ECM lawyer, “What is the first thing you learn?”
We hear it all the time. Lawyers always look for what may go wrong. It’s probably how we are trained. Ask any IPO lawyer or ECM lawyer, “What is the first thing you learn?” The answer is probably something along the following line: All information in prospectus/ circular/ submission to …
M&A: What to do if there’s problem?
What choices does a buyer have if the buyer’s due diligence reveals issues with the company or assets which the buyer intends to acquire? If the buyer intends to proceed with the acquisition and requires the issues to be addressed, the parties may consider the following: 1. Seller to indemnify …
M&A: Fair disclosure?
Today’s post is about disclosures to the representations and warranties given by a seller in an agreement for sale and purchase of shares or assets (“Seller’s Warranties”). It is common practice to provide in the sale and purchase agreement that the Seller’s Warranties are qualified by disclosures made by the …
M&A transactions involving public listed companies
For those who like adrenaline packed corporate exercises, M&A transactions would be exciting for them. M&A transactions involving public listed companies would probably be even more exciting. If the seller or buyer is a company listed on Bursa Malaysia or a subsidiary of a company listed on Bursa Malaysia, the …
Shareholders’ agreement for minority shareholders
Today’s post is about provisions in shareholders’ agreement for the benefit of minority shareholders. It is common to have a shareholders’ agreement when an M&A transaction results in more than one shareholder in the target company. Some provisions to include in a shareholders’ agreement for the benefit of a minority …
Representations and warranties in M&A transactions
Today’s post is about representations and warranties given by sellers in M&A transactions (“Seller’s Warranties”). Not all Seller’s Warranties are of equal importance. Breach of different Seller’s Warranties, may affect the sale and purchase transaction in varying degree, depending on which Seller’s Warranty is breached. It may be worthwhile to …
Disclosure letter in M&A transactions
Today’s post is about disclosure letter in M&A transactions. A disclosure letter is an important document in an M&A transaction, but it probably does not receive as much attention from the parties involved as the sale and purchase agreement (SPA). A disclosure letter is a document from a seller to a buyer which sets out exceptions to the representations and warranties …
MSWG corporate governance assessment 2020
Out of the 851 Malaysian public-listed companies (PLCs) assessed by the Minority Shareholders Watch Group (MSWG) in its corporate governance assessment in 2020: • 220 PLCs have no female board representation (25.9%) • 370 PLCs have at least one woman director (43.5%) • 142 PLCs have at least 30% women on their …
Terms of preference shares
Some of the key terms of preference shares to consider include: 1. Number of preference shares to be issued 2. Issuance price 3. Dividend -Rate of dividend -Whether dividend is cumulative -Time for dividend payment 4. Tenure of preference shares Whether the preference shares will be converted to ordinary shares …
Why do companies issue preference shares?
Some companies prefer to raise funds by issuing preference shares instead of issuing ordinary shares or getting loans for the following reasons: 1. Issuance of preference shares allows the companies to raise funds without affecting the voting powers of the existing ordinary shareholders. Unlike ordinary shares, preference shares carry limited …