Highlights
1. Typical Course for an M&A Transaction in Germany (Overview)
2. Letter of Intent
• Overview
• Main Content
• Legal Aspects
3. Confidentiality Agreement
• Overview
• Parties‘ Interests
4. Due Diligence
• Overview
• Vendor DD
• Course of the DD
• Data Room
• Legal Due Diligence Matters
Also, known as Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
• No legally defined wording in Germany
• Agreement between vendor and the potential purchaser (several Lois for one transaction are possible, e.g. in the event of several bidders)
• Based on the intention to purchase the target under certain conditions, contains several binding and non-binding commitments such as the further proceeding, the period of the transaction, and the burden of costs for each party
• Helps to prevent misunderstandings.
Summary of the actual status of the transaction (target, deal structure, assumptions, etc.)
• Reservations, Conditions, Dealbreaker (e.g. right for each party to terminate negotiations, etc.)
• Negative conditions; if they occur, the parties are explicitly not entitled to terminate negotiations
• Explicit note about the non-binding character of the LoI (parties intend not to be bound to enter into a SPA)
transaction structure
• Can be part of the Los.
• Often signed before the first negotiation
• Civil / Case law may stipulate non-disclosure rules
• Due to an uncertain scope of these rules, the parties may always enter into a CA
• CA determines what is confidential information and the extent of its use
• Agreed non-disclosure obligations normally cover the interests of both parties.
• Common practice for a purchaser to carry out a due diligence investigation of the target company before acquiring it
• The investigation shall give the purchaser an understanding of the commercial, financial and legal aspects of the target company → Legal DD, Tax DD, Financial DD, Compliance DD
• Possibility for the purchaser to evaluate incentives and risks in acquiring the target company
• Evaluated risks will be taken into account in the SPA (necessity of W&I insurance, warranties, purchase price, etc.)
Vendor Due Diligence
• Optional
• Instead of or before Buyer DD
• Increasing practice
• Advantages, especially for the vendor
• Vendor is in control of information flow and access to business
• Less risk of surprises in DD process, upcoming issues can be fixed beforehand (value increases)
• Streamlined and more consistent process (all potential partners, strategic and financial, can be put on a similar timetable).
The DD Request List should obtain the following matters:
• Legal Organization
• Acquisition agreements (M&A history)
• Restructuring Measures / Insolvency proceedings
• Assets
• Real Estate
• Financial (statements, accounts, etc.)
• (Group) Company Agreements (PLTA, cash pooling)
• Tax
• Commercial Agreements
• Employee Matters
• Intellectual Property Rights (IP)
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