Mergers and Acquisitions

Merger, acquisition, divestiture, joint venture and other major transactions remain critical vehicles for achieving competitive advantage, increasing market strength, and focusing on core capabilities. These transactions also raise a number of risks so significant that they can trip up the most sophisticated company and even threaten the existence of any enterprise caught off guard.

Numbering more than 100 lawyers, the mergers and acquisitions team at McGuireWoods has significant depth of experience acting on behalf of public and private companies in every sector of the economy. We have developed a national and international reputation for providing high-quality merger and acquisition counsel on matters throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific Rim. Among other accolades, Corporate Counsel magazine has listed McGuireWoods among the top 10 “go-to law firms” in the nation, as selected by in-house counsel at the 500 largest U.S. companies. Our corporate and M&A lawyers have been recognized by Chambers Global, while Chambers USA notes that “This group has a stellar reputation for its sophisticated corporate practice” and an “excellent network of offices to act for local, national and international clients on complex transactions.”

Over decades of work, our lawyers have handled nearly every type of M&A transaction and a wide range of joint ventures. We represent companies on both the buy and sell sides of stock purchases, asset purchases, and other forms of acquisitions, divestitures and combinations. We advise purchasers and sellers in management and leveraged buyout transactions and auction processes; counsel clients in connection with tender offers and proxy contests for corporate control; represent businesses in cross-border transactions and foreign direct investment in the United States and abroad; provide regulatory and antitrust guidance with respect to federal, state and foreign government and agency approvals, and conduct all forms of corporate due diligence.

Our approach is straightforward. We listen from the outset to gain a thorough understanding of client objectives for the transaction. We then analyze the competitive and regulatory landscape within client-specific industries — factoring in the influence of current and emerging legislation, regulatory developments, and the M&A market as a whole. Armed with this information, we work with our clients to develop a strategy designed to meet specific business goals, while minimizing disruption to ongoing operations.

Members of our team have developed industry-specific knowledge in aerospace and defense, agriculture, automotive and transportation, construction, consumer products, energy, financial services, food and beverage, infrastructure, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, mining and technology. This expansive, integrated foundation enables us to provide effective counsel in accordance with the unique competitive, legal and regulatory issues that may affect current and future business valuations and operations.