Chapman Syme
Managing Director, Founder of Blackland Advisors
Chapman Syme is the Managing Director and Founder of Blackland Advisors, a boutique advisory firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and strategic financial consulting. With over 26 years of experience spanning investment banking, alternative investments, and entrepreneurship, Mr. Syme brings a rare combination of institutional expertise and hands-on operating experience to his clients.
Prior to founding Blackland Advisors, Mr. Syme served as a Vice President at Greenhill & Co., a global investment bank focused on M&A advisory, restructuring, and capital solutions for financial sponsors. Before Greenhill, he was a Research Analyst at Marblegate Asset Management, a leading alternative investment firm specializing in credit opportunities and special situations. Prior to Marblegate, he served as a Research Analyst at Durham Asset Management, a distressed debt and event-driven global alternative investment platform. Mr. Syme also held investment banking roles at Credit Suisse and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ), and began his financial career at Bank of America.
Beyond his advisory work, Mr. Syme has extensive direct experience sourcing, negotiating, closing, and operating businesses across multiple sectors, including final-mile and over-the-road transportation, warehousing, foodservice distribution, and specialty retail. He has also demonstrated expertise in the acquisition and asset management of multifamily and industrial real estate.
Mr. Syme holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA from the University of Virginia. He is based in Atlanta, Georgia, where he resides with his wife and two children.
Chapman Syme's Areas of Expertise:
Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory
Capital Raising & Financial Sponsor Advisory
Restructuring & Distressed Debt
Business Acquisition & Operations
Multifamily & Industrial Real Estate
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Recent Articles by Chapman Syme
Asset Sale vs. Stock Sale: Tax Implications for Small Business Owners | Blackland Advisors
Asset sales and stock sales produce very different tax outcomes for sellers. Learn how each structure is taxed, why buyers and sellers typically prefer opposite approaches, and how to negotiate the ga... ...more
Process ,Valuation &Underwriting
May 20, 2026•22 min read
What Is an Earnout in a Business Sale? | Blackland Advisors
An earnout makes part of your sale price contingent on future results. Learn how earnouts are structured, when they make sense, and the protections every seller should demand before signing. Chapman S... ...more
Process ,Valuation
May 14, 2026•21 min read
The Quality of Earnings Report: Why Every Seller Needs One | Blackland Advisors
A sell-side QoE report is the single most effective way to prevent diligence surprises from collapsing your deal. Learn what it covers, what it costs, and when to commission one. Chapman Syme from Bla... ...more
Valuation
May 08, 2026•14 min read
EBITDA vs. SDE: Which Metric Will Buyers Use? | Blackland Advisors
Sophisticated buyers use EBITDA, not SDE. Learn the difference, why it matters for your company, and how the metric your buyer chooses shapes your valuation. Chapman Syme from Blackland Advisors. ...more
Valuation
April 10, 2026•14 min read
What is EBITDA? | Blackland Advisors
EBITDA is the metric every serious buyer uses to value your business — but most sellers don't know how it's calculated. This guide covers add-backs, owner compensation, depreciation, and what buyers a... ...more
Valuation ,Underwriting
March 30, 2026•23 min read
EBITDA Add-Backs Explained: Every Category Buyers Accept (With Examples) | Blackland Advisors
Not all EBITDA add-backs survive buyer scrutiny. This guide covers every legitimate add-back category — owner comp, one-time costs, personal expenses — with the documentation standard required for eac... ...more
Valuation ,Underwriting
February 20, 2026•19 min read
What Drives Your Business Value? A Seller's Complete Guide to Valuation | Blackland Advisors
What separates a 4x multiple from an 8x? Five factors determine where your business lands — and most owners only control four of them. Chapman Syme from Blackland Advisors. ...more
Valuation
July 25, 2025•19 min read
Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Blackland Advisors provides M&A and succession planning services to business owners across the Southeast.