Mezzanine Lending Video Series (Episode 2)
Mergers and Acquisitions - Key Issues in Today's M&A Deals
Jeff Bell Video Law Bulletin: Unusual Purchase Price Methodologies in M&A Transactions
Assessments, Condos vs. Town Homes
Yahoo's $30 Million May Be 'Underpay' for Summly's D'Aloisio
The Private Target Mergers & Acquisitions Deal Points Study (“the Study”) is published on a bi-annual basis by the Market Trends Subcommittee of the ABA Business Law Section’s M&A Committee, which I am happy to serve on. The...more
When acquiring or selling a company, many nuances exist in various stages of the process, some of which are not readily apparent on their face. One of those nuances is the interplay between accounts receivable and working...more
Many successful legal agreements begin with the term sheet; a document listing the key points of the business deal that has been struck between the parties. A deal point can be as simple as the purchase price, although with...more
From 2020 to 2022, EBITDA became almost as prevalent as revenue metrics for determining earnout payments, according to analysis of the Goodwin Private Equity Deals Database. In 2022, EBITDA was used in 40% of earnouts, up 22%...more
In our last installment, we discussed some of the initial steps involved in the process of selling a dental practice, including preparing your practice for sale and finding a potential suitor. Specifically, we described ways...more
Despite a recent slowdown in global M&A activity, the private M&A market in both the US and the UK remains intensely competitive due to an abundance of available capital. As a consequence, and in order to present potential...more
A well-crafted letter of intent (“LOI”) adds value for the negotiating principals by helping to ensure the parties are in agreement on key deal terms before they spend significant time and money on diligence and definitive...more
On March 21, 2022, the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland (the “Court”) decided in Peterbilt of Baltimore LLC v. Capitol Gateway Properties, LLC that provisions of an option to purchase (the “Option”) pursuant to the...more
In protracted contract negotiations, many clients become dismayed when a deal they thought had been agreed in a letter of intent is suddenly the subject of contentious exchanges between the parties and their counsel. The...more
The ABA Private Target Mergers & Acquisitions Deal Points Study is published on a bi-annual basis. The 2021 Deal Points Study (the “Study”) analyzed 123 publicly available purchase agreements executed and closed in 2020 and...more
Appearances can be deceiving. - That, essentially, was the argument made in two recently decided cases involving claims for judicial dissolution. ...more
Many transactions begin with the delivery by one party to the other of a letter of intent (“LOI”). The LOI is a document setting forth the parties’ intent to enter into a transaction and summarizing certain salient business...more
An “earnout” is a deal mechanism used in a merger and acquisition transaction (“M&A Transaction”) which structures the terms upon which a buyer agrees to pay additional consideration to the seller after the closing of the M&A...more
As regular readers of the blog surely are aware, there are few provisions in an LLC or shareholders agreement more likely to be the focus of dispute than the buy-sell provision. Most times, these disputes expose a flaw in the...more
Does increased appraisal risk have an effect on manager behavior? Recent research (unpublished) suggests it does. In this paper (earlier version), the author examines target manager disclosure behavior before and after the...more
It is readily apparent that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on transactional activity—at least in the short term—for both buyers and sellers across a range of industries. Whether parties are still moving forward with...more
Driven by the influence of shareholders, activists and competitive market forces, public companies are demonstrating renewed focus on their core businesses. Reductions in the U.S. corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% have...more
A recent opinion from the Delaware Court of Chancery reinforces the importance of using clear language when drafting dispute resolution clauses. In Agiliance, Inc. v. Resolver SOAR, LLC, No. 2018-0389-TMR, 2019 Del. Ch. LEXIS...more
Merger agreements typically include post-closing purchase price adjustment provisions. A net working capital, or NWC, adjustment, for example, increases or decreases the purchase price post-closing based on a comparison of...more
The Arkansas Court of Appeals addressed in a May 23rd opinion a dispute between an Arkansas municipality and public water authority in regards to the sale and purchase of water. See Northeast Public Water Authority of the...more
In Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. N.V. v. Westinghouse Electric Co. LLC, the Delaware Court of Chancery declined to permit the purchaser of a business to recover a working capital shortfall as a result of a purchase price...more
Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. v. Westinghouse Elec. Co. LLC, et al., No. 573, 2016 (Del. June 28, 2017) - The Delaware Supreme Court reversed the Court of Chancery’s entry of judgment on the pleadings based on a flawed...more
It is common practice for purchase agreements in private company M&A transactions to contain one set of rules to determine and resolve disputes regarding a post-closing purchase price adjustment and a separate, often vastly...more