The M&A Partners Working Behind the Scenes
Alec Watson, a partner with Troutman Pepper, was quoted in the April 10, 2024 Middle Market Growth article, " The M&A Partners Working Behind the Scenes."
When it comes to closing deals, legal advisors can help buyers go over a company's documents and financials to avoid any risks or pitfalls. "On the buy-side, our due diligence process is geared to make sure that our clients have a full understanding of what they are purchasing and are able to assess the magnitude of the risks involved," says Alec Watson, partner at law firm Troutman Pepper. "Things are going to move rapidly, so we work efficiently and as quickly as possible, but not at the expense of being thorough."
Troutman Pepper works with clients on both the sell- and buy-sides. Some of this work of getting companies' "houses in order" is often prepared on the sell-side—before a process starts—to account for any questions a buyer might have, Watson explains.
"Once a company actually goes to market, things move really quickly," Watson says. "The last thing a client wants is to see a deal get bogged down because of some issue that could have been addressed earlier, had they known about it. Timing is critical in these situations, so our goal is to minimize the number of obstacles that could create friction and delay the process."