SEC accuses Target’s CEO and CTO of lying to the buyer about owning a game changing product and overstating the target backlog and pipeline. M&A Stories Taking the high road in M&A negotiations is good business: “It’s a rough road…
Blog Archives
Judgment Against Buyer CEO for Lying to Target Is Nondischargeable in Bankruptcy
Target principals’ judgement against Buyer CEO for fraudulently promising them buyer stock and royalties generated from post-merger sale of target products not dischargeable in Buyer CEO’s personal bankruptcy. M&A Stories Taking the high road in M&A negotiations is good business:…
Posted in judgement for intentional misrepresentation, nondischargeable debt in bankruptcy Tagged with: M&A stories, M&A tips
Shareholder Can’t Challenge Board Merger Approval Because No Change of Control
A shareholder could not sue his directors for accepting a merger proposal for a claimed lower price than offered by another suitor because each target shareholder was to exchange each target share of stock for 1/3rd cash and the other…
Target Shareholders Can’t Compel Target Law Firm to Disclose Merger File
Court says that the target law firm represented the target not the target shareholders in the merger, and the buyer acquired the target law firm files in the merger. M&A Stories January 8, 2021 Introduction The shareholders of an acquired…
Buyer Waived Privileged Communications Shared with Target During Due Diligence
Court holds that buyer waived its lawyers’ privileged communication when shared during due diligence with the target. The buyer was trying to determine whether the proposed merger would trigger the target’s distribution agreement change of ownership provision and whether the…
Seller’s CEO Can be Sued for Not Disclosing Buyer’s Unaudited Financials in Proxy
M&A Stories December 24, 2020 Introduction An officer owes a duty of care to his or her shareholders. This fiduciary duty of an officer is especially important when the directors have asked the shareholders to approve a proposed merger. The…
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…
Business Seller’s Post Closing Payments in Jeopardy by Covid and Buyer Owner’s Prison Sentence
M&A Stories December 10, 2020 Introduction Sometimes a business owner gets an offer for his or her business that is higher than expected. The catch is that a significant part of the price is payable after the closing. But the…
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
Business Buyer’s Owner Loses Trademark to Competitor and Ends Up in Bankruptcy
M&A Stories December 08, 2020 Introduction You have to kick the tires of a business you want to buy. That includes asking whether the target’s tradename infringes upon a competitor’s tradename. The deal This deal involved the sale of the…
Posted in copyrights, due diligence, patents, trademark infringement, trademarks Tagged with: M&A stories, M&A tips
Recent Posts
- SEC Sues Target Officers for Fraud, Seeking Millions of Dollars in Damages
- Judgment Against Buyer CEO for Lying to Target Is Nondischargeable in Bankruptcy
- Shareholder Can’t Challenge Board Merger Approval Because No Change of Control
- Target Shareholders Can’t Compel Target Law Firm to Disclose Merger File
- Buyer Waived Privileged Communications Shared with Target During Due Diligence
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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
- anti-destruction clause
- anti-reliance clause
- approval of franchisor
- approval of investment banking fee
- 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
- bitcoin
- blockchain
- boilerplate provisions
- book value adjustment
- books and records rep and warranty
- boot
- boot
- bootstrapping doctrine
- breach of contract
- breach of contract
- breach of representations and warranties
- breach of seller's covenants
- business cards
- business judgment rule
- buyer assumption of seller's contracts
- Buyer beware
- buyer connected to seller insiders
- Buyer payment of seller retained liabilities
- buyer's assumption of seller liabilities in asset acquisition
- 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
- closing
- 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
- 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
- deferred closing
- Delaware
- denial of consent must be reasonable
- dental practice sale
- Description of business assets purchased
- determination of purchase price adjustment
- diminuation of value
- direct
- 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 negotiate in good faith
- duty to warn
- earn out
- earn out dispute procedure
- earn outs
- 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
- escrow
- excluded liabilities
- excluded or retained liabilites
- exclusive remedy
- exclusivity provision
- 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 in business sale
- fraud in the inducement exception
- fraudulent concealment
- fraudulent inducement
- fraudulent intent
- fraudulent omission
- 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 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/sale of subsidiary
- noncompete area
- noncompetition covenant term
- nondischargeable debt in bankruptcy
- nondisclosure agreement
- nondisclosure provision
- nonqualified preferred stock
- nonsolicitation of employees and 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
- 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 sales tax
- PPP loan
- PPP loan assumption
- pre-closing management agreement
- 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
- 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 risk
- SBA approval re PPP loan
- Section 1377 election
- Section 363 sale
- securing buyer's note
- securing deferred purchase price
- security agreement
- seller carried purchase price
- 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 release
- sharing transaction tax deduction benefits
- sick time
- specific performance
- 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
- survival of covenants
- survival of reps and warranties
- target's stock options
- 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
- 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 removal to federal court
- waiver provision
- willful breach carveout
- Withholding Post-closing payments
- working capital adjustment
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