While investment advisers looking to sell, merge, or acquire an advisory business typically focus most on pricing multiples, price adjustments, and earnouts, often overlook are key considerations that can easily sink a deal – namely, operational and compliance-related risks.
Once a term sheet is signed, selling advisers are often shocked to discover how much due diligence is involved when an acquiror asks pointed and very detailed questions about the operations, compliance program, and personnel of a firm. These questions are not only designed to determine if the transaction represents a good fit for the purchaser, but also whether the target firm’s operations and compliance program present regulatory or legal risks that are unacceptable to the purchaser.
