Nuts and Bolts of M&A Acquisition Agreements: Identifying Transaction Structuring Considerations, Understanding Key Concepts and Provisions, and Avoiding Common Drafting Errors

This course is designed to explain the basics of an M&A transaction, including the key considerations in determining a legal transaction structure (e.g., merger, stock sale, or asset sale), differences between public and private M&A transactions, and differing objectives of buyers and sellers, as well as an overview of the organization and key provisions of an acquisition agreement. You will also gain an understanding of commonly negotiated terms and potentially problematic issues, and some drafting tips to best avoid those issues.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review the key terms of standard M&A acquisition agreements and how they interact with each other
2. Identify the most important considerations in selecting the legal structure for a particular transaction
3. Discuss differing objectives and incentives of buyers and sellers in an acquisition
4. Analyze key differences between public and private acquisitions
5. Examine certain common drafting errors to avoid common pitfalls