is the co-author of a 2,000+ page book on business valuation, and is a frequent speaker on the subject.

George has extensive testimony experience in state and federal courts on business valuation issues, and has been appointed by courts as a valuator in a large number of divorces and shareholder disputes. He has valued privately-owned companies varying from less than $1 million to over $3 billion in annual revenues in hundreds of industries. This includes valuations of companies, LLCs, partnerships, and professional practices for estates/gifts and related planning, charitable contributions, shareholder buy/sell agreements, divorce, disputes (dissenting shareholder cases), business damages, purchase/sale, stock options, and for other reasons.

George was previously a corporate banker (at NCNB National Bank- now Bank of America, and First Citizens Bank) with substantial acquisition financing experience, leading to his founding of Banister Financial, Inc. as one of the first independent business valuation firms in the Southeast.

Certifications:

• Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) in business valuation, American Society of Appraisers
• Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV), American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder

• North Carolina National Bank (now Bank of America) and First Citizens Banks- Corporate lending, risk management, and credit analysis positions, including numerous business acquisition transactions

• MBA, Wake Forest University
• B.A., Economics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• University of Bath (Bath, England)- year of foreign study

• Co-author, Business Valuation Guide, a 2,000+ page book (Wolters Kluwer publisher)
• Past co-editor, Business Valuation Alert, a business valuation journal published by Wolters Kluwer
• Author of numerous articles on business valuation for leading professional publications (e.g., Business Valuation Review, Business Valuation Update, American Journal of Family Law, various journals of Bar Association sections)

• U.S. Tax Court
• U.S. District Court
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court
• Numerous NC District and Superior Courts
• North Carolina Business Court
• Arbitration hearings for estates/gifts, divorce, dissenting shareholder litigation, business damages, and bankruptcy

• Appointed more than 80 times by courts as an independent business appraiser in divorces, shareholder disputes

• Appearance for taxpayers before the IRS on business valuation and reasonable compensation issues
• Retained by the U.S. Justice Department to value business interests in estate tax matters
• Routinely engaged jointly by opposing parties to resolve business valuation disputes and in divorce
• Advisor to a Federal Magistrate judge on business valuation issues

• Past Head, International Board of Examiners, Business Valuation Section, American Society of Appraisers. The Board reviews business valuation reports for competency by candidates seeking accreditation. George previously was an Advisor to the Board and was named Examiner of the Year.

• Past Elected Member, Business Valuation Committee of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), its business valuation governing body

• National Business Valuation Conference, American Society of Appraisers (ASA)
• National Business Valuation Conference, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
• Judicial Section of the American Bar Association
• American Bar Association/American Law Institute (ALI-ABA)
• National Conference on Divorce, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
• National Trust Closely Held Business Association
• Panelist and a moderator on national teleconferences and webinars for business appraisers
• Numerous speeches to various numerous local, regional and statewide sections of various Bar Associations in the Southeast
• North Carolina Advanced Intensive Equitable Distribution Seminars of NC Bar Association
• Guest lecturer, Wake Forest University School of Law, Wake Forest University Executive MBA Program