Farella Braun + Martel offers a vibrant mergers and acquisitions practice comprised of highly experienced lawyers who provide comprehensive services to maximize value retention. We have advised on mergers and acquisitions in Northern California for over 60 years representing a diverse set of clients and industries based in California, the United States and internationally. We’ve represented buyers and sellers, family-owned businesses, emerging and mature companies, professional services firms, and others across myriad industries, in domestic and cross-border transactions.
Farella’s team of strategic, proactive, accessible deal lawyers maintain a focus on retaining value and thoughtfully addressing risks and contingencies in order to help our clients achieve their desired outcomes. Our clients and opposing counsel describe us as responsive, personal, and detailed lawyers capable of closing even the most difficult deals.
Why Farella?
Quality and efficiency are paramount for executing successful mergers and acquisitions. Our M&A lawyers know firsthand that the longer a deal takes to complete, the more likely it will be that costs will increase and obstacles to closing will arise. Therefore, we prioritize agile, informed decision-making by giving our clients all they need to anticipate and address challenges and to meet the discrete demands of their transaction.
We staff our teams leanly with highly experienced lawyers, and manage mergers, acquisitions, and other major corporate transactions proactively to deliver maximized value. Our clients work directly with the lead partner, who understands the details and nuances of their deal and can keep all aspects of the transaction moving forward promptly. Our knowledge and expertise allow us to work hand-in-hand with our clients to prioritize the key issues and properly allocate and minimize risk associated with any transaction.
Experience Matters
Farella is a prominent Northern California powerhouse law firm leveraged by buyers and sellers of businesses because we know the territory, the deal landscape, the law, and how to translate that to meet our clients’ goals. Combined with our transactional expertise, we also have the resources to cover a full range of specialist areas including antitrust and competition, employment and benefits, environmental, real estate, intellectual property, tax, and corporate governance.
Our lawyers offer clients big-law talent and experience without big-law fees. A majority of our M&A team started their careers in large law firms, gaining expertise on large middle market deals and then put their expertise to work at Farella to provide a direct and efficient model for client service. When you engage us, you’ll develop a strong relationship with your lawyer, who will become your advisor, strategist, drafter, negotiator, and sounding board. First-time buyers and sellers thrive in this ecosystem, as our firm also provides excellent support in multiple, related practice areas that typically come in to play in deals, saving time and costs.
Cross-Border Transactions
In addition to our work leading domestic transactions, our team also acts as U.S.- and California-based “local” counsel for international clients in cross-border transactions. We partner with international law firms on complex multi-national mergers and acquisitions, mostly involving buyers, sellers or target companies located in California. We provide tremendous value with our deep understanding of the U.S. M&A market and our experience completing California-based deals.
Along with our talented group of specialists, we support our international colleagues through the fundamental elements of any cross-border transaction, including navigating corporate/tax structuring, Hart-Scott-Rodino and other governmental filings, executive employment contracts, intellectual property licensing, real estate transfers, environmental liabilities, and general legal diligence.
Comprehensive Counsel and Trusted Advisors
While nearly all major transactions have twists and turns, mergers and acquisitions are particularly noted for last minute surprises and complexity. We work as trusted advisors to principals and decision-makers, guiding them through the sale process, risk allocation, negotiation hurdles, and more in what can otherwise be very stressful process. Exercising savvy business judgment while advocating forcefully for our clients’ interests, our deal attorneys help keep things calm, focused, and straightforward—honest, truthful, and trustworthy—putting clients at ease throughout the process.