Buying or Selling a Business
Make Your Business Transactions Seamless
Our legal guidance helps businesses maximize the value of their business transactions.
Whether you are buying or selling a business, Company Counsel will help you navigate the entire transaction, from drafting legal documentation to negotiating on your behalf to filing all required paperwork with the agencies and regulators that require them. If you are looking to scale through acquisition, we want you to advance with assurance. If you are looking to exit, we want you to help you exit on top.
A common mistake companies make when buying or selling a business is not exercising proper due diligence. During a business purchase, it is critical to review the seller’s legal and financial information as well as market and industry information to completely and properly value the business.
Transactions involve many moving parts, and Company Counsel will help you keep track of them. That includes ensuring all terms of the agreement are memorialized as terms of the deal…in writing. Even if both parties have come to verbal agreement on the terms, issues can arise down the road if the transaction documentation is incomplete.
Whether you are the buyer or the seller, Company Counsel will guide you through every step of the business transaction so you can rest assured that everything is properly filed, officially completed, and smoothly executed.
What Are The Steps for Purchasing a Business?
Company Counsel attorneys server as trusted advisors, guiding you through every step. Here’s an overview of the steps in the process:
- Acquisition Target: we’ll provide guidance and considerations as you identify the type of business you want to buy and begin to search for potential target companies looking to sell
- Negotiation and Documentation: once you have identified an acquisition target, we can help you negotiate the purchase price and draft a Letter of Intent, the first step towards memorializing the terms of the sale
- Due Diligence: once the seller and you agree to the terms in principle, we will conduct thorough due diligence on the business, analyzing and explaining their legal and business risks, financial information (including goodwill), and industry metrics and trends as part of the process of confirming the target’s value; we’ll also connect you to other professionals, such as an accountant if needed
- Agreement of Sale: next we will draft and file a formal Agreement of Sale for final negotiation with the seller and signature by all parties; this will memorialize all agreed-upon terms and ensure you do not acquire undesired or unexpected liabilities as part of the transaction
- Bill of Sale: after negotiations are complete and payment is made, a Bill of Sale is issued to transfer the business from the seller to you
- State Filings: we will ensure all required notices of the sale are submitted to the State within the prescribed deadlines
Ready to Buy Or Sell A Business?
Nearly 1,000 companies in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey have relied on us for legal assistance across all phases of their business life cycle. We’re ready to ensure you have legal guidance and precision in every transaction.
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