Seller Due Diligence

When the economy plummeted in 2009, the M&A landscape changed quite dramatically. For deals to close in this environment, the gap between buyer and seller expectations needs to be bridged¯allowing buyers to maintain their confidence level and protecting sellers against eroding values and retrading sales prices. If value retention and surety of close were key goals of a transaction before, they are even more significant considerations for the foreseeable future. This paper takes collective input from transaction stakeholders - including strategic buyers and sellers, investment bankers, private equity groups and lenders¯to check the street's pulse about business sellers' need to have their financial house in order when going to market.