Grant Thornton white papers identify and examine trends that are relevant to your business. Some of these publications are available for immediate download, while others may require you to provide contact information in advance.
2008
Why are IPOs in the ICU?
Explores the history of the IPO market, what led us to this crisis and our ideas for a new, opt-in stock market capable of reinvigorating the U.S. IPO market.
The current state of IFRS
Gary Illiano, Partner-in-Charge, International and Domestic Accounting for Grant Thornton, reviews the current state of IFRS, including: the history and structure of IFRS; differences between and similarities to U.S. GAAP; benefits and obstacles of convergence to a single set of standards; application of IFRS, including jurisdictional variations and different interpretations, as well as implications for small and medium-sized entities; and what U.S. companies need to know in order to assess whether and when they should make the switch to IFRS.
The credit crunch: A practical guide
This guide provides an explanation of some of the recent major financial events and a brief assessment of how they may affect the typical business. The guide also lays out 10 action steps to consider as businesses manage through the crisis.
Top trends in middle-market private equity
Grant Thornton, the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) and NASDAQ explore seven trends that have recently altered the way the private equity community conducts business. The white paper gives readers a better understanding of where the middle market is today, how it got there and where it is heading.
Research and development tax credits: a documentation-based approach
Congress has extended and expanded the research and development tax credit, but the taxpayer still bears the burden of proving its qualifications to the IRS with documentation. This means identifying and documenting qualified research activities and associated costs on an annual basis. Find out more about documenting R&D activities and calculating the credit in our white paper.
Going public: A guide for owners
For business owners who are considering taking their companies public, this guide will take them through the IPO process, from initial considerations and preparing the offering to securing professional assistance and conducting the road show.
Lean project delivery: A winning strategy for construction and real estate development
Even in the most robust economy, the challenges involved in construction can be enormous. Owners commonly complain about timeliness, high costs and substandard performance. To address these issues, a number of builders are embracing lean project delivery, a new construction management model inspired by the Toyota Production System (TPS). The lean project delivery approach focuses on producing value without generating waste, which requires tight coordination between all workers to meet customers’ needs within tight timeframes. Read the white paper by Joseph A. Cleves Jr. and John F. Michel to learn more about how lean project delivery can reduce costs, shorten project timelines and boost quality and safety.
2007
Bridging the global, cross-border transaction gap: What more middle- market dealmakers need to know about global M&A
This white paper, developed by Grant Thornton LLP in conjunction with the Association for Corporate Growth, analyzes how U.S. mid-market corporate executives and merger professionals are looking to aggressively target cross-border acquisitions, and includes tips on what companies should look out for in various regions. The trend towards increased cross-border acquisitions seems unlikely to be reversed by recent speed bumps in the debt markets or the economy as a whole.
Emerging markets in Brazil, Russia, India and China
Emerging markets account for an increasing share of global activity, and present significant global opportunities for technology companies. Four economies in particular - Brazil, Russia, India and mainland China - are transforming the existing patterns of economic activity and influence, as well as trade and global investment flow.
Taxation of stock options and restricted stock: the basics and beyond
Companies often focus on equity-based compensation (e.g., stock options and restricted stock) in order to align the interests of executives with those of the company’s shareholders. Do your executives fully understand the income tax treatment of their options and restricted stock? In this white paper, National Tax Office Partner Edgar Adkins, Jr., presents the basic tax rules, but also discusses certain more complex issues and planning considerations.
2006
Appetite for Change: Trends and transitions in the food and beverage industry
This white paper identifies and examines trends emerging from the U.S. food and beverage business sector - from manufacturers through the supply chain, to retailers and restaurants - domestically and globally.
Crossing the line: The growing convergence of private equity and hedge funds
This white paper explores a trend that has received an increasing amount of press coverage — the phenomenon of convergence of private equity firms and hedge funds.
Going Global: Insights for technology companies making an international move
This whitepaper for expanding technology companies examines the issues of:
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Identifying a viable strategy
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Finding a suitable country in which to open an office or facility
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Developing a strategic alliance
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Finding an outsourcing partner
Hear that whistle blowing! Establishing an effective complaint-handling process addresses an important mandate of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act: the requirement that audit committees establish procedures for receiving, documenting, and handling complaints related to accounting and auditing matters. The paper outlines the Model Accounting Complaint-Handling (MACH) Process, a step-by-step approach to establishing a corporate whistleblower program. Among the issues examined are:
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Employee confidentiality
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Information disclosure
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Stakeholder needs
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Monitoring and performance metrics
Knock your SOX off – Getting business benefits from 404 compliance – explores how SOX activities can be leveraged for business benefits, including:
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Improving the nature of certain controls
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Centralizing operations
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Improving the flow and reliability of information
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Implementing business process improvements
Solution-Chain Manufacturing white paper
Looking for insight on how to improve your bottom line? Is your company prepared to excel in all facets of manufacturing, not just making products? Grant Thornton's groundbreaking new whitepaper, Solution-ChainSM Manufacturing provides a perspective on how to improve profitability and customer satisfaction with a Solution-chainSM approach.
2005
Sustaining SOX Compliance: Moving from chaos to consistency – covers recommendations for companies seeking to make their financial control systems and evaluations sustainable.
These and future CorporateGovernor white papers are devoted to addressing the needs and interests of the corporate governance community—the directors, officers, and executives who are responsible for ensuring that public companies are run in accordance with appropriate laws and regulations.
The China Vision: Opportunities and Challenges for U.S. Manufacturers
Today, customers demand more for less and are willing to go to the far corners of the earth to get it. Competitors increasingly look to China for low-cost supplies, components and services, and to establish facilities of their own. To succeed in this unfamiliar business environment, companies must learn about their Chinese counterparts and the vastly different competitive landscape in which they operate.