Mergers and Acquisitions

The pursuit of business advantage – and ultimately business success – often leads to major decisions relating to ownership control. The complexity of the issues involved, and the outcomes that hang in the balance, demand more than an understanding of the law. They require the insight and experience to use the law in ways that make the most business sense.

Smith Anderson’s mergers and acquisitions practice includes lawyers from several areas of the firm. Our team handles diverse matters including private and public acquisitions, leveraged buy-outs, and acquisition and defensive planning. We understand that timing, speed, experience and reason often are determining factors in concluding a transaction successfully.

Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business has recognized Smith Anderson’s Corporate/M&A practice as the top practice in the Raleigh-Durham area for four consecutive years.

Primary Services:

• Mergers & acquisitions
  
• Product-line acquisitions and divestitures
  
• Distressed M&A
  
• Leveraged buy-outs
  
• Going-private transactions
  
• Joint ventures
  
• Strategic alliances
• Licensing
  
• International issues
  
• Transaction planning and strategy
  
• Compliance with state and local regulatory requirements
  
• Tax, benefits, environmental and other issues

Additional Services:
>We are experienced in structuring merger and acquisition transactions for specific tax planning and accounting structures, interfacing with bankruptcy proceedings, and other specific business purposes, and in coordinating the internal resources necessary to handle these transactions in an efficient, results-oriented manner.

Our Clients:
Our clients include large utility, pharmaceutical and financial companies, as well as mid-sized companies and startups. We represent buyers and sellers with respect to the commercial, securities, tax, employment, benefits and other aspects of these transactions. We have developed particular expertise in transactions involving pharmaceuticals, technology, communications, health care, franchises, and retail operations.

Our Lawyers:
Lawyers from our finance and commercial, securities and growth companies, health care and commercial litigation groups are active in public company and private mergers and acquisitions; many of them have practiced at national and international firms. We offer our clients the ability to assemble transaction teams that include lawyers with relevant experience in securities, employment, tax, antitrust, real estate, corporate finance, environmental compliance and other practice areas.