This post is part five of our five part series exploring various aspects of due diligence in the context of a merger and acquisition (M&A) transaction. Our prior posts discussed M&A due diligence generally and its objectives, described the due diligence process, outlined considerations when assembling your due diligence team of experts and the due diligence request list, and explained how to respond to a due diligence request list. This post will focus on the scope and process of a due diligence review and how the results of such review will impact the proposed M&A transaction.
Continue Reading M&A due diligence: The review and results (part 5)

This post is part four of our series exploring various aspects of due diligence in the context of a merger and acquisition (M&A) transaction. Our prior posts discussed M&A due diligence generally and its objectives, described the due diligence process and outlined considerations when assembling your due diligence team of experts and the due diligence request list. As indicated in our earlier post, the due diligence request list is the inventory of documents requested, provided and reviewed on the road to completing an M&A transaction. Once the seller and its counsel have had the chance to collect and review all of the items requested, the seller’s counsel typically prepares a formal written response to the due diligence request list. This post will focus, from the seller’s perspective, on preparation of such a response.
Continue Reading M&A due diligence: Responding to a due diligence request list (part 4)

This post is part three of our series exploring various aspects of due diligence in the context of a merger and acquisition (M&A) transaction. Our prior posts discussed M&A due diligence generally and its objectives and described the due diligence process. This post will focus on assembling your due diligence team of experts and the due diligence request list.

Building your due diligence team of experts

Every deal is different, and one of the first priorities in the due diligence process is to assemble a diverse due diligence team. The team’s collective expertise should cover the various business, legal, technical, and financial matters unique to the seller and the deal at hand. This means not only assembling the appropriate legal team, but making sure that the buyer or seller has designated the appropriate in-house contacts to address questions that may arise concerning financial, customer, marketing, technical/engineering, information technology/infrastructure or personnel matters.Continue Reading M&A Due Diligence: Assembling your team and the due diligence request list (Part 3)

This post is part two of our series exploring various aspects of due diligence in the context of a merger and acquisition (M&A) transaction. Our prior post discussed M&A due diligence generally and its objectives. This post will focus on the due diligence process.

Due diligence is routinely time consuming and often complex. However, the process can be manageable and cost-effective if a party spends time in advance creating a due diligence plan and forming a due diligence team.Continue Reading M&A Due Diligence: The Diligence Process (Part 2)

Our colleague Mimi Hunter recently summarized the basic aspects of due diligence in the context of a venture capital investment (What is due diligence?). In this series of posts, I will highlight considerations for due diligence in the context of a merger and acquisition (M&A) transaction.

M&A due diligence generally

The term “due diligence” describes the process each of the parties undertakes to investigate the other before a final decision is made whether to proceed with the transaction.Continue Reading M&A due diligence: overview and objectives (part 1)

Mimi_Hunter.jpgCONTRIBUTED BY
Mimi Hunter
mimi.hunter@dlapiper.com

Due diligence is a fact gathering process by which a buyer or investor obtains information about the business they are seeking to buy or in which they are seeking to invest, both from a business and legal perspective. Due diligence is a critical phase of any financing or merger/acquisition, but it can be a confusing and burdensome process, especially for companies going through their first transaction. This article summarizes the basic aspects of a company’s role in the due diligence process of an investment from a venture capital fund (a “VC”), in an effort to help companies be more prepared.Continue Reading What is Due Diligence?