Mergers and Acquisitions in High Tech

Mergers and Acquisitions in High Tech

The topic focuses on mergers and acquisitions, and other acquisitive or dispositive transactions, especially in the technology and emerging growth sectors. Since 1997, mergers have become the preferred exit strategy for owners to liquidity, taking precedence over initial public offerings. We will focus on how and why entities are formed and financed the way they are, when and how an entity decides to sell itself, and how people act in a transaction setting. In particular, what are the optimal negotiating strategies; what strategy is best for a particular side or personality type, and what role the lawyer has in the process. We will touch on the history of mergers (including there relationship to financial crisis and panic, how the current financial crisis will affect mergers, how new regulations will change incentives and merger activity, and the various laws and regulations that apply to mergers. The topic is designed to demystify the merger process.