M&A Blog and News

The Heart of the Deal
By Jim Jeffries, Chairman of the M&A Leadership Council
People. People. People. When you consider mergers, acquisitions, divestments or any other major business transaction, your first thought should be People. Make no mistake, people still matter in M&A and can make or break deal outcomes.
Prevent M&A Value Disintegration with Solid Integration
By Wes Beadle, Director of Program Management for NSTXL and Certified M&A Specialist
How do we get the most out of M&A deals and really create shareholder value? This is something that eludes most companies after they close a deal.
Plant-Based Cleaner Manufacturer In Growth Mode
Submitted by Chad Watt with Acuris, a partner of the M&A Leadership Council
Solugen, a Houston-based maker of plant-based peroxides, is looking for partnerships to expand the use of its chemicals with US oil producers and beyond, according to co-founder and chief technology officer Sean Hunt.
Introducing The Art of M&A, 5th Edition
By Jim Jeffries, Chairman of the M&A Leadership Council
We are a little more than a month away from the release of one of the most highly anticipated business books in a decade:The Art of M&A, Fifth Edition (McGraw Hill Education).
PE Deal Values Increase as Number of Deals Decreases
Submitted by Acuris, a partner of the M&A Leadership Council
Mergermarket, an Acuris company, has released its US PE Data Brief and Analysis for the first quarter of 2019 (1Q19). Take a look at the report HERE and don’t forget to review the charts breaking down the activity by sector, value, year-to-year analysis, etc.
A View from the Trenches
By Jack Prouty, President of the M&A Leadership Council
Successful mergers and acquisitions hinge on creating value and mitigating risk. Working in M&A over the last 30 years has taught me the high value of being paranoid. Many challenges will crop up throughout any deal: from diligence, to integration pre-close planning and post-close transition management. M&A deals are challenging and complex: it is not business as usual. You need to expect and be prepared to deal with issues throughout the deal. Anyone expecting everything to operate smoothly and just as planned will have a disappointing and short career.
A Smooth Integration Begins with Thorough Due Diligence
By Jim Jeffries, Chairman of the M&A Leadership Council
While thorough due diligence cannot guarantee a successful deal, it is the primary protection an acquirer has against buying a time-bomb. In addition to being the best defense against litigation, in nearly one out of three cases, it will turn up deal breakers. In others, it at least allows the acquirer to take mitigating actions. And when the deal goes forward, proper due diligence provides the basis for integration planning and activities.
The Two Most Important Words in Due Diligence: “So what?”
By Jack Prouty, President of the M&A Leadership Council
Too often, the focus in due diligence is on collecting data rather than analyzing the business. It is equally important to evaluate how well the businesses align; the value the acquisition bring to the acquirer and vice-versa; how the business is organized and how well it operates; analysis of their financials; potential synergies; and an assessment of their culture. At The Art of Due Diligence training events, I challenge the attendees to always ask the “so what?” questions regarding any information collected or interview held: