Diligence: Before Transactions
Helping clients close smart deals anywhere in the world for nearly 30 years.
Before an acquisition, merger, joint venture, partnership, equity or debt financing, we check the background and reputations of individuals and entities. We locally verify the professed qualifications and track records of people with whom you are considering a deal, and uncover inconsistencies and controversies they may not have disclosed. Our clients represent a wide range of investors, including private equity and venture capital firms, pension funds, investment banks and their respective legal advisors.
- Was the CFO of a joint venture convicted of fraud 22 years ago?
- Are there concerns about the track record of the management team at a prospective portfolio company?
- Did an acquisition target fail to disclose multiple regulatory actions?
Mintz Group helps firms protect their reputations and capital.
We scrutinize companies as thoroughly as we scrutinize people. Mintz Reports reflect our expertise in the standards and best practices for what constitutes due diligence and responsible decision-making before transactions and relationships.
We keep pace with the deal, which sometimes requires quality information in hours, not days.
Because the reputations of companies and individuals may depend on the facts we gather, we recognize the importance of accuracy and attention to detail, and our responsibility to maintain the highest professional and ethical standards. We:
- Alert clients to issues in real time, with easy-to-access, user-friendly reports
- Provide facts that stand up to the toughest scrutiny
- Go beyond online sources - following paper trails, scouring the digital landscape
- Assess the reliability of those making allegations and provide proper context for potentially significant findings
- Do not invade anyone’s privacy; scrupulously avoid steps that, even if legal, might undermine clients’ interests
- Listen carefully to clients and stick to priorities assigned
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Expertise to help clients sidestep serious risk and drive better outcomes.
New Teams
Risk: Bringing on a new management team in an unfamiliar verticalFacts: In the deep dive on top execs, we found employment dates that contradicted the COO’s resume (he was hiding a bankruptcy)
Outcome: The COO was replaced
Investing
Risk: Investing in businesses in Romania and Turkey for the first time, with concerns about language and corruptionFacts: Red flags surfaced during our Turkish-language research, and interviews revealed bad relationships
Outcome: Client passed on the deal
New Hires
Risk: Client identified a CFO candidate, but had concerns about his character and engaged us to dig deeperFacts: We discovered serious personal finance problems
Outcome: Client hired the CFO but was fully aware of the risks
Unique Opportunities
Risk: While considering a unique real estate opportunity, the track record of the portco’s management team was unclearFacts: Hidden within decades-old litigation, we uncovered a credible accusation of wrongdoing
Outcome: Client completed the deal but negotiated appropriate protections
Litigation
Risk: Allegations raised character concerns about an employee critical to a foreign JVFacts: Local interviews uncovered undisclosed side deals
Outcome: Client was able to settle favorably out of court
The Americas
Doug Chisholm
Partner
New York
Jen Cherner
Partner
Washington, D.C.
Peter Lagomarsino
Partner
San Francisco
APAC
Jack Mullan
Partner
Singapore