Earn-Out Arrangements – Interview with David Lagasse, Member, Mintz Levin
After two decades practicing law in Silicon Valley and five formative years working on cross-border deals in Europe, I’ve come to appreciate the subtle (and not-so-subtle) differences in how merger and acquisition (M&A)...more
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently released its decision in Project Freeway Inc. v ABC Technologies Inc. (2025 ONSC 1048), addressing whether certain post-closing transactions triggered the acceleration of an...more
Negotiating and signing a Letter of Intent (LOI) is a key inflection point in the process of selling your business. Buyers and sellers both want the LOI to ensure a base level of understanding on certain key terms such as...more
Periodically, particularly during economic downturns or times of market uncertainty, the private M&A market experiences a significant increase in the use of earnouts. As was the case following the Great Recession and the...more
Our M&A team is honored to have represented clients in some of the most compelling transactions in 2024, from advising the iconic rock band KISS and its co-founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley in the sale of all assets...more
In recent months, the Delaware Court of Chancery has decided four significant cases regarding merger agreement earnout provisions. Most notably, in one of the largest judgments ever awarded by the Court, it found Johnson &...more
Earnout provisions are common in life sciences and healthtech mergers and acquisitions, particularly when an acquired company may add significant value after closing. This can occur if the acquired business has a product in...more
The mergers and acquisitions (M&A) landscape in the sports industry has remained notably active and attractive to investors, driven by continuous digital transformation and global franchise investments. Since 1985, the sports...more
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
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
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
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
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
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
Global Investigations expert Frank Lazzara, CPA, CFF, ABV, CFE, and Economic Damages & Valuations expert David Golbahar, CPA, CFF, CGMA, will present a one-hour* course, which will cover: - An overview of purchase price...more
This quarterly newsletter explores the emerging legal topics related to business succession planning. Thought-leading attorneys from Moritt Hock & Hamroff’s Closely-Held/Family Business Practice Group share their legal...more
As we predicted in the previous edition of this report, 2021 turned out to be a very strong year indeed for US life sciences dealmaking, marked by high transaction values and volumes as the industry continued on its...more
Earlier this month, the ACC hosted an illuminating panel presentation on Life Sciences Litigation: A Look at Milestone Disputes & Recent Trends. Panelists included Lauri Mims and Jennifer Huber, both Partners at Keker Van...more
Overview- Earnout provisions give sellers of a company rights to additional consideration if the acquired business achieves certain financial goals or specified milestones post-closing. Earnouts are often used to bridge...more
The purchase price is an integral component of any purchase and sale of an operating business, if not the integral component. As in the purchase and sale of anything, the seller and the buyer often have different opinions...more
Shareholder Representative Services LLC v. Albertson’s Companies, C.A. No. 2020-0710-JRS (Del. Ch. June 7, 2021) - Many merger agreements include earnout provisions under which the stockholders in the acquired company are...more