For many organizations the acquisition or sale of a business, or indeed a merger with another organization, can prove a transformative event in the life of that organization. A transaction of this kind can have dramatic consequences for many stakeholders: notably for employees, customers and investors, but frequently also for suppliers, communities and other constituencies connected to or affected by the businesses involved in the transaction. Lawyers play a central role in evaluating, structuring and implementing these kinds of transactions. This is in part because "getting deals done" frequently requires the ability to navigate many different areas of law that inevitably overlap in this context. But it is also because the experienced deal lawyer is able to anticipate challenging issues that parties to the transaction will have to confront, and then to come up with creative strategies for resolving those challenges. The focus of this course will be on providing students with an understanding of how deal lawyers approach different stages in the life of a transaction and the kinds of legal issues that emerge in each of these stages. In addition to developing an enhanced understanding of the issues at play, the course will ensure that students spend substantial time reviewing, analyzing and drafting a range of deal documents. Pre-Requisite: Law 440
For many organizations the acquisition or sale of a business, or indeed a merger with another organization, can prove a transformative event in the life of that organization. A transaction of this kind can have dramatic consequences for many stakeholders: notably for employees, customers and investors, but frequently also for suppliers, communities and other constituencies connected to or affected by the businesses involved in the transaction. Lawyers play a central role in evaluating, structuring and implementing these kinds of transactions. This is in part because "getting deals done" frequently requires the ability to navigate many different areas of law that inevitably overlap in this context. But it is also because the experienced deal lawyer is able to anticipate challenging issues that parties to the transaction will have to confront, and then to come up with creative strategies for resolving those challenges. The focus of this course will be on providing students with an understanding of how deal lawyers approach different stages in the life of a transaction and the kinds of legal issues that emerge in each of these stages. In addition to developing an enhanced understanding of the issues at play, the course will ensure that students spend substantial time reviewing, analyzing and drafting a range of deal documents. Pre-Requisite: Law 440
