Articles Tagged with due diligence

Corporate merger and acquisitions are highly technical transactions with a lot at stake for all parties involved. It can take thousands of hours of dedicated work to finalize this type of deal and the last thing you want is to commit time, energy, and money to the process only to have one party back out at the last minute. For this reason, the early stages of any merger and acquisition should involve a carefully drafted and negotiated letter of intent (LOI) that is signed by all parties.

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What is a Letter of Intent?

Before you begin the merger and acquisition process, both parties should be on the same page regarding the basic terms of the transaction. These terms are set out in a letter of intent that the parties can review and negotiate to ensure they are in general agreement regarding the basic terms of the final agreement before they commit resources to the transaction. Though you want the terms of a letter of intent to be attractive to the other party, you should also always be realistic.  Disputes can arise later in the M&A process that can halt the process and you could even be accused of acting in bad faith.

Previously on this blog, we discussed two important matters relating to the formation of the Terms of Use on your business’s website: avoiding using boilerplate language in favor of terms tailored to your specific business and having a privacy policy regarding the collection of customer information. The following are two more important things to consider during the process of drafting and posting your website’s Terms of Use.

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Have Clear Sale Conditions

Many companies use their website to conduct online sales. No matter what your product is or the size of your operation, failing to have clear conditions of sales on your Terms of Use can result in disputes and even legal claims. The terms of a sale should be in clear language that the customer can read and agree to prior to making a purchase. Some terms to address in this part of your Terms of Use include the following:

As a business owner, you should take every possible precaution to ensure that the information of your clients, customers, and employees are safe. However, as many corporate owners will tell you, even the most well-prepared companies – large or small – can be the victims of data breaches. One precaution to protect your company from these data security breaches is to seek counsel from an experienced California e-commerce attorney from the start.  The following are only a few steps you may want to consider taking if a data breach happens to your business:

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Take Immediate Action

The minute you learn of any type of breach, you should start working to repair the leak.  You can do a lot of damage control by immediately addressing security flaws and securing the rest of your data. You should identify which servers have been affected and the nature of the data on those servers.

Starting a business is a difficult endeavor. While many people want the opportunity to start their own business, the time and commitment required to establish, develop, and grow a successful business are not for every potential entrepreneur. Instead of starting their own business, some individuals may look to another alternative: resale franchise.Fotolia_62005718_Subscription_Monthly_M-283x300

A resale franchise is an already-established franchise business that the current owner is looking to sell. The current franchise owner may be selling his or her franchise for reasons such as a divorce, a death in the family, or even for purpose of retirement. Whatever the reason, a resale franchise provides an opportunity to dive into a business without building it from the ground up.

Investing in a Resale Franchise: Pros

As an innovator or entrepreneur, you may launch a business for a variety of reasons. At first, a primary reason is to develop a profitable product or technology you believe will provide a nice return.  But, creating the next popular app or useable technology could lead to a life-changing acquisition of your business at a premium valuation.  At the same time, if your business is not performing as you had hoped, selling may be the best option for you. These are only a few reasons why you may want to sell your business.

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It is important that businesses considering a sale of their company obtain the guidance of legal counsel. A Silicon Valley business attorney will be able to work with owners to identify and avoid potential legal issues that may arise with the potential sale of the business.  These pitfalls could include, for example, issues with due diligence, fiduciary duty and duty of care, voting requirements, corporate compliance, shareholder approval, intellectual property, and lien holder negotiation.  After all, once a decision is made to sell the business, the goal is not only to get a good offer but to be able to actually get the deal done.

Owners considering a sale of their business should consider the following four tips:

In a corporate merger or acquisition, it is important to ensure that both companies involved are on the same page early in the process. Mergers and acquisitions can be complicated and can require costly resources, so it is important to know what each party is prepared to offer before moving forward with the transaction. One way to ensure both parties are on the same page is to draft a letter of intent (LOI), which outlines the deal points of the merger or acquisition and serves as a type of “agreement to agree”.

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The LOI should be carefully drafted by the purchasing company and submitted to the selling company and should set out important basic terms of the transaction. This letter is typically not viewed as a binding contract though that does not mean it should not be given careful consideration. When submitting an LOI, the buyer should put forth attractive though realistic terms. If it fails to do so, it could result in a breakdown in negotiations or a later legal dispute if the expectations set out in the LOI were not in good faith. On the other hand, the purchaser should fully realize that an LOI does not represent the final agreement and that the terms of the deal may change after due diligence is conducted. Because of the importance of an LOI to a merger and acquisition, you should always seek assistance from an experienced M&A attorney when drafting, reviewing, or negotiating the letter.

Provisions to Include in a Letter of Intent

An important step in the business acquisition process is determining the true value of the business to ensure you are paying an appropriate price. Valuation of a business can be complicated and can depend on the type of company in question, your goals, and many other factors. While this process may seem daunting, an experienced business lawyer can help to identify steps to take and help you decide whether a price is right. The following are some of the issues to consider when evaluating the price of an acquisition.

Examine the Current State of the Business

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There are many aspects of a business that should be closely examined before an offer is made, including, but not limited to:

A comprehensive evaluation of a target company is a critical component of any successful corporate acquisition. Often referred to as a “due diligence evaluation” or “due diligence review,” this process involves fully evaluating the company that is being acquired (the target) in terms of its assets, liabilities, litigation risks, intellectual property matters, as well as other issues that could have an impact on the feasibility and advisability of a particular acquisition.

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The most effective way to ensure that a thorough due diligence investigation is conducted is to retain legal counsel that is familiar with representing buyers in mergers & acquisitions. Some of the most important issues to address in a due diligence review of a potential corporate acquisition are discussed below.

  • The target company’s financial matters – Issues such as financial statements, liabilities, margins, future projections, and potential capital expenditures should all be fully evaluated. This is often the first aspect of due diligence.

Commercial real estate transactions can be lucrative investments, however there may also be high risk due to the amount of money that is generally at stake. The following are some examples of legal issues that sometimes arise during the sale or purchase of commercial property.

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  1. Accurate property valuation

When you are shopping for a product, it is often relatively easy to compare the price and quality to another similar product. However, pieces of real estate are often unique with no exact comparison based on size, age, use, and/or state of the building or land, making accurate valuation significantly more challenging. In addition, any current income stream or potential for future income associated with commercial property should also be a factor in determining a fair and reasonable price. Utilizing an experienced commercial appraiser can assist both buyers and sellers with determination of value.

If your company is the target of a merger or acquisition, you are undoubtedly facing a process called due diligence. Due diligence is essentially a thorough investigation into the state of the target company so that the buyer can be aware of all potential liabilities and other issues prior to the completion of the transaction. Due diligence is necessary for several reasons, including that your company is accurately valuated, that there are no major impediments to closing the deal, and to ensure all relevant documentation is properly drafted.duediligence

If you have never been involved in the due diligence process as part of a major business transaction before, you may be easily overwhelmed by the complicated and time-consuming process. However, acting appropriately during this process can help to ensure the deal is as beneficial for your company as possible. Due diligence is crucial to corporate transactions, but if handled correctly, the process can be done efficiently. Here are some steps to take. Continue reading ›