Mergers and acquisitions advice

As your company grows, it will encounter M&A situations, either initiated internally or coming from third parties. M&A activity can be a way to accelerate company growth or bring about the profitable exit that you have been planning for. 

Transactions
There are several transaction types you may meet, each with its own special features, including the following:

• You may acquire an interest in another company, which can be for a minority, majority or 100% of the equity. You may or may not have a mechanism for acquiring any equity remaining. The existing management may stay on for a definite or indefinite period, or may leave immediately. It's vital (and difficult) to get these arrangements right so that the acquisition works properly and integrates with your business.
• You may consider a joint venture or partnership with another company to exploit a business or geographical area. Joint ventures need very careful negotiation and structuring so that the parties clearly know their respective contributions and contractual arrangements, and the inevitable conflicts of interest are dealt with properly.
• The end game for many entrepreneurs is acquisition by a larger player in their industry. Trade sales need thoughtful pre-planning and efficient execution. For instance, if you want to cash out and start another enterprise, then you need to provide for your replacement in the business being sold. It can take a considerable time to source and groom new management. You may be able to find an acquirer with its own management ready to go, or with an easy fit into an existing division, and this can speed your exit.

Making the deals work
To make all these transactions work as desired requires an ability to see the position from each party's point of view, and an appreciation of the motivations of each key individual in the process and how they are likely to behave when operating under different variations of the proposed deal. Getting the deal right involves fine tuning it so that all the players are motivated to pull in the same direction - and this direction delivers the outcomes sought by all parties.

I have long experience of all these situations and I can help you achieve your M&A objectives.