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Presents the insiders' perspective using an interview format. Ken and Roberta Williams, Sierra's founders, discuss issues raised in the (A) and (B) cases and present their vision to become the world leader in educational software. Teaching Purpose: Analysts typically visit a firm to gain a fuller understanding of the business and to evaluate management's character and business acumen. Presents sufficient information for students to evaluate management.

Sierra On-Line, a fast growing software developer, is criticized by a Forbes journalist for excessively capitalizing software development costs. In contrast to most other software developers that typically capitalize about 20% of R&D costs, Sierra capitalizes 80%. Questions investors must address in valuing Sierra include: Does Sierra's account reflect economic reality? Is their accounting too aggressive or are their competitors too conservative? Is Sierra's business sufficiently different from its competitors to invalidate the comparison?

Examines Southland's financial difficulties following the LBO in 1987 up to the first restructuring plan in July 1990. The teaching objectives are: to explore the complexities of a failed leverage buyout and the operating restrictions that result from financial distress, to recognize that financing decisions can restrict future flexibility, to examine the dynamics of a restructuring with particular focus on the role of new equity, and the payoffs received by pre-existing claimholders, and to explain the complexity of accomplishing a restructuring outside of bankruptcy.

Examines the Thompson's $4.9 billion leveraged buyout of the Southland Corp. in 1987. As the original founders of Southland, the Thompsons were concerned about losing control over the company upon learning of the Belzberg family's acquiring interest. The teaching objectives are: to explore the characteristics of an LBO candidate, to examine the dynamics of the corporate control process when insiders are substantial stockholders, and therefore serve as both buyer and seller, and to evaluate the cash flow forecasts in an LBO and use them to analyze bidding behavior.