Law Firm Mergers & Acquisitions
During the past decade, Bill has worked with hundreds of law firms seeking, evaluating and engaging in mergers and acquisitions. Confidentiality is critically important to law firms seeking to be acquired and we treat all information obtained from clients with strict confidentiality. Bill has personal knowledge of the expansion goals of many large and medium-sized law firms which can help smaller law firms conduct a successful merger search while avoiding firms that will have no interest in combining with a particular firm. This can keep a law firm’s identity from being disclosed to law firms that are will not be seriously interested in negotiating a merger. We possess an unparalleled depth of market knowledge and highly practiced deal-making skills. We can represent “the deal” where we help both parties understand the underlying issues and help both reach a fair bargain and avoid any “surprises”. We prefer to work in this manner since a merger is more like a marriage than a “deal” and a successful merger requires that both parties “win” post-merger. Alternatively, we can represent one party to the transaction, especially if the other party has retained a consultant to advise them in their merger negotiations. When doing so, we help clients dramatically enhance their negotiating position and deal terms.
Our law firm merger and acquisition services include:
Merger Strategy- We will assist your firm craft a strategy customized to your particular market position and the goals of your partners. Firms seeking to be acquired are in a vulnerable situation and should strive to protect their identity from all but seriously interested merger partners. We have developed a proprietary method to protect your firm’s identity for this reason.
Candidate Identification can help your firm create a set of realistic criteria for your “Ideal Merger Partner” and then develop a listing of qualified firms that satisfy those criteria. We contact merger candidates and determine if they are interested in merging with a firm similar to yours, without disclosing your firm’s identity. Only interested merger partners are disclosed your firm’s identity. This process protects your firm’s search from being disclosed to individuals who are only interested in
Merger Searches - If you are seeking to acquire a smaller firm or merge into a larger firm, it is essential to find firms with the right attributes that satisfy your criteria for your “Ideal Merger Partner”
Deal Negotiations and Structuring – We have assisted many firms negotiate fair deal terms that result in a win/win for both firms. We have extensive experience structuring deal terms taking into consideration business, tax and legal issues.