Corporate lawyers are responsible for a variety of business transactions. They draft contracts, review legal documents and provide guidance on regulatory compliance.
M&A deals involve many complexities, and a business lawyer must have top skills to protect their client’s interests in the agreement. A strong understanding of contract law and intellectual property, as is knowledge of antitrust laws, is essential.
Preparation Stage
The preparation stage of a merger or acquisition begins with legal, due diligence. This involves thoroughly reviewing the target company’s financial records and business operations to identify potential risks and liabilities. This also includes checking the target’s management structure and culture to ensure a cultural fit for the new owners.
A thorough M&A due diligence requires a team of lawyers with diverse backgrounds and knowledge of various issues that might arise during the transaction. In addition to corporate M&A attorneys, teams usually include lawyers with experience in tax, real estate, environmental, employment, and intellectual property issues. Lawyers working on cross-border or international transactions often work closely with local or foreign counsel to ensure compliance with applicable laws.
The preparation stage also includes drafting and negotiating a letter of intent (LOI) that sets forth the key terms of the deal. LOIs typically include the purchase price, the structure of the transaction, and any contingencies. In addition, the New York corporate & securities lawyer might assist with the valuation and analysis of the target company to determine its true value as a standalone entity or for a merger with another entity. They also advise on the most advantageous transaction structure from a tax perspective and prepare drafts of relevant documents. These may include LOIs, stock, and asset purchase agreements, letters of intent, confidentiality agreements, due diligence reports, escrow instructions, and other transaction documents.
Post-Closing Stage
In mergers and acquisitions, legal professionals play a significant role in advising clients regarding the risks and benefits of various transactions. They also help to facilitate negotiations that lead to successful business acquisitions. They have an in-depth knowledge of state corporate law, contract law, fiduciary duties, and federal securities laws that govern M&A transactions.
M&A can be highly demanding, and it’s not uncommon for attorneys to experience burnout due to the intense pressure to complete complex deals within a short timeframe. Attorneys must develop strong writing and negotiating skills as they draft contracts, review complicated agreements, negotiate with stakeholders, and hammer out the deal’s details.
It is also essential for M&A lawyers to have a thorough understanding of the financial nuances of different industries to provide informed advice and guidance to their clients. This includes assessing tax implications, determining whether or not a transaction will violate securities regulations, and obtaining third-party consent for the sale of a business.
M&A attorneys should have a firm grasp of the relevant legal issues in their field, including intellectual property rights and antitrust law. They must have extensive knowledge of contract law, which includes drafting and reviewing legally binding contracts between the company they represent and other parties like suppliers, investors, and employees. They should also have the ability to identify potential pitfalls and resolve conflicts.
Negotiation Stage
A key responsibility of M&A lawyers is negotiating the terms of an acquisition, merger, or divestiture. This includes negotiating the company’s sale price, tax implications, non-disclosure agreements, and breakup fees if the deal fails to close. Developing negotiation strategies that align with a client’s business interests and legal risks is also an essential part of this process.
Drafting various documents, including term sheets, contracts, opinions, letters, registrations, and government applications, is another crucial aspect of M&A work. This requires a keen understanding of corporate law and governance, particularly complex entity structures. It also requires familiarity with securities regulations, reporting obligations, and insider trading laws.
M&A lawyers also work closely with colleagues specializing in specific areas of law that may apply to the transaction, such as tax, real estate, employment, intellectual property, finance, and antitrust law. In multi-jurisdictional or cross-border M&A transactions, the team will often include local counsel. The ability to effectively communicate and work in a diverse team environment is essential for success in M&A work. This consists of building trust with clients and colleagues and a strong sense of professionalism that can help keep negotiations on track. The ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously is also valuable.
Integration Stage
The integration stage of a merger or acquisition can be difficult and time-consuming, but it’s critical to capture the deal’s value. McKinsey research found that companies that deliver on integration achieve 6-12% higher growth than those that don’t.
In this phase, M&A lawyers play a crucial role in ensuring that the transaction is structured and executed according to corporate law and securities regulations at the federal and state levels. They may also assist in foreign investment due diligence and obtaining business approvals and consents from third parties.
Legal teams need access to both companies’ information to conduct due diligence and assess potential merger or acquisition risks. They must also ensure that confidentiality expectations and data-sharing guidelines are set. Depending on the transaction’s structure, they may need to use a clean room for sensitive information or find another mechanism for sharing it with the target company before the transaction’s closing date.
M&A attorneys must also be knowledgeable about tax considerations, including capital gains and other taxes, governmental approval requirements, and international laws. They may need to advise on the make-up and legal implications of different corporate structures, entities, and subsidiaries, as well as a range of other relevant laws and regulations, such as employment, environmental, intellectual property, and finance.
