The Art of M&A: A Merger Acquisition Buyout Guide [Hardcover]

The Art of M&A, Third Edition, is the leading answer book in today's fast-changing, enormously complex merger world. Written in a handy, easy-reference Q&A format, this no-nonsense handbook covers everything from the early stages of locating a suitable target--or finding that you are a target--through the postmerger trials of turning multiple companies into one.

Synopses of nearly three dozen landmark cases give real life insights into legal rulings from previous high profile mergers. Over the past decade, The Art of M&A has helped thousands of executives make sound decisions. Now, let it provide all the information you will need to buy or sell companies, whether public or private, domestic or foreign.

The classic book on M&A­­covering all aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and buyouts. The Art of M&A continues to be the one-stop, no-nonsense reference for executives facing the day-to-day challenges of combining two or more companies into one. Completely revised and updated, The Art of M&A's handy Q&A format asks and answers more than 1,000 critical M&A questions, including:

• Planning and Finding: How does a search-and-screen hunt for a likely acquisition target begin? What types of fees or guarantees can a "finder" expect for brokering a prospective deal? What are the best Internet sites for dealmaking information?
• Valuation and Pricing: How can activity-based costing uncover hidden values in a company? What happens when a company's selling price is based on its current stock price­­and the stock plummets? What are the "traps of undue optimism" that every buyer must guard against?
• Financing and Refinancing: How can a buyer conduct proper due diligence without harming its relationship with the seller? What should an acquirer include in a thorough due diligence checklist? What information should be considered material in a litigation review?
• Postmerger Integration: What critical ingredients should be in a postmerger plan? How are intangibles valued, and how can they be integrated into the new company? What are the restrictions on communications between merging companies?
• Plus...new sections that can ensure a smooth postmerger integration and reveal the keys to success in spin-offs and strategic alliances.

You'll also find sample documents­­a typical merger agreement, letter of intent, and due diligence and postmerger integration checklists. Let The Art of M&A, Third Edition, serve as your advisor and walk you step by step through a smooth and successful M&A procedure.

Stanley Foster Reed teaches advanced management courses as Entrepreneur in Residence at the College of Charleston. An accomplished author, Reed has been a merger consultant to numerous global businesses, including Allied Chemical, Gillette, Schering Plough, and Seiko Watch. He is the founder of a number of successful businesses in publishing, high-tech research, and consulting, and is founding editor and publisher of Mergers & Acquisitions and Directors & Boards magazines.

Alexandra Reed Lajoux is the president of Alexis and Company, an editorial services firm that provides state-of-the-art textual materials for business and professional use. Lajoux is the author of The Art of M&A Integration and the editor of Director's Monthly, the official newsletter of the National Association of Corporate Directors.