Preparation is the key to success with most things in life and it is particularly important when you are trying to attract a buyer for your business. This is because any potential buyer will almost certainly want to carry out due diligence checks to ensure that your business is legally and financially sound, and it is not saddled with unacceptable debt or unquantifiable liabilities.

Danielle Austin, a corporate and commercial Solicitor at Geoffrey Leaver Solicitors LLP, explains ‘it is the outcome of this process that will usually determine whether or not the proposed purchase of your business will proceed. It will also influence the final price that the buyer is willing to pay.’

Given its pivotal importance, it is crucial that buyer due diligence is handled with care and that wherever possible you appoint an experienced solicitor in advance of any sale being agreed. They can help you to get ready for the process and will help to head off any potential problems.

As Danielle Austin notes ‘Regrettably, many business owners delay consulting a solicitor until the terms of a proposed sale have already been agreed and the due diligence process is about to begin. This can be a false economy, as there may be issues within the business which concern the buyer and which lead them to reduce their offer, some or all of which could have been addressed had a solicitor been consulted sooner.’

Why it pays to seek legal advice early

A solicitor who is experienced in dealing with business sales will have a good idea of the sort of enquiries that a buyer is likely to want to make and the issues that could set alarm bells ringing, provide a negotiating point, or even put your proposed sale at risk of collapse.

By seeking legal advice at an early stage, you can tap into this insight and use it to your advantage. You can prepare for the due diligence process, for example by: as a request from the buyer is received you will have everything; concern and, if so, taking remedial steps to address them before due diligence; give in respect of risks which cannot reasonably be mitigated; and and their advisors keep any commercially sensitive information secure and only use it for the purpose of determining whether or not the purchase should proceed.

• compiling the information and documents that you are likely to need, so that as soon
• identifying whether there are any aspects of your business that could be a cause for
• determining the parameters of any warranties or indemnities that you are prepared to
• preparing a confidentiality agreement which will enable you to ensure that the buyer

Eliminating potential risk factors

Of particular importance is the advance warning that a solicitor can give you about potential problems within your business, which might lead to a prospective deal being dismissed or a previously agreed sale price being substantially reduced.

A solicitor could help you to address: out your respective rights and obligations; unnecessarily high amount of debt; or exposed to the threat of regulatory action or which heighten the likelihood of you being successfully sued.

• poorly drafted contracts with customers and suppliers that fail to clearly set
• poor internal credit control measures which mean that you are carrying an
• a lack of appropriate risk management controls which leave you unacceptably

Areas of your business that are likely to be scrutinised

While every business sale is different, the key issues that most buyers will want to investigate and on which early legal input will usually be required include:
are proposing to sell, and if there are any constitutional or operational documents of which the buyer ought to be aware; the ease with which such property can be transferred into the buyer’s name if necessary and how you propose to deal with any mortgages or secured loans; to ensure that these are adequately protected against unlawful infringement, e.g. via the registration of appropriate trade marks; with which these can seamlessly be transferred to the buyer if necessary should the sale proceed;
whether they all have written, up-to-date and signed employment contracts; place; records that you are required to keep and maintain; such as a lack of adequate provision for the repayment of a director’s loan or for the settlement of any known or anticipated corporate liabilities; House; to HMRC, for example in respect of VAT, PAYE, or corporation tax; needed in order for you to operate legally within your chosen sector or industry; and business interruption and the risk of you being sued by employees, customers, suppliers, or members of the public.

• how your business is structured and who owns any property or assets that you
• whether any bricks and mortar property are held on a freehold or leasehold basis,
• whether any plant or machinery is owned or subject to lease or hire purchase;
• the extent of your intellectual property rights and the steps you have taken
• the details of all supplier and customer contracts that you have and the ease
• the number of employees you have, the terms on which they are employed and
• the details of any staff policies, procedures, or handbooks that you have in
• the nature and scope of your employee and directors’ pension schemes;
• whether your business books and records are up to date, including any statutory
• whether your accounts are in order or reveal something that might be of concern,
• ensuring your accounts are up to date and, if appropriate, filed with Companies
• whether your tax affairs are in order and you are up to date with any payments due
• confirmation you have all authorisations and regulatory approvals in place that are
• whether you have appropriate insurance, e.g., to cover buildings and contents,

Your buyer will also want to investigate and understand the nature of any actual or prospective litigation risks that you may face. For example, as a result of a customer threatening to sue you for breach of contract, a former employee claiming that they have been unfairly dismissed or a regulator giving notice of their intention to launch an investigation which could result in you being fined or having an important authorisation revoked.

Contact us

For further information and advice on the sale or purchase of a business, and specifically on due diligence related issues, please contact Danielle Austin on 01908 689399 or daustin@geoffreyleaver.com.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Please note that the law may have changed since this article was published.