Delaware Court denies seller’s motion to dismiss buyer’s claims that seller changed practice before closing by signing up customers with low FICO scores. M&A Stories April 13, 2021 Introduction A buyer uses past performance and future projections to help price a target business. The…
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Buyer Accuses Timeshare Business Seller of Signing Credit Risk Members Before Closing
Posted in exclusive remedy, fraud carveout, fraud in business sale, fraudulent inducement Tagged with: M&A stories, M&A tips
SEC Sues Target Officers for Fraud, Seeking Millions of Dollars in Damages
SEC accuses Target’s CEO and CTO of lying to the buyer about owning a game changing product and overstating the target backlog in pipeline. M&A Stories Taking the high road in M&A negotiations is good business: “It’s a rough road…
Buyer Can Sue Seller of Business in Delaware for Fraud in “As Is” Deal
M&A Stories December 15, 2020 Introduction A buyer of a business usually manages unknown M&A risks by requiring the seller to provide a comprehensive set of representatives and warranties about the business. But occasionally, the buyer agrees to an “as…
Buyer Can’t Sue Seller for Not Telling Buyer About Pending Loss of Major Customer
M&A Stories December 10, 2020 Introduction It is very important for a prospective buyer of a business to do smart due diligence to validate the purchase price. However, there is always a risk that the seller won’t tell you the…
Posted in contracts, due diligence, extra-contractual fraud, fraud in business sale, non-reliance clause Tagged with: M&A stories, M&A tips
No Buyer Management Fraud for Seller’s Inaccurate Projections
May 31, 2020 Introduction It is all too common for an acquired business to not perform as well as expected after the closing. But the fact that the target’s projections were inaccurate do not amount to a fraud claim. The…
Posted in constructive fraud, federal securities fraud, fraud in business sale Tagged with: M&A stories, M&A tips, should have known
Owner Loses $14.5 Million Fraud Claim Against Majority Shareholder in Stock Deal
May 22, 2020 Introduction This deal is a reminder that a seller of a business needs to read the transactional documents (with the help of a competent lawyer) before signing. In this case it cost the seller $14.5 million. The…
Posted in fraud in business sale, fraudulent inducement, shareholder release Tagged with: M&A stories, M&A tips, read before signing
Court Says Asset Business Buyer Can Sue the Seller’s owner for Fraud
January 20, 2020 Introduction “Things gained through unjust fraud are never secure.” Sophocles The deal The seller’s owner operated a business that helped clients obtain wholesale automobile dealership licenses for auto dealerships in Missouri through seller a limited liability company.…
Posted in fraud in business sale Tagged with: liability of owner of seller of a business, M&A stories, M&A tips
Court Greenlights Business Seller’s Fraud Lawsuit Over Earnout Dispute
Introduction Disappointing earnout deals are common. The deal This deal involved the stock acquisition of the target, a legal analytics company by a competitor. The price was $9 million cash plus a $3 million earnout potential. The earnout was based…
Trust but Verify-Business Seller Failed to Verify Accuracy of Earnout Statement
Introduction A buyer and seller of a business often use an earnout when they can’t agree upon a purchase price. In that case, the purchase agreement provides for a buyer calculation of the earnout amount, along with an earnout dispute…
Bootstrapping Doctrine No Bar to Business Buyer’s Fraud Claim
Introduction A buyer of a closely held business often has limited recourse against a seller if the deal turns out bad. Even if fraud is involved, the buyer must run the gauntlet of indemnification cap, survival period, exclusive remedy, non-reliance,…
Posted in bootstrapping doctrine, exclusive remedy, fraud carveout, fraud in business sale, non-reliance clause Tagged with: bootstrapping doctrine
Recent Posts
- Seller Subsidiary, not a Party to SPA, Bound by Its Delaware Forum Selection Clause
- Buyer Signed Letter of Intent but Had No Duty in Texas to Negotiate in Good Faith
- Product Line Exception Creates Additional Successor Liability Risk for Buyer of Business Assets
- Very Risky for Seller to Give Buyer Keys to Business Before Closing
- Business Buyer Recovers Damages for Seller Sufficiency of Assets Rep & Warranty Breach
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Categories
- "as is where is"
- 351 M&A transactions
- actual knowledge
- actual notice to known creditors
- agreement to agree is unenforceable
- all cash deal
- allocation of preclosing taxes refunds and credits
- allocation of sales tax from transaction
- alter ego
- alter ego
- alternative dispute resolution
- ambiguous exclusion
- amortization
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- approval of franchisor
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- arbitration
- arbitration vs expert determination
- asbestos claims
- asset buyer's assumption of seller's liabilities by contract
- asset purchase
- asset purchase agreement
- asset seller's liabilities
- asset vs stock deal
- Assignment
- assignment of contracts
- assumed liabilities
- assumption of a contract
- assumption of contract by incorporation by reference
- attorney client privilege
- Attorney's Fee Provision
- bad faith
- bankruptcy sale
- best efforts to secure financing
- bitcoin
- blockchain
- boilerplate provisions
- bona fide offer
