Company Research Shannon Kemen, J.D., M.S.L.S
Researching Companies 1. Determine company type 2. Determine company’s status within their organization 3. Researching the company
I. Determining Company Type
Types of Companies 1. Public 2. Private 3. Special Types of Public/Private
Public Companies
Must file with the S.E.C. Must file with the Secretary of State
Securities Exchange Commission (S.E.C.) Provides information on public company’s financial information and operations 10-K: Annual Report 10-Q: Quarterly Report 8-K: Press Releases/Recent Events
2010 $574 $ $899 $ $2,341 $284 New Stores Remodels & Expansions
Private Companies
May file with the S.E.C. Must file with the Secretary of State
Things to consider: Many private companies were at one time public (or vice versa) Large private companies may need to file some information with the S.E.C. Information about private companies may be found in S.E.C. filings for the public companies with which they do business
Special Types of Public/Private Companies Franchises Consulting Firms Investment Companies Insurance Companies International Companies
II. Determining a Company’s Status within the Organization
Company Organization Parent Company DivisionAffiliate Subsidiary
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola North American Enterprises Energy Brands Inc. (DBA Glaceau)
III. Researching a Company
General Resources 1.ReferenceUSA 2.Company Website 3.Secretary of State 4.Hoovers 5.Dun & Bradstreet 6.Skyminder 7.Westlaw -ALLNEWS -ADVERSE-ALL -ASSET-ALL -CO-Profile -EXPERIAN-REPORTS 8.Lexis -All News -Judgments & Liens -Deed Transfers, Tax Assessor & Mortgage Records 9.Courtlink OR Pacer
ReferenceUSA Information on nearly 20 million U.S. companies Search by company name, sales volume, SIC, number of employees, product lines and more
Company Website News articles on the company Ownership information Executive biographies Company history
Education Positions at Coca-Cola Other Positions Job Duties
Secretary of State Articles of Incorporation/ Organization Annual Report Registered Agent Status/Standing Domestic v. Foreign Officers Principal Office Name variations
Hoovers Targeted Company List Search Custom Reports Family Tree
Dun & Bradstreet Similar to Hoovers Evaluates company's financial stability Identifies companies that have slow payment Business Ratios show if a company has enough assets to pay you Compare to others in the same industry locally or across the U.S.
Skyminder Sells pieces of reports from other vendors (ex. Dun & Bradstreet) Contains information on international companies Allows for on site investigation
Westlaw ALLNEWS ADVERSE-ALL ASSET-ALL CO-PROFILE EXPERIAN-REPORTS
Lexis All News Judgments & Liens Deed Transfers, Tax Assessor & Mortgage Records
Tax Assessor/Auditor County specific Generally includes: Ownership information Sales information Current property valuation Property picture or map
Pacer Case and docket information for Federal District, Appellate and Bankruptcy Courts
Parties Attorneys Case Information Court
Courtlink Case and docket information for Federal District, Appellate and Bankruptcy Courts Case and docket information for some state courts
QUESTIONS?