The small firm working on Dell's $21.7 billion deal

It’s a $21.7 billion proposal to return the world’s largest privately held technology firm to public markets.
 
The deal features big names —Michael Dell, Goldman Sachs Group, Silver Lake —alongside one not so well known — Discern Analytics.
 
Discern, a small Bay Area consultancy run by former Lehman Brothers technology analyst Harry Blount, was chosen by the special committee of Dell’s board to perform an independent analysis of Dell’s financials including certain forecasts, growth assumptions and market research, according to a proxy statement.
 
Fees for such work, which typically goes to larger firms such as McKinsey &