David Braun
Author's posts
Six Ways to Reduce Stress During Due Diligence
Pursuing M&A is a passionate process. Emotions run the gambit from excitement in finding a new deal to anxiety about risks uncovered during the acquisition. I’ve found due diligence and negotiations to be among the most stressful times during mergers and acquisitions. Here are six ways to help everyone keep their cool during these critical …
Partnership, Not Conquest: Mergers and Acquisitions
A collaborative mindset often leads to the best long-term outcome when you’re looking to buy another company. Buying a company is not like buying a used car where you walk away and never see the dealer again. It can be more like buying an automobile with the seller thrown in. Imagine yourself at a dealership …
Burger King – Tim Hortons Merger Is Unappetizing Deal
Burger King and Tim Hortons announced on Sunday that they would merge into a single enterprise with $22 billion in revenue and 18,000 restaurants worldwide. A new parent company headquartered in Canada would be created in what technically is a tax inversion, although tax savings are not driving the merger itself. The main strategy is …
High or Low? What Price Should You Put in the LOI?
I’m frequently asked about the “right” price to put in the letter of intent. As you will know, the LOI is an important milestone in the M&A process, because it establishes a “gentleman’s agreement” before the formal deal is settled. You have yet to compete due diligence at this stage, and figuring out the right …
Acquisitions: Every Company Is For Sale
Why actively pursuing not-for-sale companies can lead to a better acquisition than a for-sale opportunity. When searching for acquisition prospects, most people only consider for-sale acquisitions. Usually these are offered by investment bankers, who carry a “book” of candidate companies. Restricting your search to for-sale opportunities is usually a mistake. I encourage clients to actively …
Keeping Strategy in Sight When Pursuing Acquisitions
Deferring to advisors during the M&A process can be detrimental to a company, as evidenced by the back and forth over Valeant Pharmaceuticals’ unsolicited $53 billion bid to acquire Allergan, the maker of Botox. The maneuvering over the past several months has become heated and off-track. Or as the Deal Professor column puts it: “Some …
The Dangers of Getting Swept Away In the Excitement of a Deal
“The danger with a mergers-and-acquisitions boom is that chief executives could allow themselves to get carried away by the thrill of the hunt, reducing their focus on internal investment projects that might have a better chance of bearing fruit,” says the New York Time’s Dealbook column. M&A activity has reached record highs and shows no …
Maximizing Your Resources with Privately Held, Not-for-Sale Acquisitions
Sprint has dropped its bid to acquire T-Mobile due to regulatory pressure. Large, public transactions must be reported and should be regulated by law, of course, but this is an unfortunate setback for Sprint. After investing resources putting together the deal and lobbying for months, the company must walk away from it because of external …
Staying Connected: 4 Ideas for Meeting with Your Acquisition Team
Team meetings are important in order to move forward confidently when it comes to due diligence. Ideally I would want everyone on your team to be physically together, but I understand in today’s environment that may be difficult to schedule, and you’ll have to be creative to maintain team cohesion. Here are a few suggestions …
Valeant Seeks More Acquisitions
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International is determined to grow through acquisitions. Already actively pursuing a deal with Allergan, the maker of Botox, Valeant is reportedly seeking another contact lens company. CEO Michael Pearson said the company “will not be content to remain the No. 4 global player in the contact lens industry.” Valeant has a history of …
