M&A Intelligence

M&A Intelligence investigations conducted every year

Number of investment fund clients

External ESG audits carried out in 2022

Services

Evaluating acquisition targets

Reputational and integrity due diligence on acquisition targets, including verifying beneficial owners and shareholdings, situational analysis of liabilities and ongoing disputes, verifying and assessing commercial references, connections, integrity, and reputation. Comprehensive public records due diligence and discreet human source intelligence to assess target companies, management teams, and operators.
Background checks: verifying reputation, integrity, connections (particularly political), financial encumbrances, criminal records, and major civil disputes prior to senior executive or board appointments, as well as understanding risks connected to conflicts of interest and undisclosed related party transactions
Analysis of markets and developments (regulatory, political, societal, or country risks, etc.) likely to impact the value and sustainability of a target’s operations and economic sector. In competitive bid situations, identifying potential leverage to aid investors in submitting a superior bid.
Competitive analysis to determine acquisition targets’ position within their business environment.

ESG Due Diligence

Evaluating acquisition targets’ compliance with ESG/CSR criteria, the extent to which sustainable development and long-term issues are incorporated in their corporate strategy, and the effectiveness of the measures put in place
Mapping of acquisition targets’ internal governance
Identifying and evaluating supply chains from an ESG/CSR perspective
Situational analysis of internal and external alert procedures

Cyber Due Diligence & Risk Assessment

Cyber auditing to assess a company’s exposure to threats and the robustness of technologies under development, including code audits, security audits, searches for data leaks, etc.
Analysis of available cyber security documentation, including for cyber governance

Investor Due Diligence

Reputational and compliance-focused due diligence, particularly in regards to money laundering and international sanctions (evaluating LPs, analyzing offshore companies, identifying and verifying sources of wealth, etc.)
Investigations to assess the resources and solvency of financial actors in any transaction

Investor Relations & Transaction Communications

Proactively assisting shareholders and/or management in engaging with stakeholders (such as investors, creditors, proxy solicitors, institutions, employees, clients…), facilitating efficient preparation for board meetings, and strategically managing negotiations with activist investors.
Defense of shareholders or management in the event of an offensive financial operation.
Providing long-term strategic communication and public relations management for financial entities, including support during special situations
Crafting a socially responsible communication strategy for financial actors that emphasizes non-financial considerations and the long-term vision of management.
Clarifying and increasing transparency around investor strategy and the motivations behind financial or restructuring operations for all stakeholders.

Board and Executive Vetting

In line with the investors’ strategy and risk tolerance: vetting track records, success, failures, business acumen, judgment, and characters of senior executive and board candidates from public records reviews and discreet reference checks
Detection of potential conflicts of interest, undisclosed related party transactions, and any other potential business risks.

Corporate Contests

Assisting in defensive vetting of board incumbents, with a focus on strategic objectives and shareholder engagement
Reviewing investor or company materials to identify misstatements, misrepresentations, or omissions
Vetting potential nominees to boards and investigating track records, backgrounds, and fitness of character and temperament to perform the duties of a corporate director
Independence testing to identify potential undisclosed related party transactions, interlocks, or other relationships of relevance
Integrated solution that combines investigative research with unparalleled transactional communications sophistication to provide in-house and outside legal counsel and advisory teams with information and messaging needed to prevail