Acquiring a business: our guide to transatlantic M&A

You’re a US-based corporate or private equity (PE) fund looking to acquire a business based in the UK or Europe. You might want to make a transformational acquisition or a strategic acquisition to expand your product lines or enter new markets. Or maybe you want to acquire a start-up or venture capital-backed business to add to your portfolio. Perhaps it's not about buying a whole business – and instead you just want to acquire and integrate certain assets to realise synergies or gain new talent, customers or intellectual property.

The relative strength of the US dollar and the perceived discount of UK and European targets compared to their US counterparts mean US acquirers are increasingly interested in UK and European companies. Whether you're looking to start an acquisition process soon, or are thinking further ahead, it's always good to be prepared.

Drawing on our extensive experience advising US buyers of European businesses, we've created a new guide on the key challenges that can arise when undertaking a transatlantic acquisition.  

In this new publication, we cover common pitfalls that we've seen arise in practice, as well as the key differences between US and UK/European approaches, to help you successfully prepare for, navigate, and close transatlantic deals. 

In summary, the guide covers: 

• getting ready for the acquisition process 
• key areas of focus for legal due diligence 
• the key commercial differences between US and UK/European M&A market terms and deal structures 
• variances between UK warranty and indemnity (W&I) insurance and US rep and warranties (R&W) insurance policies and pricing 
• notable tax matters 
• antitrust considerations 
• key points to keep in mind once you've successfully closed your acquisition.  

For more insights, read the guide or speak with a member of our team – we are here to support you throughout the process to ensure a smooth and successful transaction.