Earn-Out Arrangements – Interview with David Lagasse, Member, Mintz Levin
The M&A market has witnessed a major increase in the use of earnout deal terms after 2021. The number of deals with earnout provisions jumped from around 20% in 2021 to 33% in 2023....more
Recently, the Delaware Chancery Court and the Third Circuit issued three significant decisions on key issues affecting licensing and M&A transactions in the life sciences industry....more
Getinge, a Swedish public limited company, announced on September 11, 2024 that it completed acquisition of Paragonix Technologies, Inc., a U.S. company specializing in organ transport products and services. According to...more
A pivotal decision by a New York Appellate Division court holding that earnouts based on the future revenue of a dental practice violated the NY Fee Splitting Prohibition could substantially impact the structuring of health...more
In merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions, the earn-out mechanism serves as a strategic tool for conditional payment based on the prospective performance of the acquired entity. This mechanism is particularly prevalent in...more
It’s nice to get paid. Giving up control of your business? Well… that’s a different story. On closing the sale of a business, owners realize a dramatic financial return on their investment. However, few buyers are willing to...more
Do we value our possessions more just because we own them? Sometimes. Does this association of value apply to businesses? Almost always. The Cost of Risk- Buyers and sellers of a business often find themselves with a...more
Deal structure matters, particularly in bankruptcy. The Third Circuit recently ruled that a creditor’s right to future royalty payments in a non-executory contract could be discharged in the counterparty-debtor’s bankruptcy....more
On April 30, 2024, in Himawan, et al. v. Cephalon, Inc., et al., the Delaware Court of Chancery held that the defendant acquiror complied with its contractual obligations to use commercially reasonable efforts to achieve...more
Ambiguous drafting of earnout provisions in M&A agreements is a perennial source of post-closing disputes. What may have seemed clear to parties in the heat of negotiations can often become less so as time passes,...more
Market Trends: What You Need to Know - As shown in the American Bar Association's Private Target Mergers and Acquisitions Deal Points Studies: Earnout provisions were included in 26% of the deals reported in the 2023...more
The pace of earnouts accelerates in M&A transactions whenever market conditions create a value gap between seller price expectations and buyer confidence levels. Earnouts are most common when the volume of merger and...more
“Best-efforts” clauses in commercial contracts are not enforceable absent an objectively measurable standard or guideline for determining performance, according to the Court of Appeals for the First District of Texas, which...more
As buyers and sellers engage in negotiations for the sale of a business, often there may be disagreements as to the value and expected growth of that business. One party might currently value the business higher than the...more
The use of earnout provisions, which buyers and sellers often use to bridge differing views of value, is on the rise, especially in the private equity and corporate venture capital markets. This White Paper examines how...more
Previously in our series, our team evaluated a number of important points that buyers should consider when embarking on a build-to-buy transaction to protect against downside scenarios in those collaboration arrangements....more
A business deal didn’t go as planned and one side wants out. All parties now need to determine how to buyout the disgruntled partner. How exactly is a franchise buyout price determined? Well, it matters whether the buyout...more
Is there a difference in enforcement between an arbitration award and an expert determination pursuant to a contract? The answer is yes, according to a recent ruling by the 3rd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals that includes...more
Lorsque les vendeurs et les acheteurs d’une entreprise privée sont sur le point de conclure une opération, mais peinent toujours à s’entendre sur le prix d’achat de la société cible, il arrive souvent qu’ils envisagent alors...more
When sellers and buyers of a private business are close to a deal but cannot agree on the purchase price for the target company, they often turn to earnouts. Simply put, earnouts are contractual provisions stipulating that a...more
Increased use of earnouts is likely to facilitate M&A deals across sectors in Europe. Earnouts are increasingly common in European M&A. The growing prevalence of this contractual provision — in which additional...more
Amid rising interest rates, tightening credit markets, geopolitical concerns in Europe and Asia, stubborn inflation and continuing supply chain issues, there is a growing sense of economic uncertainty. This uncertainty will...more
A flexible provision raises questions for buyers and sellers alike. Given the uncertain economic climate of 2023, parties are increasingly turning to earnouts to bridge valuation gaps. As shown by Goodwin’s Private Equity...more
Earnout provisions can be an effective tool for addressing the potential disconnect between a seller’s expectations and a buyer’s ability to pay when negotiating a business combination transaction. Earnout provisions, or...more
An earnout provision in mergers and acquisitions contracts entitles the seller of the target company to additional compensation in the future if the target performs well after closing. Such a provision is often used when a...more