Rock Hall Partners

What Rock Hall Partners does

Rock Hall Partners is a privately held boutique mergers and acquisitions advisory firm founded in 2012 and headquartered in Reston, Virginia, within the Washington D.C. metro area. The firm operates with a lean team of approximately five professionals under founder and Managing Director Mike Fisher, a 30-year GovCon veteran who previously led corporate development at SRA International through its growth from $50M to $1.6B.

Rock Hall's service portfolio spans four interconnected lines: sell-side advisory, buy-side advisory, contract vehicle transactions (with particular emphasis on the FAR novation process), and evaluation services including sell-side readiness assessments. The firm has closed 51 M&A transactions since 2020 and reports a 95% contract novation approval rate. Rock Hall serves exclusively U.S.-based companies in the federal government contracting sector, including IT services firms, defense contractors, and professional services providers — including those with set-aside certifications (8(a), woman-owned small business, etc.). Named clients and counterparties include Copper River Family of Companies (across multiple acquisitions), CADD Microsystems (sold to ARKANCE), Cydecor, AIS, SJ Technologies, BTMS, Synergy, and Windward.

The business model is professional services: revenue is generated through retainer and success-based fees for transaction advisory, with initial client consultations offered at no cost. Go-to-market is relationship-driven, built on industry sponsorships (ACG National Capital Platinum, SECAF Diamond), thought leadership in outlets such as Washington Technology, referrals, and long-tenured client relationships that often begin years before a transaction. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, consistent with lower-middle-market advisory engagements typically ranging 6-9 months from engagement to close.

Name

Rock Hall Partners

Legal name

Rock Hall Partners

Website

https://rockhallpartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rock Hall Partners is a boutique M&A advisory firm founded in 2012 and headquartered in Reston, Virginia, that serves exclusively U.S. federal government contracting companies with sell-side, buy-side, contract vehicle, and readiness assessment services across the lower-to-middle market.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry-Specialist / Sector-Focused M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sell-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAA), Buy-Side M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAB), M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA)

Keywords

• Mergers and acquisitions advisory
• Government contracting advisory
• Sell-side advisory services
• Buy-side advisory services
• Contract novation advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Reston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. M&A Advisory Services: Rock Hall Partners generates revenue through professional services fees for mergers and acquisitions advisory. Their services include sell-side representation, buy-side advisory, contract vehicle transactions, and sell-side readiness assessments. The firm likely operates on a combination of retainer fees and success-based transaction fees, typical for boutique M&A advisory firms serving the lower middle market.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Rock Hall Partners provides M&A advisory services exclusively to businesses in the government contracting (GovCon) sector. Core offerings include sell-side representation, buy-side advisory, government contract vehicle transactions (including FAR novation), and sell-side readiness assessments. The firm guides business owners through the full transaction lifecycle—from pre-sale preparation and valuation to buyer identification, due diligence management, negotiation, and closing—serving federal contractors operating in IT services, defense, and professional services.

Product overview

Rock Hall Partners is a boutique M&A advisory firm specializing exclusively in the government contracting (GovCon) sector. The firm offers a unified suite of advisory services centered on sell-side and buy-side M&A transactions, complemented by specialized contract vehicle transaction services and evaluation offerings. The core advisory platform encompasses Sell-Side Advisory Services, Buy-Side Advisory Services, and Contract Transactions, while the evaluation portfolio includes Sell-Side Readiness Assessment, Strategic Evaluations, and Transaction Advisory. Together, these services guide GovCon businesses through the complete transaction lifecycle—from initial readiness preparation through deal execution and closing—leveraging deep industry expertise in government contracting nuances including set-aside programs, contract vehicles, and FAR novation processes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sell-Side Advisory Services Comprehensive sell-side M&A advisory guiding GovCon business owners through the sale process from pre-sale preparation and valuation through marketing, buyer identification, due diligence management, and closing.
• Buy-Side Advisory Services Acquisition advisory helping GovCon companies identify, evaluate, and execute purchases of target businesses, including pre-transaction assessment, target identification, valuation, deal structuring, due diligence, and negotiation support.
• Contract Transactions Specialized government contract vehicle acquisition and divestiture services, including management of the FAR novation process for transferring contracts between companies in the GovCon market.
• Sell-Side Readiness Assessment Comprehensive evaluation that assesses a GovCon company's current market value, identifies key value drivers, and creates a value enhancement roadmap to prepare business owners for a successful sale.
• Strategic Evaluations Strategic evaluation services for government contractors considering transactions, providing market analysis and transaction readiness assessments.
• Transaction Advisory Full transaction lifecycle support for GovCon M&A deals, from initial strategy through closing, with expertise in the unique nuances of government contracting transactions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% contract novation approval rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) - National Capital ChaptercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRock Hall Partners is a Platinum Sponsor of ACG's National Capital Chapter. The firm participates in networking events, deal discussions, and industry thought leadership through this membership. Mike Fisher serves on the Board of Directors of ACG National Capital.
• Small and Emerging Contractors Advisory Forum (SECAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRock Hall Partners is a Diamond Sponsor of SECAF, supporting the advisory forum for small and emerging government contractors. This partnership aligns with the firm's focus on the GovCon sector and helps connect with potential clients.
• Executive Women's NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRock Hall's Director of Business Development, Dana Fisher, founded the Executive Women's Network in 2006, which now hosts over 100 C-Suite women executives at annual networking events. Rock Hall supports this community.
• Professional Services CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRock Hall Partners is a member of the Professional Services Council, supporting the professional services industry through this association.
• Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors (AM&AA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRock Hall Partners maintains membership in AM&AA, the professional association for M&A advisors.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Headwaters MB: Middle-market M&A advisory firm with a dedicated government technology and services practice, directly comparable to Rock Hall Partners in deal size, structure, and GovCon vertical focus.
• Cascade Partners: Lower middle-market M&A advisory firm with overlapping GovCon and professional services mandates, comparable in scale and engagement scope to Rock Hall Partners.
• AGC Partners: Boutique M&A advisory firm with a strong government technology practice, competing for many of the same GovCon sell-side and buy-side mandates as Rock Hall Partners.
• Capstone Partners: Middle-market M&A advisory firm with a dedicated Government & Defense practice group that serves many of the same GovCon clients and competes directly for advisory mandates.
• Chartwell Financial Advisory: Lower middle-market advisory firm with sector specialization that frequently overlaps with GovCon sellers and buyers, providing competing sell-side and buy-side mandates.
• DAI (Defense Acquisition Advisors): Specialist M&A advisory firm serving defense and government services companies, with overlapping service offerings in sell-side and buy-side advisory for GovCon-owned businesses.
• KippsDeSanto & Co. (now part of PCE Investment Bankers): Boutique M&A advisory firm specializing in the government services and defense technology sectors — the closest direct competitor to Rock Hall Partners with similar lower middle market focus and GovCon vertical specialization.
• Brown, Gibbs & Company: Boutique investment bank serving lower middle market companies, including government services and industrial sectors, with similar transaction sizes and advisory scope.

Broad incumbents

• Lincoln International: Global mid-market investment bank with a Government Services and Aerospace & Defense practice, competing in the same seller and buyer universe on larger, more complex transactions.
• Houlihan Lokey: Large global investment bank with a dedicated Government Services practice within its Business Services M&A group — competing for larger GovCon mandates where Rock Hall Partners is capacity-constrained.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rock Hall Partners