Mergers and Acquisitions
If you are in the early or advanced stages of planning a company merger or acquisition, it is essential to have legal expertise at your side to guide you through the process.
Over the past 35+ years, Lavelle Partners have assisted many small, medium, and large business entities across Ireland to undertake strategic mergers and acquisitions. It is this experience that enables us to add a great deal of value to key business transactions of this nature. Not only will we carry out the necessary due diligence process and legal steps to complete your merger, sale or purchase, we will offer guidance and make recommendations which will ensure you achieve an outcome which is in your short, medium, and long-term interests.
Our corporate and commercial Solicitors are business people at heart. They understand what motivates all parties to mergers and acquisitions, and can manage the whole process on your behalf, including:
Companies are most commonly acquired through share purchase in Ireland. By purchasing all of the shares of a company, you are effectively taking ownership of all aspects of the business. This approach makes the acquisition of assets and subsidiaries more straightforward when compared to an asset sale, and likewise all employees are acquired, with no change in employment status. Share purchase usually involves fewer consents and approvals. Stamp duty of 1% is payable on the shares. .
It is important before proceeding to verify if there are any restrictions of share transfer which may apply under the Companies Act 2014 (Companies Act), the company’s constitution or under any shareholder agreements in place.
A Solicitor specialising in corporate law will be able to advise you further based on the details of your proposed transaction.
Under the Companies Act 2014 (the Act), Irish companies can be merged by means of a summary approval procedure (SAP), or via a special resolution made by the Court. Under the SAP method, no Court approval is required. Mergers can be carried out using three primary methods:
Under the Act, on approval of the merger, all assets and liabilities are transferred to the successor company, with the transferor being wound up.
‘They have a professional but friendly approach which is beneficial particularly when the matters at hand can have periods that are stressful. The ability to reduce tension is matched with clear communication even when dealing with complex situations where decision making is required by the client. It is a rare skill to maintain this approach, with integrity intact, with all the engaged parties. In short they win with people.’
The Legal 500, 2023
‘Lavelle partner Gríana O’Kelly encapsulates all the qualities of the M&A team. As with other firms, Lavelle’s are competent and efficient, Ms O’Kelly is no different and you feel that she cares, a good outcome for you is a good outcome for her. It is a refreshing experience to have when travelling through a legal process.’
The Legal 500, 2023
‘I engaged with Lavelle partners when acquiring a business, and I found the service outstanding. The team made the experience as seamless as possible for me. The team were extremely knowledgeable, helpful, approachable, professional and efficient.’
The Legal 500, 2023
‘The practice were very well regarded in the market for Commercial, M&A and Employment Law work. We had heard of their reputation from other companies. They were very engaged in understanding what their client wanted to achieve and understood their concerns. Their lines of communication were clear and timely. They used their technology to deliver efficient results and a good level of transparency. Their people were easy to deal with and also you had a sense of confidence in what they were doing. Overall they were approachable, professional and focused on the end result for the client.’
The Legal 500, 2023
‘The individuals worked as team and built up a level of trust with the client. They were approachable and listened to any concerns the client had at any stage. They were also technically very good at understanding and managing the transaction. From the senior partners to the associates dealing with the case, there was a feeling that whatever the situation, the team could handle the problems facing the client.’
The Legal 500, 2023
‘Fast execution, in depth knowledge, excellent advice.’
The Legal 500, 2023
‘We have been working with Lavelle Partners for four years across a number of departments and I must say that all our engagements and interactions with all of their staff have been overwhelmingly positive. As a client, you really feel that they have your best interests at heart – they are very client focused. They are very quick to understand their clients’ business and needs. Their ability to collaborate and work as a team and transfer knowledge about a case or client, particularly across departments, is second to none, and from the client’s view it is absolutely seamless.’
The Legal 500, 2023
‘Gríana O’Kelly is our primary contact on the business side and she’s great – very quickly comes up to speed and understands our requirements, and deals with things quickly and thoroughly, spotting any potential issues and dealing with them along the way.’
The Legal 500, 2023
For further information on how we can help you with mergers and acquisitions in Ireland and the EU, please contact Lavelle Partners in confidence on (01) 644 5800.
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