Mergers and acquisitions

“I want to buy/sell a business”

Whether you are looking to buy or sell a company or other business, we can:

• help you to structure the transaction in the manner which is most tax-efficient and best meets your other commercial goals (whether a straight sale, management buy-out/buy-in, pre-pack (in an insolvency situation) etc)
• investigate the business or company you are looking to buy (or the company you are looking to sell in order to identify any potential problems in advance of the sale) and provide a full legal due diligence report for you or your bank
• prepare and negotiate all the documents you will need for the transaction such as:
• the heads of terms document (setting out the key terms of the deal)
• the share transfer agreement (or business transfer agreement on a business sale or purchase)
• disclosure letter, tax deed (on share sales) and other documents (eg, consultancy agreements, non-embarrassment provisions etc)
• advise on the wider implications of when, and how, to exit your company

Although we do not provide corporate tax advice (other than regarding stamp duty on share sales), we will liaise with your tax advisers/accountants as appropriate on the tax aspects of the transaction and the form of any tax warranties/indemnities etc. Inheritance tax issues are dealt with by our Solicitors for You Team.