Keith Gottfried served as a panelist for this webinar hosted by Strafford. Due diligence is critically important for any merger or acquisition decision, and in the current economy, M&A transactions have been particularly challenging. Boards of directors and other decisionmakers expect the due diligence process to continue until the deal closes.
Companies and counsel must closely examine the risks and liabilities of the target to determine whether it is prudent to move forward with a deal. Due diligence preparation and implementation provides decisionmakers with information necessary to weigh the relevant factors.
Integration of the newly combined company is key to realizing the value of the merger or acquisition. The company must develop a plan to establish a standard set of processes. The faster the companies can integrate their functions, the greater the benefit of the merger. During this session, the panel discussed the following topics:
- What constitutes reasonable due diligence in mergers and acquisitions?
- When conducting due diligence, what attributes influence the types of searches conducted?
- What are the key planning steps to ensure smooth integration?
January 26, 2010