Author: Niels Bybee

Niels helps clients navigate the complexities of various corporate and securities matters, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, corporate formation and debt and equity financing.

Middle Market M&A Key Deal Terms

A major law firm has completed a survey on trends and deal points in the M&A industry. The survey contains data and trends on many key points the M&A legal practitioner should be aware of as they negotiate M&A transactions, and the findings in the summary mirror our own experience in the market. In general in more recent transactions we have seen a continuing trend lower escrowed indemnity amounts, higher usage of representation and warranty (“R&W”) insurance, and generally more...

Reverse Veil Piercing

Under Delaware law, the doctrine of “piercing the corporate veil” has traditionally been used only in circumstances where there has been serious misconduct, and in such cases the Delaware courts have only applied this doctrine to put aside the limited liability of an entity in order to hold its equityholders or directors personally liable for the company’s actions or debts. Until recently, the Delaware Chancery Court has not taken on a case where a plaintiff sought to pierce the corporate...

Subsidiary Spin-Off Considerations

Care must be taken when a U.S. entity spins off assets to a newly formed wholly-owned subsidiary so that the legal protections offered by the desired separation are realized. This article presents a few high-level issues to consider. Fraudulent Conveyance Risks Associated with the Separation. A conveyance would be deemed fraudulent by a court of law if a company transfers assets for less than reasonably equivalent value while the company was insolvent. A board of directors cannot approve a spin-off...