Gray, Gray & Gray, LLP

The period immediately following the close of an M&A deal is a fragile one for customer relations. If you don’t address misgivings and fears, you could face substantial customer attrition — and imperil the value of your acquisition. Learn why customers depart following a merger and how you can create a plan to prevent it.

Before starting M&A negotiations, both buyers and sellers can benefit from setting a “walk-away price.” Consider it a safeguard measure. An amount below (for sellers) or above (for buyers) the walk-away price signals the end of merger negotiations. For sellers, anything below the walk-away price grossly undervalues the company’s assets and earnings, and suggests that

Employee benefits can be critical to the success of an M&A deal’s integration phase. If handled poorly, the process of transferring and restructuring benefits might alienate key employees — and even expose buyers to legal claims. To avoid such consequences, review your target company’s current benefits package before the deal closes. In particular, keep an

How quickly can you sell or acquire a business? As with most major transactions, it depends. Once parties agree to merge, deals typically take six to 18 months to conclude. The selling company’s size and industry, the complexity of the transaction, and the buyer’s ability to get financing, among other factors, can all affect timing.