Stage 4 of 4
Exit: sell it, merge it or hand it on
Leaving a business you built takes about as long as the buyer's lawyers want it to. Our job is to keep it moving.
In the Exit stage we prepare the company for a buyer, negotiate the letter of intent, run due diligence and draft the purchase agreement through closing. For family businesses, we plan the handover to a son, a daughter or a manager years before it happens.
What it covers
Ways out of the business
What each matter involves. Your quote comes in writing before any work begins.
- Quoted in writing
Sale of a small business
Letter of intent, diligence, purchase agreement and closing for an owner-run company.
- Quoted per deal
Mergers
Combining with a competitor or a supplier, with the employees and contracts that come with it.
- Quoted in writing
Succession plans
A buy-sell agreement and a schedule for handing the company to family or a manager.
How it runs
The road to closing
- 01
Step 1: A readiness check
Before you talk to buyers, we look for the gaps a buyer's lawyer will find.
- 02
Step 2: The letter of intent
Price, structure and terms agreed on two pages before anyone drafts the long version.
- 03
Step 3: Diligence to closing
We run the data room, the purchase agreement and the closing checklist.
Questions sellers ask
When should we call you about a sale?
Before you sign anything with a buyer or a broker, including a letter of intent. The terms set there are hard to change later.
Do you work with business brokers?
Yes. The broker finds and qualifies the buyer; we handle the documents and the negotiation of terms.
What does the sale fee include?
Everything from letter of intent to closing for a straightforward asset sale. Unusual structures or a second round of negotiation are quoted before we start them.
Thinking about stepping back?
Book a free 20-minute call with Dominic Petrakis. You'll have a written quote that week.
The first call is free. It doesn't make us your lawyers; a signed engagement letter does.