Dell has appointed advisory firm Evercore Partners to find out if a better offer can be found. Dell is believed to be close to a deal led by buyout firm Silverlake Partners, which is being supported by founder and chief executive Michael Dell in a deal worth around $23 billion. In order to avoid the risk of lawsuits from those shareholders anxious to get the best return on their investments, the firm has hired Evercore to test whether Dell could get a better deal elsewhere.