Host Justin Marti of Marti Law Group sits down with Matt Sutton and Andrew Kobylski of McLerran & Associates, one of the country's leading dental-specific sell-side brokerages. Matt brings over 20 years in the dental space as a banker, broker, and former VP of Business Development for a fast-growing, PE-backed orthodontic DSO, while Andrew — a former healthcare-focused wealth advisor and CFP — leads valuation and transition advisory work across both the private and DSO markets. Together they unpack the real difference between selling to a fellow dentist and affiliating with a DSO, why the “why” behind your exit matters as much as the dollars, and what today's market is actually rewarding. If you're a practice owner who wants to exit on your terms — not leave money (or your sanity) on the table — this conversation is your roadmap.

1. Why the smartest sellers get a valuation three to five years before they plan to exit — and what that head start lets you fix
2. How DSO deals and doctor-to-doctor sales really differ across valuation, work-back expectations, and tax treatment
3. The reason a headline multiple can be deeply misleading — and why your true, defensible EBITDA matters far more
4. What's driving today's seller's market on the private side, and what cooled the DSO gold rush after 2023
5. How to spot a deal structure padded with unattainable earn-ups before you sign the letter of intent

[00:00] Intro

[01:28] Two operators, one mission: meet Matt & Andrew

[04:24] Why McLerran keeps everything in-house

[08:03] Selling with the end in mind: the fiduciary approach

[13:05] The half of your exit nobody talks about — your “why”

[16:07] Equity structures and the power of optionality

[17:50] Why the private market has never been stronger

[20:37] The valuation you should've gotten three years ago

[24:07] After the gold rush: the DSO “hangover”

[32:45] Multiples lie. EBITDA doesn't.

[34:34] The $17M offer that wasn't

[40:22] How to work with McLerran

1. McLerran & Associates — DentalTransitions.com
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Website: https://dentaltransitions.com/

Matt Sutton on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/contactsutton

Andrew Kobylski on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andrew-kobylski

Email: matt@dentaltransitions.com | andrew@dentaltransitions.com

Free discovery calls are available daily through the McLerran website.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/justinmarti

Email: justin@martilawgroup.com

Website: martilawgroup.com