Adam McArthur is the President of Arch Canyon Partners, LLC, a boutique valuation and litigation support firm based in Agoura Hills, California. With over two decades of experience, he specializes in valuing business interests, intellectual property, and complex assets, serving high-net-worth families and closely held companies. Adam has multiple professional designations, including CFA, ASA, ABV, and MAFF. He is qualified as an expert witness in various courts, including the US Bankruptcy Court and the Delaware Court of Chancery.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
- [1:57] Adam McArthur highlights the importance of understanding business valuation
- [4:40] Adam shares personal quirks and insights from being a dedicated father
- [6:31] Adam’s experience diving with sharks and exploring the Blue Hole in Belize
- [9:34] How Adam’s unconventional childhood fueled his entrepreneurial spirit
- [14:09] Transitioning from investment banking to valuation and building a book of business
- [20:57] Why working with entrepreneurs keeps Adam inspired and challenged
- [23:10] The value of knowing what your business is worth before receiving an offer
- [27:58] A cautionary tale of poor estate planning and its impact on business succession
- [36:19] Pitfalls in buy-sell agreements and how misaligned valuation clauses can cost millions
In this episode…
Many entrepreneurs build businesses without fully understanding their true worth, making critical decisions based on assumptions rather than solid data such as selling, estate planning, or buy-sell agreements. Without a clear valuation, they risk accepting undervalued offers, underinsuring their stake, or leaving their heirs with unnecessary legal headaches. As a business owner, how can you accurately assess and protect the value of what you’ve built?
Valuation expert Adam McArthur emphasizes the importance of knowing what you’re sitting on before it’s too late. Drawing from years of experience valuing complex assets — from intellectual property to in-process litigation — Adam outlines how entrepreneurs can benefit from regular, defensible business valuations. He explains why even well-intentioned planning often falls apart due to vague buy-sell agreements or poor estate planning and offers examples of how working with valuation professionals early can prevent massive financial losses. By treating valuations as ongoing strategic tools rather than one-time events, you can make informed decisions to protect your legacy.
In this episode of The Road Already Traveled, Rich Schuette interviews Adam McArthur, President of Arch Canyon Partners, LLC, about how entrepreneurs can better understand and protect the value of their businesses. Adam discusses planning for estate taxes, common mistakes in buy-sell agreements, and how unique asset valuations differ from standard approaches. He also shares personal stories of success, failure, and the lessons learned from advising high-net-worth clients.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Quotable Moments:
- “There’s something behind the numbers that drives the company and perspective — you need to understand that.”
- “Information is key, and information is power, and any advice you’re getting without it is guessing.”
- “Every valuation is a story. There’s something behind the numbers that you have to understand.”
- “I value a lot of hard-to-value assets — celebrity names, music catalogs, litigation, and intellectual property.”
- “My ability to say, to change my path, or have my own destiny was my book.”
Action Steps:
- Get your business valued before an offer arrives: Understanding your company’s worth in advance lets you evaluate offers with clarity and confidence.
- Review your estate plan with a valuation in mind: Proper planning ensures your heirs avoid unnecessary taxes and legal disputes over unclear or inflated values.
- Clarify terms in your buy-sell agreement: Clearly defined valuation methods prevent costly misunderstandings during ownership transitions or sudden exits.
- Consult valuation experts on complex assets: Professional insight helps accurately assess nontraditional assets like IP, litigation, and life insurance policies.
- Learn from entrepreneurial failures and successes: Drawing on others’ experiences helps you avoid common mistakes and make informed, future-proof decisions.
Sponsor for this episode…
This episode is sponsored by Avalan, a wealth management firm dedicated to personalized financial, business, and investment planning.
We work with select high-net-worth individuals, corporations, and trusts, providing guidance tailored to their unique needs.
From supercar entrepreneurs to music industry entrepreneurs, our team employs proven investment strategies to help them preserve wealth, protect assets, and plan charitable giving.
With an unwavering focus on world-class service, our relationships are built to last generations, helping clients achieve lifelong goals through a thoughtful, consultative approach.
To learn how Avalan can empower you to reach your goals, visit https://www.avalanwealth.com/contact/.