Private Company Mergers & Acquisitions - A Masterclass on the Commercial Aspects

Introduction

This new virtual classroom seminar is designed for corporate and commercial practitioners looking to obtain an understanding of the commercial aspects of M&A transactions, with particular regard to cross border transactions.

This session will examine all the commercial elements involved in an M&A transaction including measures which are taken to prepare a company for sale as well as the various stages of the sale process itself, company valuation methodologies, ways in which a vendor will seek to maximise value and the various categories of potential purchasers.

This is a practical session which will make extensive use of real-life case studies of company sales to demonstrate the key aspects of private company mergers and acquisitions.

What You Will Learn

This live and interactive session will cover the following:

Brief Summary of the UK M&A Market

• What trends has the M&A market witnessed in recent years?
• What are the key drivers of M&A activity?
• What has happened in terms of cross border M&A and who are the key overseas buyer groups?

Valuing Private Companies

• The various theoretical methodologies used to value private companies
• How companies are valued in real life
• Why do overseas buyers pay a premium for UK companies?

Timing of a Sale

• What are the key factors which determine the optimal time to sell a company?

Pre-Sale Preparation

• The measures that can be taken by the vendor to maximise value in the lead up to a sale
• Positioning to maximise value and attract overseas buyers
• Maximising the multiple
• Maximising EBITDA
• Optimising the business against key value drivers
• Legal review
• Preparing an information memorandum
• Identifying potential purchasers

The Sale Process

• What are the various methodologies which can be used to sell a company?
• A typical sale timetable
• Approaching potential purchasers
• Maximising value via a competitive auction process
• The management presentation

The Role of the Media in M&A

• How the vendor and purchaser harness the media to influence the outcome of a sale process

Closing the Deal

• Negotiations with purchasers
• Selecting a preferred bidder
• Due diligence

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.