Building Strategic Partnerships with M&A Attorneys
The process for partnering with M&A attorneys is very straightforward. Success is a function of how well you implement the process.
The Assessment: Here is where you start developing a very solid understanding of a particular M&A attorney’s practice. While the research gives us perspective and helps guide the assessment, you need to determine what is happening in the world of the individual M&A attorney you are considering as a partner.
A very good way to start is by saying, “Tell me about your practice.” Then take copious notes. You are looking to grasp a number of issues including:
• What business concerns are keeping the attorney up at night?
• How has the business changed in the last few years?
• How does the attorney find new clients?
• What approaches to business development have worked well and not so well for the attorney?
• How many new deals is the attorney involved with currently and how many in an average year?
• Does the attorney specialize in a particular industry or is he or she a generalist?