Keen Advice for Mergers and Acquisitions

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Expanding through merger and acquisition (M&A)

You may be interested in expanding through a merger or an acquisition. Beyond researching and identifying potential acquisition targets, you will need to approach candidates and then manage the process forward.

At the latter stages of the project, it will benefit you to have a corporate finance advisor who has fixed his costs, does not benefit if the process drags and is motivated by a success fee to coordinate the work of others on the transaction and drive the project forward to completion.

M&A expert: been there, done that?

You may be an MD or FD who has been through M&A before, knows how much work is involved, understands what someone like me could do, and understands enough about the process to realise that you probably don't want to do all of that work yourself - you appreciate that you've got a business to run.

M&A support: no more head office headaches

You may have a head office or shareholder who wants to see things done properly. You will obtain specialist tax planning advice around the transaction. You won't take any short cuts on the legal work involved. You will have a team of accountants come in and conduct full due diligence on the acquisition target. You will have other serious firms involved but you know enough to realise that their corporate finance teams are targeting larger projects and larger fees.

The project management piece of the transaction is unlikely to attract much of the attention of your regular advisers. Still, you might like some help with activities such as preparing regular information updates for your board, providing analytical support for valuation or running an acquisition through your corporate valuation model.

Merger & acquisition novice?

You may be an MD or FD who hasn't been through M&A before and would appreciate some assistance from someone who can guide you through the process, enhancing your credibility with potential targets, helping you make progress quickly and protecting your confidentiality in the event there is no interest on the potential acquirer's part.

Mark Robson of Keen Advice is a corporate finance advisor specialising in buying and selling businesses, mergers and acquisitions.