When companies are considering acquisitions or entering into mergers with other organizations, conducting thorough due diligence on the transactions is critical. Due diligence should consider the target company’s liabilities, litigation risk, contractual obligations, etc. that cannot be uncovered by simply following a legal due diligence checklist. When done correctly, due diligence can help firms avoid unpleasant surprises after the deal has closed.
Uncovering The Legal Due Diligence Checklist
Legal due diligence checklists can be helpful in some circumstances for firms that regularly engage in due diligence. However, for firms that do not conduct transactional due diligence in the regular course of their business, a due diligence checklist will do little more than identify key documents or processes to be reviewed. Using a checklist may not be enough to uncover potential issues. This can be particularly true when the individuals responsible for conducting due diligence review tasks are not well-versed in the specific areas or documents being reviewed.
Simply gathering documents and checking off boxes saying that the documents have been reviewed can lead to a false sense of security. There is a risk that the reviewer didn’t fully understand what to look for, or perhaps more importantly, how the piece of information they reviewed related to other information captured in the course of conducting due diligence.
Due Diligence Support
Bringing on a legal services partner for transactional due diligence that regularly provides buy-side and sell-side due diligence support ensures that professionals are overseeing the due diligence process rather than just following a legal due diligence checklist. Using an outsourced solution can allow your company to leverage tools and processes, as well as gain access to reviewers who have the experience, deep knowledge, and expertise needed to synthesize and analyze information.
Baer Reed provides transactional due diligence and other legal support services to law firms and legal departments in a cost-effective manner. To learn more, visit us online or call (888) 433-1990 today.
Mr. Reyes graduated with honors from the Ateneo de Manila University, where he received the Procter and Gamble Student Excellence Award. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila School of Law. During law school, Mr. Reyes was part of the Philippine delegation to the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot held in Vienna, Austria. He was also a member of the Ateneo Society of International Law and the St. Thomas More Debate Society. He completed his internship at the Public Attorney’s Office. He wrote a thesis entitled: “To Kill A White Elephant: An Analysis of the Fiduciary Exception to the Corporate Attorney-Client Privilege”. Mr. Reyes is admitted to practice law in the Philippines and the State of New York.
Ms. Lardizabal-Manzano is a graduate of San Sebastian College-Recoletos, where she earned her B.A. in Political Science. In 2003, she received her law degree from Lyceum of the Philippines and was admitted to practice law in 2004.
Matthew Hersh earned a B.A. in Political Science from Columbia University in 1990 and graduated cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 1999. He also holds a master’s degree in international relations from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.
Cap. Avi Levak (Res. IDF) graduated from from Israel’s prestigious Ben-Gurion University of the Negev with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics. He is also a Leadership and Communication coach trained in TuT coaching by Alon gal in Israel. Avi specializes in high-level, in-depth analysis of business and client needs, within systems and software strategy and architecture.
Ms. Tyler graduated cum laude from Georgetown University and received her law degree, cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center. During law school, she interned at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. She also worked on The Tax Lawyer journal and was a member of the award-winning Barristers’ Council Mock Trial Team. Ms. Tyler is admitted to practice law in the State of California and the District of Columbia.
Ms. Cruz-Anonuevo graduated cum laude and top nine in her batch from Miriam College with a degree of Bachelor of Arts in InternationalStudies. She obtained her Juris Doctor degree from Ateneo de Manila University School of Law in Rockwell. During law school, she interned in Rivera, Santos, Maranan & Associates. She was also part of Ateneo’s Labor Law Bar Operations. She wrote her thesis on, “Stealing Privacy: Limitations on Media’s Photographic Invasion.,” Ms. Cruz-Anonuevo is admitted to practice law in the Philippines.
Ms. Aquino-Batallones obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Development Studies (with Minors in Global Politics and Hispanic Studies) from the Ateneo de Manila University. In 2011, she received her Juris Doctor degree from Ateneo de Manila University School of Law. During law school, she interned at Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles then became an intern of Ateneo Legal Services Center’s Clinical Legal Education Program.
Mr. De Guzman graduated from San Beda College with a degree of Bachelor of Arts Major in Economics and received his law degree from San Beda College of Law. He is multilingual and is fluent in three languages: Chinese, Filipino, and English. He was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2003.