Effective communications in turbulent times

In these turbulent times, it’s hard to escape the “info-load”. We are inundated daily with an ever-increasing volume of communications, from daily government briefings to special press conferences to hour by hour feeds on our social media platforms, all competing for that all important share of our time and attention. While we can agree that…

Acquiring distressed assets – 5 top tips for buyers

As competition for attractive assets becomes ever more intense, a wider range of investors are looking for businesses that are “distressed”. This normally means the asset is priced at below market value, often because the owner of the asset is having difficulty dealing with its liabilities, needs to raise cash or strategically wants to eliminate…

10 tips for structuring earn-outs

This month we focus on earn-outs, which are a hot topic in the current M&A market as a useful tool to bridge valuation gaps. Here are 10 tips for structuring earn-outs. DON’T… 1. Don’t overly restrict the business A seller will want to know that the company won’t change the way the business operates in…

10 tips for legal due diligence

DO… 1. Know you destination Make sure you have a clear idea of your objectives and that you resource your legal due diligence accordingly. Focus in particular on any arrangements or circumstances that appear non-standard, and ensure you have a thorough understanding of all areas that underpin the business’ value (e.g. key assets, key trading…

10 point health check for MBOs

This Insight focuses on key challenges that face management teams considering their first MBO and private equity buyers assessing a management team, and provides 10 suggestions to help the process run smoothly. In the last 12 months the return to a seller’s market has put pressure on private equity buyers to accelerate transaction and has…