AM&AA

The Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors is a professional association for middle-market M&A advisers. It was established in 1998 to connect CPAs, attorneys and corporate financial advisers, is headquartered in Dallas, and reports more than 1,100 members across a network spanning 25 countries. Chapters (24 including a virtual chapter) are all in the United States. Individual membership costs $545 a year and is aimed at professionals who practise independently; a Young Professional rate of $345 is available to those aged 35 and under in the early stages of an M&A career, with proof of age required. Corporate membership requires a minimum of five members from one firm and is priced on a tiered basis described only as starting at $200 or more off each individual membership. All members must abide by AM&AA's ethics and standards rules and agree not to solicit other members without written board permission. The association also administers the Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor credential, runs monthly chapter events and two annual conferences, and operates a Deal Corner listing service and the M&A Access podcast.

How it works

Individuals apply through AM&AA's membership portal, choose a category and pay annual dues; corporate memberships are quoted directly by the association. Activity runs through monthly chapter events, two annual conferences, the Deal Corner and Deal Connect deal-sourcing tools, the member directory, and the CM&AA certification programme, which is delivered in person or virtually.

Typical member

Members are M&A and supporting trade professionals: accountants, lawyers, investment bankers, valuation and due diligence specialists, and corporate financial investors working in the middle market. Individual membership is aimed at those who practise independently; corporate membership covers teams of five or more from one firm.

AM&AA sits close to ACG in purpose (middle-market deal networking) but is smaller, adviser-heavy rather than principal-heavy, and built around a credential rather than a chapter calendar. The CM&AA programme is the real commitment: at $5,200 including first-year membership and materials, with a $595 annual renewal, it costs roughly ten times a standard membership and is the main reason most people join. The no-solicitation rule, which bars approaching fellow members without written board permission, is unusual and worth reading before joining if business development is the goal. Published numbers are inconsistent: the chapters page lists 24 entries while claiming 20, and member counts are described as both professionals and firms on different pages. Corporate pricing is quoted privately, so budgeting for a team requires contacting the association.

Editorial analysis by Peer Group Guide editors. It is separated from the record above and follows the editorial policy.