Explore the case of a Texas-based seller’s earnout dispute and the consequences of failing to verify earnout calculations. Learn valuable lessons for business sellers in M&A deals September 3, 2019 M&A Stories Introduction: When buying or selling a business, disagreements…
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Earnout Dispute: Lessons for Business Sellers
Posted in earn out, earn out dispute procedure, economic loss doctrine, fraud in business sale, fraud in the inducement exception Tagged with: business seller lessons, Delaware Federal District Court, dispute resolution, Earnout Calculation, earnout statements, economic loss doctrine, environmental management services, fraud claims, M&A earnout dispute, Richie v. Hillstone Environmental Partners, Texas seller
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- determination of purchase price adjustment
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- earnout
- earnout as ownership interest in buyer
- EBITDA
- EBITDA
- economic loss doctrine
- employment agreement
- employment agreement
- enforce against nonparty
- enforceability of non-owner noncompete
- entire fairness
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- executory contracts
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- fair insider deal
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- fee based upon buyer debt assumption
- financial representation and warranty
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- financing contingency
- for cause termination
- force majeure
- foreign income tax
- form over substance
- forum non conveniens doctrine
- forum selection clause
- franchise sale
- fraud
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- fraudulent concealment
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- full disclosure rep
- full disclosure rep
- further assurance provision
- further assurance provision
- governmental approval
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- Guaranty
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- handshake redemption obligation
- hinder, delay or defraud
- hiring seller's employees
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- modification as counteroffer
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- mutual mistake
- mutual mistake
- negligent misrepresentation
- net working capital adjustment
- New York
- no kickback or bribe rep
- no oral modifications of contract
- no pending government investigations or inquiries
- no solicitation of seller employees
- No Undisclosed Liabilities
- non-reliance clause
- nonbinding
- nonbusiness income
- nonbusiness income/sale of subsidiary
- noncompete area
- noncompetition covenant term
- nondischargeable debt in bankruptcy
- nondisclosure agreement
- nondisclosure provision
- nonqualified preferred stock
- nonsolicitation of employees and customers
- nonsolicitation of former customers
- note payment amount adjustment
- notice
- notice provision
- officer duty of care
- officer or director's fiduciary duty to disclose
- offset or setoff provision
- offset right
- One class of stock
- oral contract
- oral copyright agreement
- overly complicated language in contract
- owner liability for company breach of financing deal
- Ownership of Target Law Firm File
- parol evidence rule
- patents
- payroll tax
- percentage of purchase price
- permits and certificates
- personal goodwill
- personal guaranty
- personal guaranty of company debt by selling shareholder
- personal guaranty of lease
- Personal Name
- photo or image
- piercing veil of acquisition subsidiary
- post asset purchase issues
- post closing covenants
- post signing asset valuation
- post-closing adjustments for pre-closing sales and services
- post-closing sales tax
- PPP loan
- PPP loan assumption
- pre-closing management agreement
- pre-closing operating arrangement
- pre-closing sales tax
- preservation of due diligence materials
- prior-material-breach doctrine
- private equity
- Problem with distributors
- Problem with Investment Banker/Broker/Finder Fee
- problem with mandatory arbitration clause
- Problem with products
- problem with prorations
- problem with purchase price adjustment
- problem with seller co-owners
- problem with seller contract
- Problem with seller lessor or landlord
- Problem with seller owner's competition
- problem with seller's owner
- Problem with Union Pensions
- Problem with Vendors and Suppliers
- Problems when business fails after closing
- Problems with Bankruptcy Auction Sales
- Problems with business records
- Problems with Competitors
- problems with condition of assets
- problems with creditors of distressed business
- problems with customers
- Problems with Deferred Purchase Price
- Problems with Deposits
- Problems with Description of Assets
