To kick off the series, Ben is joined by John Coleman, Managing Associate at Addleshaw Goddard. John has the (un)enviable of offering his take on the M&A process as a whole.
His two core points for negotiation? It all comes back to the purchase price (calculation and structure), and allocating risk.
And his point that trips up the unwary? Deal certainty – the importance of concentrating on what could intervene that could let the transaction fall apart, be that funding, third party consents or termination rights.
John’s interview also picks out the many ways that in-house counsel can add value to the M&A process – often having the conversations and obtaining the information that external lawyers can’t.