Mergers & Acquisitions

Learn about the overall M&A deal process, from setting up the deal team to the post-closing.

What is M&A practice? What do deal lawyers do? This course will help you understand this practice area, whether you want to be an M&A lawyer or not.

Understanding deal structures is critical for anyone involved with M&A deals. This course explains the three main deal types: asset acquisitions, stock acquisitions and mergers.

The basics of due diligence and closings in M&A deals. Includes an overview of the diligence process, tips for conducting due diligence, the closing process, the differences between simultaneous and delayed closings, and guidance on drafting key closing documents.

Explains the main documents and key provisions in M&A deals, and provides an overview of the M&A deal process from start to finish. This track also explains the structures of M&A deals including asset and stock sales, direct mergers, and forward and reverse triangular mergers.

Acquisition agreements used in M&A deals have a lot in common, but there are also important differences. This course covers the main provisions to help give a general understanding of them all.

An overview of rep & warranty insurance, including how it works and why it has become a key component of many M&A deals. Explains the terminology used in rep & warranty insurance, as well as RWI’s impact on a purchase agreement, negotiations, and due diligence.

A primer on the due diligence process in M&A deals, including what due diligence is, its impact on a deal and tips for conducting a diligence review.

Valuation is one of the most fundamental concepts in corporate finance. This course describes the different measures of a company’s value, and the various techniques used to value businesses and their assets.

A look at term sheets, including reasons why they are and aren’t used in M&A deals and some style and drafting tips.

A discussion of the different types of debt financing used in private equity, including senior debt, subordinated debt, and high-yield debt.

The key financial concepts in M&A practice, including valuations, the main financial provisions in M&A agreements and general tax and accounting issues.

This course explains the closing process from start to finish, covering things such as the closing checklist, typical closing documents and post-closings.

A good closing checklist can help any deal run more efficiently. This course suggests five things to keep in mind when working on a closing checklist as well as some drafting tips.

An overview of disclosure schedules, including their typical contents and what buyers and sellers think about when reviewing and drafting them.

An introduction to reps and warranties and why they’re important in an M&A deal. Covers buyer and seller reps, qualifiers, the connection between reps and disclosure schedules, and how breaches of reps impact other provisions in the purchase agreement.

Some basic drafting tips to help ensure better first drafts, covering topics such as defined terms, widow and orphan control, and working with precedents.

An explanation of assignment and change of control clauses, including why they’re needed, their impact on a deal and how to locate them during a diligence review.

A framework for understanding your private equity client’s business in order to help protect their interests. This course discusses what PE clients are concerned with during three stages of an investment—the acquisition phase, the holding period, and the divestment phase. It looks at valuing a target, maximizing returns, operational improvements, and exit strategies.

Sellers in private deals often try to limit their liability with limits and thresholds called caps and baskets. This video describes what they are and how they work.

An introduction to due diligence request lists, including their typical structure and contents and the roles of buyer’s and seller’s counsel.

Knowing how to create a good working group list is important for any junior lawyer. This course shares best practices and drafting tips.

A walkthrough of an equity commitment letter, as well as an examination of their role in securing financing commitments and their specific implications in private equity mergers and acquisitions.

Direct mergers are the simplest type of merger structure. Here’s how they work and why they’re used.

Reverse triangular mergers aren’t as complicated as they sound. This video explains what they are and why parties use them.

A brief introduction to forward triangular mergers.

A summary of what’s typically included in an Officer’s Certificate, some drafting tips and a discussion of the issues of materiality qualifiers and dates.

An overview of how these short agreements are used in M&A deals.

Secretary’s Certificates may be basic, but they are important closing documents. This course covers their contents and how to draft them.

An explanation of earn-out provisions and why they’re used in M&A deals.

An explanation of the basic differences between simultaneous and delayed closings.

An introduction to damages scrapes, breach scrapes, and double materiality scrapes. Features interviews with ABA M&A Committee members Rita-Anne O’Neill from Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and Craig Menden from Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.

An explanation of how PE funds work by exploring the roles of the key participants in a limited partnership, including the general partner, limited partners, deal professionals, portfolio companies, and holding companies.

An introduction to disclosure schedules updates provisions, including why parties include a right or obligation to update disclosure schedules, the scope of permitted updates, and the updates effect on other rights and obligations of the parties under the acquisition agreement. Features interviews with ABA M&A Committee members John F. Clifford from McMillan LLP and Ann Beth Stebbins from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

An introduction to fraud carve-outs and the issues parties consider when defining fraud, such as who’s liable, whose knowledge matters, what types of fraud claims can be brought, and what statements can form the basis for a fraud claim. Features interviews with ABA M&A Committee members Glenn West from Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and Tali Sealman from White & Case LLP.

An explanation of sandbagging in private M&A deals, including a discussion on pro and anti-sandbagging provisions and how different courts and jurisdictions handle the issue. Features interviews with ABA M&A Committee members Nate Cartmell from Pillsbury LLP and Lisa Hedrick from Hirschler Fleischer PC.

An overview of the main types of PE deals an M&A associate would encounter, including buyouts (with a focus on leveraged buyouts), carveouts, and minority investments. This course also discusses rollover equity, buy-and-build, co-investments, and growth equity.

A discussion of the perspectives and negotiating positions of buyers and sellers regarding materiality scrapes in acquisition agreements. Features ABA M&A Committee members Rita-Anne O’Neill from Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and Craig Menden from Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.

A discussion on protective provisions in public M&A agreements, with a close look at the No-Shop provision and its main exceptions, Window-Shops and Go-Shops. Features interviews with ABA M&A Committee member Jenny Hochenberg from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Igor Kirman from Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.

