M&A Surgery: Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Tue 20 Sep 2022 11:00 am UK Time
Register now

• When it comes to M&A, you need to be prepared.
• So, what pitfalls can you avoid? And how can you avoid them?
• We’re joined by Miles Welch of M&A advisory firm Milestone Advisory and John Haggis of law firm Kepler Wolf who will guiding you through a successful M&A experience.

John Haggis is a lawyer who specialises in helping agency founders on their journey from growth to exit. He knows a thing or two about how and when things go wrong along the way.

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.

This is the warning from John Haggis of law firm Kepler Wolf, who will be Miles Welch from Milestone Advisory for this month’s M&A Surgery.

But just what are the biggest – and perhaps easiest – things to fall foul of in this process that people just do not consider?

John and Miles will be taking us through all of these, making sure you know exactly how to avoid them.

We’ll be discussing things like:

  • Making sure your business is ‘cleaned up’. There’s plenty of things a business can do before going to market, to ensure a smooth and successful process.
  • Stress test the deal. Getting into detail at the heads of terms stage can save you pain later
  • Getting the right support. What kind of team are you going to need around you, what kind of advice might you need and what costs might you expect?
  • Warranties and indemnities. A buyer will want protection when buying a business, but what is fair and reasonable?
  • Due diligence on the buyer. Diligence should work both ways. What should you ask, and what should you expect?

John is a lawyer who specialises in helping agency founders on their journey from growth to exit, and he has quite a few interesting horror stories to share.

If you’re hoping to go down the M&A route but want to make sure you’re appropriately assessing the potential risks, this is the session for you – and don’t be afraid to ask questions.