Articles Tagged with Mergers

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Fotolia_172702870_Subscription_Monthly_M-1-300x187Successful merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions often rely on how well the parties involved communicate and how efficiently they can complete negotiations and due diligence. There are many steps that have to occur from initial interest in an M&A to full signature, payment, and completion of the transaction. Both parties, the buyer(s) and the seller(s), need to make sure the transaction is mutually beneficial. The Letter of Intent is one important step in this process.

Purpose of an LOI

The first step in formalizing any M&A transaction is usually a Letter of Intent (LOI). This document can sometimes also be called a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The LOI is a written document that outlines the buyer’s initial intentions and may include pertinent information and conditions related to the transaction. The delivery of an LOI to another party presents the seller’s intentions and begins potential negotiations. If you are the party issuing an LOI, you will want to make sure your letter is professional, clearly communicates your intentions, and sets forth realistic expectations. An experienced M&A attorney can assist in the drafting of your LOI.

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Due-Diligence-300x200There are many reasons why thorough due diligence is indispensable to a successful corporate acquisition. Perhaps most importantly, it is a critical step in ensuring that they buyer has a comprehensive picture of what is being acquired. Both legal and financial interests are placed at risk in any business transaction. If thorough due diligence is not performed, a corporation can incur legal liability to its shareholders for losses sustained in the negligent acquisition. It can also lose significant assets, or waste valuable time and money on litigating the failed transaction. An experienced mergers and acquisitions attorney can protect your business by ensuring that all aspects of your due diligence investigation are conducted accurately, thoroughly, and with a broad-reaching projection for all potential contingencies. While it is not a legal requirement for the due diligence process, hiring an experienced Mountain View mergers and acquisitions attorney it is the best way to ensure that your investigations are thoroughly completed and can also protect a corporation from shareholder claims that its due diligence was incomplete or inadequate.

Due Diligence: The Basics

In general, due diligence is the process by which a buyer or seller performs a comprehensive appraisal of a business asset before executing a sales transaction. On the buyer’s end, this thorough investigation will examine the assets and liabilities of the assets to be purchased, as well as forming a picture of their commercial potential. For the seller, a due diligence investigation will focus on the buyer itself. It is vital for the seller to know whether the buyer has the financial means to consummate the deal. If the transaction will give the buyer any rights to management or control of the seller’s business, it is also important for the seller to learn about those processes, and how the seller’s business operations might be affected by the buyer’s exercise of those rights.

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