An explanation of how loss is defined in acquisition agreements, including the types of losses typically included (and excluded) from the definition. Features interviews with ABA M&A Committee members Leigh Walton from Bass, Berry & Sims and Scott Whittaker from Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann.

A look at different approaches to drafting a fraud carve-out in an acquisition agreement. Includes drafting tips and perspectives from ABA M&A Committee members Tali Sealman from White & Case LLP and Glenn West from Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.

The key differences between private equity M&A and strategic M&A, including investment goals, sources of funding, deal complexity, management retention, and break-up fees.

An explanation of the claims “if true” concept in private M&A deals, including an analysis of the implications to the parties if an acquisition agreement does or does not contain this concept. Features interviews with ABA M&A Committee members Joanna Lin from McDermott Will & Emery LLP and Jessica Pearlman from K&L Gates.

A look at typical materiality scrape provisions, featuring drafting tips and perspectives from ABA M&A Committee members Rita-Anne O’Neill from Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and Craig Menden from Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.

A discussion on buyer and seller perspectives regarding the issue of sandbagging. Features ABA M&A Committee members Nate Cartmell from Pillsbury LLP and Lisa Hedrick from Hirschler Fleischer PC.

A look at how loss is defined in acquisition agreements, including a discussion of buyer and seller perspectives and negotiating positions. Features insights from ABA M&A Committee members Leigh Walton from Bass, Berry & Sims and Scott Whittaker from Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann.

Management incentives used in private equity mergers and acquisitions, covering both equity and non-equity incentives, and looking at how the various incentives motivate key personnel in portfolio companies after the acquisition. The course discusses incentive units, RSUs, rollover equity, deferred compensation, SARs, phantom units, and change of control bonuses.

A look at typical sandbagging provisions, including pro-sandbagging and anti-sandbagging provisions. Also includes drafting tips and perspectives from ABA M&A Committee members Nate Cartmell from Pillsbury LLP and Lisa Hedrick from Hirschler Fleischer PC.

ABA M&A Committee members Rita-Anne O’Neill from Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and Craig Menden from Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP discuss market trends for materiality scrapes, drawing on data from the ABA M&A Committee's Private Target M&A Deal Points Study.

ABA M&A Committee members Leigh Walton from Bass, Berry & Sims and Scott Whittaker from Stone Pigman discuss market trends in how loss is defined in private M&A deals, drawing on data from the ABA M&A Committee's Private Target M&A Deal Points Study.

ABA M&A Committee members Glenn West from Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP and Tali Sealman from White & Case LLP discuss market trends for fraud carve-outs, drawing on data from the ABA M&A Committee's Private Target Deal Points Study.

A look at buyer and seller perspectives regarding claims “if true” language in acquisition agreements. Features interviews with ABA M&A Committee members Jessica Pearlman from K&L Gates and Joanna Lin from McDermott Will & Emery LLP.

A look at how and where claims “if true” language appears in acquisition agreements, including sample provisions. Features drafting tips and perspectives from ABA M&A Committee members Joanna Lin from McDermott Will & Emery LLP and Jessica Pearlman from K&L Gates.

A look at two disclosure schedules updates provisions. Also includes drafting tips and perspectives from ABA M&A Committee members John F. Clifford from McMillan LLP and Ann Beth Stebbins from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

A look at when a target board can change its recommendation for a superior proposal or an intervening event. Also includes a discussion of matching rights. Features interviews with ABA M&A Committee member Jenny Hochenberg from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Igor Kirman from Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.

Covering termination of a deal for a superior proposal, break-up fees, and a look at what it means to “force the vote.” Features interviews with ABA M&A Committee member Jenny Hochenberg from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Igor Kirman from Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.

ABA M&A Committee members John F. Clifford from McMillan LLP and Ann Beth Stebbins from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates discuss market trends for disclosure schedules updates provisions, drawing on data from the ABA M&A Committee's Private Target Deal Points Study.

ABA M&A Committee members Jessica Pearlman from K&L Gates and Joanna Lin from McDermott Will & Emery discuss market trends for the claims “if true” concept in private M&A deals, drawing on data from the ABA M&A Committee's Private Target M&A Deal Points Study.

ABA M&A Committee members Lisa Hedrick from Hirschler Fleischer PC and Nate Cartmell from Pillsbury LLP discuss market trends for sandbagging provisions, drawing on data from the ABA’s Private Target M&A Deal Points Study. Lisa and Nate talk about why so many deals are silent on sandbagging, the risk of being silent, and where they think the trend is heading.

The basics of M&A for junior associates. Covers deal structures, due diligence, and closings for M&A deals, and provides an overview of key financial concepts related to M&A.

The basics of M&A and securities offerings. Introduces associates to deal structures, diligence, closings, registered and unregistered offerings, finance concepts, and other important aspects of corporate practice.

Introduces summer associates to corporate practice, with a focus on M&A, securities, and commercial lending work.

An introduction to various aspects of two advanced M&A concepts found in acquisition agreements – disclosure-schedule-updates provisions and the concept of defining “Fraud” in fraud carve-outs. This track covers drafting and negotiating tips, buyer and seller perspectives, and market trends information from the ABA M&A Committee’s 2022-23 Private Target Deal Points Study.

This program teaches lawyers about various aspects of two advanced M&A concepts found in acquisition agreements – materiality scrapes and sandbagging. It covers drafting and negotiating tips, buyer and seller perspectives, and market trend information from the ABA M&A Committee’s 2022-23 Private Target Deal Points Study.

This program teaches lawyers about various aspects of two advanced M&A concepts found in acquisition agreements – Claims ‘If True’ provisions and the concept of indemnifiable losses (with a focus on the definition of “Loss”). It covers drafting and negotiating tips, buyer and seller perspectives, and market trends information for both provisions based on the ABA M&A Committee’s 2022-23 Private Target Deal Points Study.