- book value adjustment
- books and records rep and warranty
- boot
- boot
- bootstrapping doctrine
- breach of contract
- breach of contract
- breach of contract exclusion
- breach of representations and warranties
- breach of seller's covenants
- business cards
- business judgment rule
- buyer assumption of seller liability
- buyer assumption of seller's contracts
- Buyer beware
- buyer connected to seller insiders
- buyer has no regulatory problems
- Buyer payment of seller retained liabilities
- buyer representations and warranties
- buyer's assumption of seller liabilities in asset acquisition
- buyer's covenants
- buyer's stock as currency
- buying distribution business
- C Reorganization
- California
- capitalization of cash flow
- cash
- cash and cash equivalents
- CERCLA or superfund liability
- certificate of insurance
- certificate of need
- CGL Policy
- Change of Control
- choice of law provision
- choice of law provision
- claim against seller's liability insurance
- closing
- co-author
- commercially reasonable efforts
- common interest doctrine
- compliance with all applicable laws
- conditions to closing for buyer's benefit
- consent to assignment
- consent to assignment
- constructive fraud
- constructive knowledge
- constructive knowledge
- continuity of enterprise exception
- continuity of ownership
- contracts
- contravene strong state public policy
- controlling shareholder fiduciary duty M&A
- copyrights
- corporate overhead
- covenant not to compete
- Covenants
- customer and supplier rep
- customer deposits
- customer list
- customer list
- damages
- de facto merger exception
- death of seller's impact upon noncompetition payments
- deferred closing
- Delaware
- deliberate fraud carveout
- denial of consent must be reasonable
- dental practice sale
- Description of business assets purchased
- determination of purchase price adjustment
- diminuation of value
- direct
- director liability
- directors and officers insurance policy
- discharge in bankruptcy
- disclosure schedule
- discounted cash flow or DCF
- dispute resolution procedure
- dispute resolution provision
- distressed business acquisitions
- divestitures
- doing deal with company's officer or director
- due diligence
- Duty to Defend
- duty to defend
- Duty to negotiate in good faith
- duty to warn
- earn out
- earn out dispute procedure
- earn outs
- earnout
- earnout as ownership interest in buyer
- EBITDA
- EBITDA
- economic loss doctrine
- employment agreement
- employment agreement
- enforce against nonparty
- entire fairness
- environment representations and warranties
- environmental
- environmental remediation
- equitable contribution
- equitable estoppel
- escrow
- excluded liabilities
- excluded or retained liabilites
- exclusive remedy
- exclusivity provision
- excuse for untimely indemnification claim
- executory contracts
- extension by contract in Delaware
- extension of closing
- extra-contractual fraud
- F reorganization
- failure to make timely purchase price payment
- fair insider deal
- Family and Medical Leave Act
- FDIC approval
- federal employer liability
- federal employment discrimination liability
- federal multiemployer pension plan withdrawal liability
- federal securities fraud
- federal wage and hour violations
- fee based upon buyer debt assumption
- financial representation and warranty
- financing acquisition issues
- financing contingency
- for cause termination
- force majeure
- foreign income tax
- form over substance
- forum non conveniens doctrine
- forum selection clause
- franchise sale
- fraud
- fraud carveout
- fraud carveout
- fraud in business sale
- fraud in the inducement exception
- fraudulent concealment
- fraudulent inducement
- fraudulent intent
- fraudulent omission
- full disclosure
- full disclosure rep
- full disclosure rep
- further assurance provision
- further assurance provision
- governmental approval
- governmental approval of transaction
- Guaranty
- guaranty of related acquisition agreements
- handshake redemption obligation
- hinder, delay or defraud
- hiring seller's employees
- implied assumption of seller contract/liability
- implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing
- implied duty of good faith and fair dealing
- implied warranty of merchantability
- indemnification
- indemnification cap
- indemnification for pre-closing product loss
- independent trustee
- inequitable
- insider
- insurance broker duty
- insurance coverage
- insurance requirements
- integration clause
- Intellectual Property
- Internal Revenue Code Section 1377 election
- investment banker/business broker
- joint venture
- judgement for intentional misrepresentation
- key employees of target
- land use issues
- layoff notice law or Warn Act
- leases
- leases
- letter of intent
- liens
- liquidated damages provision
- loss payee
- lost profits
- M&A agreement
- MAE rep
- major shareholders exclusion
- material
- material contracts
- material rep and warranty breach
- Medi-Cal provider agreements
- membership interest purchase agreement
- mere continuation
- mere continuation exception
- merger
- merger agreement
- midco transaction
- minority business participation program
- misappropriation of likeness
- misleading personal financial statement
- missing attachment to acquisition document
- modification as counteroffer
- multi-employer pension plan
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- transitory services contracts
- 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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