- Problems with description of purchase price
- Problems with distressed business seller unexpired tenant leases
- problems with divestitures
- Problems with due diligence
- problems with earnouts
- problems with employees
- Problems with financials
- problems with financing transaction
- problems with forum selection clauses
- Problems with franchise deals
- problems with general liability insurance
- Problems with governments
- problems with insurance
- Problems with intellectual property
- problems with leases
- problems with pensions
- problems with post-closing litigation in inconvenient form
- Problems with post-closing management of business
- problems with receivables
- Problems with sale of auto dealerships
- problems with seller's employees
- problems with seller's lender
- Problems with seller's pre-closing errors & omissions
- Problems with seller's projections
- problems with seller's real property
- problems with subordination rights
- problems with successor liability
- problems with taxes
- product line exception
- projections
- projections
- promissory estoppel
- promissory note
- prudence
- public information exclusion
- punitive damages
- purchase agreement
- purchase price
- purchase price adjustment
- purchase price reduction
- quality of earnings assessment
- ratifying unassumed contract by post-closing action
- reasonably equivalent value
- receipt of buyer equity or security
- receipt of buyer equity or security
- receivables
- recoupment doctrine
- reformation
- reformation of contract
- reliance
- remote use of trademark out of territory
- representation and warranty about customers
- representations and warranties
- rescission
- rescission
- retaliation
- retention bonus
- revenue and profit projections
- reverse termination or breakup fee
- Revlon doctrine
- Right of publicity
- risk of post closing payments
- royalty
- S corporation
- sale leaseback
- sale of assets of business
- sale of business to ESOP
- sale of product line
- sales order
- sales tax
- sales tax imposed on equity sale of DRE
- sales tax risk
- SBA approval re PPP loan
- scienter
- Section 1377 election
- Section 363 sale
- securing buyer's note
- securing deferred purchase price
- security agreement
- seller carried purchase price
- seller knowledge
- seller owner responsibility for underreported sales tax
- seller owners equity interest in buyer
- seller ownership in buyer
- seller rep of no federal employer liability
- seller's age discrimination claims
- seller's covenants
- seller's federal injunctions
- seller's unemployment experience rating
- seller's warranty claims
- seller's workers compensation experience rating
- Selling shareholders problem with their board of directors
- severance benefits
- sexual harassment
- shareholder approval of deal
- shareholder buyout of partner
- shareholder personal guaranty of target lease
- shareholder release
- sharing transaction tax deduction benefits
- sick time
- signing LOI with revisions by signer
- specific performance
- state and local tax
- state approval of nonprofit hospital
- state franchise/income tax
- statute of frauds
- statute of limitations
- stay bonus
- step-down provision
- stock purchase agreement
- stock sale
- strategic acquisition
- strategic acquisition
- structure of transaction
- subordination
- substance over form
- substantially all assets
- success fee
- successor liability
- sufficiency of assets rep
- supply problems
- survival of covenants
- survival of reps and warranties
- tangible net worth
- target's stock options
- tax
- tax benefit sharing
- tax deferred reorganization
- tax penalties and additions
- Taxation
- termination of M&A agreement
- termination or breakup fee
- third party
- third party beneficiary clause
- time of the essence
- timely objection to indemnification claim
- tolling
- tolling
- tort misrepresentation in M&A
- tortious interference with prospective economic advantage
- trade secret misappropriation
- trade secret misappropriation by former seller employee
- trademark infringement
- trademarks
- transferee liability for taxes IRC Section 6901
- TRO/preliminary injunction before filing for arbitration
- tying fraud to economic loss
- typo or scriverner's error
- UCC search
- Uncategorized
- Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or Uniform Voidable Transfer Act
- union fringe benefits
- union liabilities
- unitary business
- unjust enrichment
- unliquidated or disputed claim
- unwanted assets
- vacation time
- valuation
- value added tax or VAT
- waiver of contractual provision
- waiver of jury trial
- waiver of removal to federal court
- waiver provision
- willful breach carveout
- willing buyer or procuring cause
- Withholding Post-closing payments
- working capital adjustment
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