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Corporate and M&A

Merges and Acquisitions (M&A) Lawyers

 

Our corporate legal team advises on all aspects of buying and selling businesses, management buy-outs and management buy-ins for deals up to £100m in value.

What are mergers and acquisitions?

The term ‘mergers and acquisitions’ refers to the purchase (and sale) of companies and businesses by individual and corporate buyers (and sellers). There are two broad categories of acquisition – ‘share sales’ and ‘asset sales’. The term ‘share sale’ refers to the purchase (and sale) of a company through the process of selling and transferring the ownership of its shares, whereas the term ‘asset sale’ refers to the purchase (and sale) of a business (which may be owned and operated by a company) through the process of selling and transferring the ownership of its assets.

Our mergers and acquisitions experience

Supported by a large, multi-disciplinary, specialist team of lawyers, we undertake a wide range of acquisitions and disposals. Our network of international law firms allows us to regularly work on international transactions.

Industries that may need M&A lawyers

M&A lawyers are essential across a wide range of industries. Some of the key sectors that require our expertise are technology, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, financial services, retail, real estate, and manufacturing and engineering.

“Very professional, knowledgeable and accessible lawyers.” 

Chambers and Partners

FAQs – Mergers & Acquisitions

The term ‘mergers and acquisitions’ refers to the purchase (and sale) of companies and businesses by individual and corporate buyers (and sellers). There are two broad categories of acquisition – ‘share sales’ and ‘asset sales’. The term ‘share sale’ refers to the purchase (and sale) of a company through the process of selling and transferring the ownership of its shares, whereas the term ‘asset sale’ refers to the purchase (and sale) of a business (which may be owned and operated by a company) through the process of selling and transferring the ownership of its assets.

Mergers and acquisitions can be advantageous for multiple reasons, including: enabling companies and businesses to become more profitable through purchasing already profitable companies and businesses, enabling companies and businesses to grow through acquiring more resources, assets and expertise, and enabling those who own a valuable company or business to receive money by selling such a company or business.

As well as potential rewards, there are potential risks associated with mergers and acquisitions; the main legal risks include the risks associated with the provision of warranties and disclosure. When selling a company or business, amongst other things, the buyer and the seller will usually enter into a share purchase agreement or an asset purchase agreement; as part of this agreement, the seller will usually provide ‘warranties’ (a ‘warranty’ is a contractual promise that a given state of affairs is true) about their company or business, but also qualify/negate these warranties by making disclosures against them in a disclosure letter. If, following the completion of the acquisition, the seller is found to have breached a warranty (against which there is not adequate disclosure), they could be sued for breach of contract by the buyer and be required to pay damages. Legal advice should be obtained by both the buyer and the seller of a company or business in relation to the warranties given and disclosure.

Key contacts

Read, listen and watch our latest insights

Pub
  • 07 February 2025
  • Corporate and M&A

Talk & Golf : Thinking of Exiting your Business?

Join Stuart Mullins, Partner at Clarkslegal, and Nicky Goringe Larkin, Managing Director at Succession Planning, for a morning breakfast talk on preparing your business for exit, followed by a round of golf at the Eyston Course at Caversham Golf Club.

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  • 05 February 2025
  • Corporate and M&A

Growing Pains for Businesses

This thought piece considers some of the key issues and pain points facing a business planning to scale up

art
  • 22 January 2025
  • Corporate and M&A

Deal Announcement: Clarkslegal’s Corporate team advise founder on exit from Bristol based hospitality business

Clarkslegal is pleased to have advised the exiting shareholder and director of a hospitality business in the South West on the sale of their shareholding and termination of their employment.

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  • 16 January 2025
  • Corporate and M&A

Business Asset Disposal Relief: Changes to CGT Relief and the Consequences for Business Owners

Developing a robust cybersecurity strategy is essential to ensuring value retention, securing sensitive data, minimising risks and a seamless transfer during and after the merger or acquisition.

Pub
  • 13 January 2025
  • Corporate and M&A

Preparing your business for exit – London Seminar

Join Stuart Mullins, Partner at Clarkslegal, and Nicky Goringe Larkin, Managing Director at Succession Planning, for a seminar on preparing your business for exit at Goringe Accountants London office.

art
  • 09 January 2025
  • Corporate and M&A

Business Owners: Reflecting on 2024 and what to expect from the New Year

In this article, we reflect on some of the changes made in the past year and look forward to what business owners might expect for the year ahead.

“We instructed Stuart Mullins at Clarkslegal to assist with a recent corporate transaction. We found him, the corporate commercial and the property team supportive, proactive and efficient in taking us through the transaction to completion. We would recommend Clarkslegal for corporate and commercial legal advice and support to any business.”

Tracy Keane, Director, Hydratec

“We would recommend Clarkslegal as a leading corporate legal advisor in UK M&A due to their ability to work under a closed budget while keeping the highest professional standards and delivering a top professional advise under total availability, impressive technical-legal know-how and capacity to focus on the key matters at stake.”

Santiago Corredoira-Jack , Partner, Granahan McCourt Capital

“I highly recommend Clarkslegal for their outstanding expertise in M&A transactions and general corporate/commercial work. With a stellar reputation in the legal industry, Clarkslegal has demonstrated a deep understanding of complex mergers and acquisitions, offering invaluable guidance to clients navigating intricate deal structures.”

Jeff Lewis, General Counsel & Director, Kinectrics Inc

“We are very pleased with the support and advice received from on the recent acquisition by BMW Group UK.  With clear, concise and timely advice and management, Ashan and his team helped us navigate through some complex arrangements and seamlessly bridged the gap between the legal and commercial issues”

Amit Kotecha, Senior Legal Counsel – BMW Legal Affairs UK & Ireland 

“I was impressed with the speed, turnaround and frequency of communication in my dealings with Stuart Mullins, in concluding my share purchase.”

Nigel Keene, Managing Director, Whiteknights Estate Agents

Ashan Arif is central to our working relationship – we have a high degree of trust and confidence in his work. He was interested in our business from the outset, clear about the firm’s capability and focus, and has provided high-value and cost-effective support.

Legal 500

“Stuart Mullins was great at understanding what my needs were and responded in a timely manner every time. It was great to talk to someone who understood our situation and moved my transaction to completion efficiently and diligently. I really appreciated the extent to which Stuart explained everything to me regarding the transaction agreement, which gave me so much confidence when speaking to the purchaser”.

Jan Tupper, Proprietor, Arniss Equestrian Ltd

“I had an excellent experience working with Stuart Mullins. He was thoughtful, pragmatic, and extremely efficient. Thank you very much for all your hard work to get the deal across the line.”

Jerry Izard, Director, Independent Optics Ltd