M&A: Issues with the assets or company?
A buyer may discover in the course of due diligence that there are issues with the assets or shares which the buyer intends to acquire, such as regulatory approvals required to carry out the business are not in order, non-compliance of conditions of licences or breach of terms of contracts. …
M&A: Does the buyer have financial standing to replace guarantee?
In a sale and purchase of shares, a seller should consider the likelihood the buyer is acceptable to financial institutions as a guarantor to replace the seller, if the target company’s borrowings are secured by substantial guarantees. It is common for the buyer to provide an undertaking in the sale …
Exclusivity period
Parties in M&A transactions may sometimes enter into heads of agreement to set out the key terms and conditions on how they intend the transactions to proceed, prior to the negotiation and execution of sale and purchase agreements. The buyer should request the heads of agreement to include an exclusivity …
It is not just about the money
The consideration for any sale and purchase of shares or business is likely to be one of the most important matters to be agreed between the seller and buyer. However, it should not be-all and end-all. The seller and buyer may need to do certain acts or obtain third parties’ …
Shares sale and purchase: What to do with guarantee?
In a sale and purchase of shares, the buyer will typically require any guarantee given by the target company for the benefit of any company in the seller’s group to be released. If the guarantee has been given for the benefit of a company which will not be wholly owned …
M&A: Seller’s representations and warranties
Some factors to consider when drafting seller’s representations and warranties for a M&A transaction in a sale and purchase agreement: whether the target company is in a heavily regulated sector such as insurance and financial services the value or consideration for the transaction whether the seller has made any representations …
M&A: Categorising vendor’s representations and warranties
One of the most negotiated points in a M&A transaction is the buyer’s remedies for breaches of vendor’s representations and warranties (“Vendor’s WarrantiesV”) in a sale and purchase agreement (“SPA”). The various representations and warranties given by the vendor, if breached, may affect the transaction in varying degree. It may …
M&A: More than just business
The days leading up to the signing of an M&A SPA are usually intense, with negotiations and amendments at the eleventh hour. Working around the clock is almost a given. Even when a vendor and purchaser think they have reached an understanding, it may not be the same understanding. Our …
M&A: Retention of Key Personnel
A buyer who acquires a company may want to ensure that the key personnel of the company will continue to provide their expertise to the company post-acquisition. Typically, the sale and purchase agreement (“SPA”) would provide for the vendor to deliver the duly executed employment or service contract between the …
Seller’s Representations and Warranties in M&A: Three Things to Avoid
1. Representations and warranties about the future. The seller should avoid providing representations and warranties in respect of future events due to uncertainty about the future. Further, after the seller disposes of the seller’s shares, the seller may no longer be in control of the target company and hence, not …