A mergers and acquisitions attorney oversees complex transactions, conducting negotiations on behalf of your business. They have an in-depth understanding of corporate law, financing, and the ins and outs of business operations.

An M&A attorney will often deal with the negotiation, drafting, and execution of legal agreements and documents. They also prepare for the possibility of needing to handle litigation should the dispute need to be resolve in court.

M&A attorneys work with a variety of different types of clients and industries, as well as both large and small companies. They can work with both the target or acquiring company to help make the merger or acquisition close as efficiently as possible. In some cases, M&A attorneys are brought in by shareholders or the target company to resist a potential transaction. They can also represent investors and lenders who are considering funding a merger or acquisition.

The following individuals or businesses may benefit from legal counsel from a mergers and acquisitions attorney:

• Acquiring companies
• Target companies
• Board of directors
• Investment bankers
• Majority or minority interest shareholders
• Dissident shareholders
• Partnership interests
• Financial advisors

Since each group has its own interests, rights, and duties, it’s important that each have its own merger and acquisition attorneys. The role of M&A attorneys depends on the needs and interests of their clients. As mentioned previously sometimes this involves negotiating on behalf of their client, handling litigation, or even preventing a merger or acquisition from occurring. In some cases, mergers and acquisitions lawyers are retained to ensure compliance and to protect against potential allegations of wrongdoing.

Due to the complex nature of any business merger or acquisition, it’s ideal to bring them on as early in the process as possible. This is the best way to ensure a successful transaction. When an M&A attorney is involved in the planning and early negotiation stages, they can help reduce the overall costs of a transaction by catching potential liabilities and by helping your organization plan ahead to deal with potential objections from shareholders or regulators.

M&A attorneys act as facilitators for business transactions working to ensure the transaction goes through smoothly and removing obstacles that present themselves along the way. The sooner you have M&A attorneys work on your behalf the better your chances of success will be.

**Disclaimer: The content used in the article is not to be used as legal advice and is for illustration and general informational purposes only. If you have questions about your particular situation, please contact us to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.