As a business, risk preparation is always key. However, even with optimal planning, there’s always potential for disruption due to unforeseen financial exposures or disagreement between parties on risk allocation. Taking steps to minimise disruptive risk is critical to the success of a transaction, particularly when it comes to completing sensitive mergers and acquisitions.
Strategic buyers, private equity firms, and other deal participants, especially across borders, need to keep transactional risk top of mind when engaging in a transaction. Common instances of transactional risks that can impact M&A activities include:
- Warranty breaches: Potential breaches of seller warranties materially affecting a buyer’s valuation of a business.
- Post deal liabilities: Risk of sellers retaining post deal contingent liabilities and preventing the full repatriation and/or re-allocation of sale proceeds.
- Cross border deals: Investing into a foreign jurisdiction can create significant uncertainty for a buyer with respect to a target business.
- Impact ofkey relationships: Friction between a buyer and management sellers who are involved in the business post transaction in the event of a claim for loss.
- Specific known risks: Specific risks associated with the target business such as potential tax liabilities can cause material financial exposure and create hurdles in deal negotation between parties.
Strong due diligence, coupled with insurance designed specifically for transactional risk, can help facilitate your deal and safeguard you against financial loss.