Mergers and Acquisitions
Mergers and acquisitions are among the most significant decisions a business owner or management team can make.
Whether you are selling a business, acquiring another company, raising investment or planning for a future transaction, expert advice can help you make informed decisions and achieve the best possible outcome.
At Friend Partnership, we provide independent M&A advice to business owners, management teams and entrepreneurs. We support transactions from initial strategy and valuation through to negotiations, due diligence, funding and completion.
Our approach is commercial, discreet and tailored to your objectives.
Supporting you throughout the transaction
A successful transaction requires more than agreeing a price. Preparation, valuation, negotiation and effective management of the transaction process are all critical.
We can manage and coordinate the various stages of an M&A transaction, working alongside legal, tax and other professional advisers where required.
Our partners have experience advising on business sales ranging from £1 million to £250 million, providing experienced advice on transactions of significant scale.
Pre-sale preparation
The preparation undertaken before a business is brought to market can have a significant impact on both value and the success of the transaction.
We can review your business from a potential purchaser’s perspective, identifying areas that may affect value, create uncertainty or delay the transaction, and advise on any steps that should be taken ahead of a sale.
This may include reviewing the quality and presentation of financial information, underlying profitability, management structure and succession, customer and supplier dependencies, and the treatment of non-core assets.
Starting this process early can help ensure your business is well positioned when the time comes to go to market, giving you greater confidence in the value of the business and helping to reduce potential issues during the transaction process.
Selling a business
Preparing properly for a sale can have a significant impact on both value and the likelihood of a successful transaction. We can help you develop a sale strategy, prepare your business and identify suitable purchasers, while managing the process through to completion.
Our support can include:
- Sale strategy and preparation
- Business valuation
- Identifying potential purchasers
- Information Memorandum preparation
- Managing approaches and offers
- Negotiating commercial terms
- Financial due diligence
- Working with legal and other professional advisers
- Transaction management through to completion
Acquiring a business
An acquisition can provide opportunities to enter new markets, increase market share, access new customers or strengthen existing capabilities.
We help you identify and assess suitable targets, understand their value and determine whether an acquisition fits your wider commercial objectives.
Our advice can cover:
- Acquisition strategy
- Target identification
- Financial and commercial assessment
- Valuation
- Funding requirements
- Negotiations
- Due diligence
- Completion
Valuation and transaction strategy
A clear understanding of value is fundamental to any transaction.
We provide valuation advice for buyers, sellers, investors and funders, considering the financial performance and prospects of the business alongside market conditions, strategic rationale and the wider circumstances of the deal.
This helps you establish realistic expectations and enter negotiations from an informed position.
Finding the right buyer or target
Identifying the right counterparty is an important part of any M&A transaction.
We can research potential purchasers or acquisition targets based on your strategic objectives and, where appropriate, approach them on your behalf.
We manage this process carefully and discreetly, helping protect confidentiality while establishing genuine interest.
Negotiation and deal management
The terms of a transaction can be as important as the headline valuation.
We provide advice on deal structure, commercial terms and negotiation strategy, helping you protect your interests and achieve your objectives.
We can also coordinate the transaction process, allowing you to remain focused on running your business while we manage the key workstreams and advisers involved.
Due diligence, funding and completion
Due diligence can identify issues that affect value, terms or the viability of a transaction.
We provide support on the financial aspects of due diligence and help you assess the implications of key findings. Where funding is required, we can advise on funding requirements and support the process of raising finance.
We work with your other professional advisers to help bring the transaction through to completion.
Post-completion support
For acquisitions involving the integration of businesses, people, systems or operations, effective planning can be essential to achieving the expected benefits. We can advise on integration strategy and the practical steps required following completion.
A discreet, tailored approach
Every transaction is different. Your objectives, timescales and commercial circumstances will determine the right approach.
We therefore provide a bespoke service, with advice tailored to your individual requirements. Confidentiality is central to our approach, particularly where transaction plans are commercially sensitive.
Our aim is to provide clear, independent advice and take the complexity out of the transaction, allowing you to stay focused on your business.
Speak to Our Mergers and Acquisitions Team
Whether you are considering selling your business, looking for an acquisition opportunity or simply want to understand your strategic options, our M&A team can help.
From initial strategy and valuation through to negotiations, due diligence and completion, we provide experienced, independent advice tailored to your objectives.
You can get in touch with our team by phone, on 0121 633 2000, by email at enquiries@friendpartnership.com or by completing the form below with your query.
