As an adviser, we lead due diligence exercises, generating insights that focus on the key value assets that a transaction can bring, plus the key liabilities that can destroy that value.
As a solution provider, we deploy AI technology to our specialist legal team, and to members of your multi-disciplinary due diligence team in order to enhance the review of data, shorten review time and reduce cost of specialists’ time. This integrates the due diligence activities of the various due diligence teams including finance, commercial, human resources and legal.
Thus the need to have a clear focus on the key value drivers is vital to success.
We bring that strategic focus to the due diligence exercise, to:
These objectives are dependant on gaining information superiority and applying this to gain negotiation advantage.
The purchaser needs to understand the Target’s affairs better than the vendor does itself
To achieve information superiority, the purchaser has to:-
Use your superior knowledge for negotiation advantage
Access to data is limited, responses to questions are limited. Warranties are restricted.
As senior lawyers, we negotiate the due diligence process from the beginning, with the intention to broaden access to quality data and agree the parameters of what data will be warranted.
We provide specific recommendations to the commercial/ legal negotiation team. This includes recommended warranties and representations/ indemnities in the sale documentation; disclosure letter content, agreed data room disclosure.
As a solution provider, we integrate our legal due diligence with the financial, commercial and operational due diligence exercises to ensure that risks are covered and duplication is minimised.
These improvements in the due diligence process result in bottom line benefits. For instance, in a UK transaction involving a purchase price of £50 million, our due diligence resulted in a reduction of £4 million from the purchase price.
However, purchasers and vendors persistently fail to identify the problem of managing the mass of disclosed documents
Where applicable, we use the latest AI technology to search and review documents, as well as marking them electronically for your review.
Having greater command of the data gives the purchaser negotiation advantage
This provides you with the assurance that the highest standards of due diligence are being followed by your due diligence teams, whatever country you are investing in.
Through improved efficiencies and reduced duplication of effort, cost savings are achieved.