Mergers & Acquisitions

Businesses seeking to expand their interests and resources through mergers and acquisitions benefit from working with an experienced legal partner who can help them avoid the risks often associated with these transactions. With offices strategically located across the U.S. and in Canada, Dickinson Wright has a leading Mergers and Acquisitions practice representing both buyers and sellers across many industries. Working closely with senior management and in-house counsel, we develop innovative solutions that protect our clients’ interests and help them meet their objectives. As a full-service law firm, we draw on our entire firm's strengths in finance, real estate, employee benefits, securities, labor and employment, environmental, and intellectual property.

Recognitions

Our Mergers and Acquisitions practice group is ranked in The Legal 500 United States and many of our M&A lawyers have also been individually recognized by The Legal 500 United States, Chambers USA®, Best Lawyers® and Super Lawyers®.

Our Services

From the early stages of initiating a transaction, through the intricacies of due diligence review and tax planning, to negotiating and closing the deal and implementing post-closing integration strategies, our experienced mergers and acquisitions team supports our clients throughout the entire M&A process. We counsel clients seeking to buy or sell a business in a number of areas, including:

Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions: In today’s global economy, the demand for cross-border mergers and acquisitions remains at an all-time high. Companies seeking to acquire or merge with international corporations need an experienced legal partner with the ability to work seamlessly across borders to assist clients on local and global levels. Working from offices located throughout key North American trade corridors, including California, Michigan, Ohio, Ontario, Washington D.C., Arizona, Nevada, and Texas, as well as through affiliations with local firms in China, Japan, and India, we aid buyers and sellers handling transactions in a variety of industries. We also support our clients with all types of issues arising from cross-border mergers and acquisitions, such as intellectual property rights, labor and employment concerns, post-closing integration, and regulatory compliance.

Private Equity: Private equity firms operate in a multifaceted business environment and face industry-specific regulations and government scrutiny. Our M&A team works closely with our Private Equity group to help our clients understand the unique business challenges and opportunities of partnering with private equity investors. We assist clients and their respective partners and managers with all aspects of acquisition and divestiture transactions and past acquisition integration. Our lawyers have represented countless early-stage, growing, and mature companies and investors on a wide assortment of private capital transactions. We also advise financial sponsors on transactions involving technology and growth industries and organize a variety of funds.

Distressed Mergers and Acquisitions: The decision to acquire or sell a distressed company is not an easy one for most investors. Misleading or incomplete information can complicate the situation, impeding a business’s growth and harming its reputation. To minimize risks and maximize opportunities, our lawyers assist clients throughout the entire process of both buying and selling distressed and bankrupt organizations. No matter the cause of distress, our M&A lawyers work closely with our finance and bankruptcy lawyers to anticipate clients’ needs and evaluate the best course of action. Whether conducting due diligence investigations, negotiating and drafting purchase agreements, evaluating bankruptcy issues and their effect on employee rights, or considering preexisting non-compete and intellectual property agreements, we help our clients thoroughly assess a company’s assets and relationships, and make informed decisions on buying and selling.