Executive

Every executive knows what a high-stakes game M&A talks can become. But even before the formal negotiations start, a one-on-one conversation that plants the seed of a deal or a back-of-the-envelope sketch of the business case for it may present deal makers with conflicts of interest and strategic vulnerabilities. Who would get what value from a deal? Who would govern the new entity? What legal boundaries must prospective partners be careful not to cross? Moreover, deal makers also know that failing to close a transaction can turn today's potential partner into tomorrow's better-informed competitor.