Mergers & Acquisitions

Over the summer, we wrote about why health care companies may want to consider buying assets out of bankruptcy, taking advantage of the Bankruptcy Code Section 363 sale process (a "363 Sale”). We are back with our second post, to provide more detail to the process and discuss some pros and cons of 363 Sales.

As a refresher, a 363 Sale couples a flexible and fast process with ample liability protection for willing buyers. The primary benefit of a 363 Sale is that a buyer can acquire the debtor’s assets free and clear of virtually all liens, claims, and interests burdening the assets and the debtor. And when Section 363 is coupled with the “assumption and assignment” provisions of Section 365 of the Bankruptcy Code, a debtor is able to assign most contracts or leases that a buyer may wish to purchase, including contracts with ironclad anti-assignment language, provided that certain conditions are satisfied. When a target is experiencing severe financial distress, the benefit of acquiring assets “free and clear” is extraordinarily valuable.

Although health care may be well positioned to weather an economic downturn as an industry, certain sectors, including ambulatory surgery, vision, dermatology, dental, and other physician practices will bear the brunt of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders and patients delaying non-emergency care. While the onset of COVID-19 has delayed or derailed many transactions, strategic buyers should consider all of the different transaction tools available them to help maximize value and successfully get to closing. For knowledgeable investors and strategic buyers, now is the time to position yourself to acquire valuable health care assets at steep discounts.

For those unfamiliar with 363 Sales, a 363 Sale couples a flexible and fast process with ample liability protection for willing buyers. The primary benefit to a 363 Sale is that a buyer can acquire the debtor’s assets free and clear of virtually all liens, claims and encumbrances burdening the assets and the debtor. When a target is experiencing severe financial distress, the benefit of acquiring assets “free and clear of all liens” is extraordinarily valuable.

This advisory discusses SEC’s amendments to the financial disclosure requirements for business acquisitions and dispositions by reporting companies and IPO candidates.

The Mintz and Mergermarket report on recent M&A activity in the life sciences sector examines deal drivers and companies’ post-closing integration experiences.

This article discusses updated documentation and timing for the Federal Reserve Main Street Lending Program and certain considerations for companies considering borrowing under the program.

This article discusses the recent revisions to the Federal Reserve’s Main Street Lending Program; borrower considerations regarding eligibility and access to the program; implications of certain covenants and restrictions; and considerations under existing debt documents.

Read about considerations for drafting material adverse change clauses in mergers & acquisitions in light of uncertainties associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

As parties to merger or acquisition agreements carefully review their agreements to see what, if any, impacts the COVID-19 pandemic may have, the recent decision from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Newmont Mining Corp. v. AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. provides meaningful guidance for the interpretation of Material Adverse Effect (“MAE”) provisions in agreements governed by New York law.

The coronavirus pandemic continues to have profound effects on the U.S. and global economies. Investor concerns about the impact of COVID-19 and government-imposed restrictions on individuals and businesses have led to unprecedented market volatility. Further material volatility is anticipated. In this environment, publicly traded companies may want to evaluate the adequacy of their corporate defenses to protect their stockholders from such predatory activities.

This article discusses the Federal Reserve’s Main Street Lending Program, including eligibility; impacts on debt service, capital structure, and strategic planning; and potential obstacles under existing debt and other agreements.

This advisory reviews strategies that sponsors and their portfolio companies can use to manage defaults, including proactive measures to avoid default, amendments and waivers to realign with a company’s revised outlook, sponsor support through equity cures, and lender forbearance.

This advisory provides a drafting guide for purchase and sale agreements in the post–COVID-19 era.

This article reviews debt financing opportunities available to investors in a down market and the pros and cons of each type of financing.

Read about the pros and cons for private company buyers seeking to purchase distressed targets through a formal bankruptcy process in the post–COVID-19 era plus strategies for success.

This alert covers new regulations taking effect on February 13, 2020 that significantly broaden CFIUS’s jurisdiction by granting it significant new review power over foreign investments in US businesses and real estate.

Read about issues to consider when drafting or negotiating transaction agreements with covenants to operate in the “ordinary course” of business between signing and closing.

In June 2019, the Delaware Supreme Court issued a decision reaffirming a risk of director liability where there is no board-level reporting process for essential compliance matters.  The facts of the case arise from a 2015 listeria outbreak at Blue Bell manufacturing which resulted in the death of three people. The Delaware case reaffirmed the position that directors may be subject to liability if the director “(1) completely fail[ed] to implement any reporting or information system or controls, or (2) having implemented such a system or controls, consciously fail[ed] to monitor or oversee its operations thus disabling themselves from being informed of risks or problems requiring their attention.”  

Indemnification provisions in private company M&A contracts have received a lot of attention in recent years. These provisions are used to allocate risk among participants but there has been a lack of attention paid to another critical provision of these contracts. We highlight the frequency of certain provisions that shift control of these claims and examine the merits of various other approaches.

In Akorn v. Fresenius, the Delaware Court of Chancery determined that Fresenius validly terminated its agreement to acquire Akorn on the grounds of a material adverse change affecting Akorn’s business. Steve Gulotta discusses the significance of the decision and shares key takeaways.

This article reviews the Delaware Court’s Akorn decision, which allowed a buyer to escape an acquisition transaction because of a material adverse change affecting the seller’s business.