Mergers & Acquisitions
Successful mergers and acquisitions demand much more from corporate lawyers than just executing the transaction. The lawyers in our M&A team invest time in understanding our clients’ businesses and industry as well as being cognisant of our clients’ corporate and personal ambitions.
We tailor our advice and the transaction to each situation recognising that one size never fits all. We always focus on what really matters and won’t make a fuss over small points. We will add value in the planning and the execution of a transaction and will work to resolve issues pragmatically and speedily.
We never lose sight of our clients’ commercial objectives and we constantly look for the most direct route to achieve them. We draw on the expertise of our specialists in tax, real estate, employment and intellectual property to deliver a truly integrated team completely focused on delivering a knowledgeable, efficient and focused experience for our clients.
We have a long history of:
- advising shareholders in privately-owned businesses on their exit
- advising management on exit terms
- acting for in-house teams in private and publicly-owned companies on their acquisitions
- acting for private equity clients on their acquisitions.
Our depth of knowledge and a lifetime of working with people and companies in the media, advertising, marketing and digital economy delivers tangible benefits when advising our clients on transactions in those sectors. Our M&A team is consistently highly ranked and in the leading UK legal directory, Chambers, we are ranked in the top band for lower to mid-market M&A.
Mergers & Acquisitions in creative industries: grow your value
In a challenging economy and ever changing business landscape, M&A remains a strategic priority, helping creative companies to transform, grow and build a new foundation for their future success. In this mini-series we explore issues that can arise for both buyers and sellers when they enter into M&A deals in the advertising and marketing industry.
Click on the links below to explore each of the topics further:
2. Earn-outs
4. EMI options
Related items
US/UK M&A: Miscellaneous/common issues
04 April 2024In our final instalment of our US/UK M&A series we will explore some of the common issues in the M&A process and deal practice in the US and UK.
US/UK M&A: Disclosure
04 April 2024The disclosure exercise against the warranties contained in the share purchase agreement (SPA) is a common element of an M&A transaction on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In this article we will identify some of the different approaches taken in relation to disclosure in the UK and the US.
US/UK M&A: Warranties
04 April 2024In this article we examine the different approaches to giving warranties in US and UK share purchase agreements (SPA) including the terms and scope of the warranties, who gives them, the basis of recovery under the warranties, the basis of the sellers’ liability and other protections available to buyers.
US/UK M&A: Price Adjustment Mechanisms - The Locked Box
04 April 2024Price adjustment mechanisms are common in both UK and US style M&A transaction documents to determine the final price that the buyer pays. However, the manner in which the price adjustment is achieved varies; in the US, a closing accounts mechanism is generally used, and although these have remain common in the UK, in recent years we have seen increasing use of “locked box” mechanisms in UK style share purchase agreements governed by English law.
Lewis Silkin has advised Havas on its acquisition of Wilderness
27 March 2024Lewis Silkin has advised long-standing client Havas on its acquisition of social first marketing agency Wilderness.
US/UK M&A: Risk Allocation
18 March 2024In our second article in the US/UK M&A series, we explore deal certainty, the different appetite for risk and measures that are used to apportion risk between the parties.
EMI options: Top 10 mistakes uncovered on an exit – and how to avoid them
15 March 2024In this article we explore the key issues around granting Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) options, an extremely popular employee incentive mechanism for qualifying small and medium sized companies, thanks to their unrivalled tax benefits and the flexibility permitted around setting their terms.
Lewis Silkin advises Seedlip founder’s latest venture on its first investment round
12 March 2024Lewis Silkin has advised non-alcoholic drinks start-up Pollen Projects on its first equity financing round.