Deals: Getting the knowledge is vital

When buying or selling a business it is imperative to obtain high quality professional advice – and to ensure your advisers have sufficient knowledge of your industry to effectively represent your interests.

Your professional team will be positioned to guide you on strategically planning the acquisition, determining suitable acquisition criteria and candidates, checking feasibility, undertaking early and focused financial, legal and operational due diligence, preparing transactional documentation and carefully negotiating your position.

The adviser should also ensure that costs don’t escalate and all relevant information is produced. In addition, advisers are likely to have useful contacts in the industry, for example specialist investors and bankers who can provide inventive finance solutions for the transaction. Acquisitions involve risk, time and cost.