Corporate & ownership
Constitutional documents, ownership, share capital, statutory records and corporate approvals.
LEX ARISTOCRACY / COMPANY DUE DILIGENCEKnow the business.
Know the business.
Understand the risk.
A structured legal review to help identify issues that matter to an investment, acquisition, joint venture or business transfer.
TRANSACTION REVIEWLook beyond
Look beyond
the headline terms.
The purpose of legal due diligence is to examine the rights, obligations and exposure behind the proposed transaction.
The review scope should reflect the target business, transaction structure, available documents and timetable. A focused red-flag review and a broader legal review serve different purposes; the appropriate approach is agreed at the outset.
REVIEW AREAS
Follow the legal exposure.
Contracts & financing
Material customer and supplier arrangements, borrowing, guarantees, security and change-of-control provisions.
Assets & intellectual property
Available property records, intellectual property ownership, licences and material asset arrangements.
People & employment
Key employment terms, consultancy arrangements, workplace policies and employment-related exposure.
Regulatory & compliance
Licences, registrations, sector obligations and available compliance records within the agreed scope.
Disputes & contingencies
Disclosed litigation, notices, claims and contractual exposures that may affect the transaction.
Define the transaction.
Organise the information.
- Identify the target entity, transaction structure and decision timetable.
- Agree the review scope, materiality and reporting format.
- Assemble records and establish an agreed document-sharing channel.
- Track missing documents and management responses alongside findings.
Legal due diligence is distinct from financial, tax, technical and operational diligence. Specialist reviews may need to run alongside it.
START WITH THE CONTEXT
Contact the firm