Acquisition advice

A team you can trust to give objective support

Why do most acquisitions destroy value?

Because acquirors tend to overpay, underestimate risk, negotiate inadequate contractual protection and integrate poorly.

Shield Corporate Finance's approach is to provide four services with complete objectivity. Success fees create obvious conflicts of interest for acquisition advisors. Shield manages such conflicts by focussing entirely on clients' interests, but we are delighted to be paid on a time and materials basis, which puts us above suspicion. It's up to you.

Acquisition service 1: Valuation and assessment of the competition

You certainly need a sober assessment of what your target is worth. But valuation benchmarks can be misleading if competition is thin (or particularly intense). So you also need market intelligence on who else is in your race. Shield has ways of reaching the parties that other banks fail to reach.

Acquisition service 2: Due diligence investigation

We advocate a pragmatic, cost-effective approach: focus first on the fundamentals to reach a go/no-go decision early and inexpensively. Only if it's a "go" should you drill down into full detail, with the full due diligence team.

Acquisition service 3: Negotiation support

We value smooth cooperation with your lawyers in quantifying and negotiating all the commercial points in the sale and purchase contract - especially the reps and warranties. We also like to ensure you are protected by pragmatic and cost-effective dispute resolution procedures.

Read more about Shield's commercial negotiation support.

Acquisition service 4: Post Acquisition Integration Support

Our experience in helping owner-managers grow their companies prior to sale provides a platform for our Post Acquisition Integration Support Service. We focus on goal setting for the combined entity, establishing a uniform management process and picking the best people for the future.

We also offer Post Merger Integration (PMI) training.